The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop what width are my 16" rims?

my '31 came with 4 16" solid steel rims that i'm trying to identify. the man that sold me the truck told me that they're from a late 40's pickup. any ideas as to what thier width would be? i did some crude measurements (difficult with the tire still attached), and i think they're 5.5" wide, but i'd like to confirm that. they have 6.50x16 tires mounted on them. if they have 6.50x16 tires now, would it be possible to mount 7.00x16 on the rer and 5.50x16 on the front?

thanks,
ed

I believe your wheels are either 6 or 6.5. Be aware that some tire shops will not mount radial tires on the old riveted type wheels unless they are in exceptional shape(no rust/pits or loose rivets.
Some people say they are running radials on the riveted wheels but is it worth it to risk a wheel coming apart?

oh, i fully intend to run bias ply tires, so the radial thing isn't much of a problem. are these rims rare or valuable? if they're that wide, i may have the front narrowed.

Actually, they probably are not that wide. The stock width was 4 inches, but the factory used 4 1/2 inch rims for 6.50 tires. These measurements are inside width, by the way.

brian- how would i measure the width of the rim? is there any way to do it with the tire still on?

mechainiac- i think i got a little ahead of myself.. what are 'riveted' type tires? since i'm not planning to run radials, will i have any problems using bias-ply tires?

thanks!
ed

are 'riveted' rims the same thing as 'split' rims, or does it just mean that the outer ring has been riveted to the center piece?

The outer rim is riveted to the center of the wheel. they were designed when bias ply tires were the norm.

I've seen plenty of the riveted rims on wheels intended for radial tires. As long as the rivets are in good shape, I don't think there would be a problem.

good good good. i was in a bit of a panic there, thinking that my rims wouldn't be safe.

ed

Lay down the wheel and tire on a flat 1 x 4 on your work bench. Lay another 1 x 4 on top of the tire.

Measure in between the wood at the outside of the tire. Then measure between the wood and the rim at the bead area.

Let's say the first measurement is 7 inches and there is 1 inch at the second measurement on both sides. Your rims would be 5 inches outside and would most likely be 4.5 inches inside width.

tony-

thanks for the idea. earlier, i did something similar, except that i measured from the outmost flat surfaces of the rim and got a much laeger measurement. anyway, i just ran out to the garage and measured things up:

6.75" tire width
- 1.25" top of tire to bead
- 1.25" bottom of tire to bead
---------
4.25" to outside of beads

guess that means i have 16" x 4" rims.

ok... so now that i've determined that i have 4" wide rims, what size range of tires can i install?

thanks,
ed

I had been looking at my rims and trying to figure out some of the stuff you are looking at. I learned a couple of things.....Measure the outside diameter of the rim. You will see that although they call it a 16" rim, it is not 16" to the outside diameter of the rim. The width is a similar situation, that is although your measurement is about 4 inches, the tire guy dimention is a little different. Take the whole works to someplace like Goodyear, and they will check their books and tell you what will fit it. Then, armed with that knowledge, you can shop around and find tires to fit. Also, you will find that the wheelwell is also a small limiting factor. I took my wheel to Pomps and got it powder coated for 20.00. Then I asked them if they would put on a tire I was considering. They agreed to do it for 6.00. The tire fit and I bought it and they did not charge the 6. Maybe this would work for you.

With a 4 or 4.5 inch wide rim there is only about one size of tire that will fit. I agree, go to a reputable tire shop and talk to them.

are any of you familiar with the hop up annuals? in the most recent one, they show a half-dozen '32 f--ds and talk about how the owners acheived 'the stance'. most of the cars were using **** 16x4 rims with 4.50-16 tires. two of the cars were even using the 16x4 tires with 7.00-16 and 7.50-16 tires. this would lead me to believe that i could install a range sizes on my rims.

anyway, i'll give coker a call and see what they have to say.

Ed, they use those sizes on the front rims but the rear rims are wider. I did what I suggested. I went to my tire shop and had a tire recommended to put on my stock 4.5 inch half ton rim. This is about the widest (and only) modern tire that will fit:
P215/60R16
These tires look wide on the rim and I am using it for the side mounted spare.
[img]http://www.angelswest.com/_borders/fckfrd.jpg[/img]
The height of the tire is about the same as stock.

What is the block of wood under the tire for ??

So the truck won't roll. :p

My e-brake don't work and I was letting it idle during a tune up.

If you want to keep your original steering you will want the narrowest tires you can find, nothing wider than 225 or you will need to eat spinach before driving.

The chrome rims in the above picture have P235/60R16 tires on them. It steers good. I would like to get some taller tires in the rear for gearing though.

I put bias 7.50 on the rear that had a road diameter of 31 inches to help my gearing. They are Power King. They are a hwy tire, but they also offer a Power King with an aggressive tread that has a 33 inch diameter. Every couple inches will give you abooouuut 5 miles per hr. in the 50mph range. I think it is a good trade, expecially since now my granny gear is boardering on useful. Check the charts for more exact numbers tho. - Scott

tony m -- does your license plate really say "FCK FRD"?