The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1940 - 1946 rear wheel & tire width.

Ok all you art deco hot rodders. What wheel and tire width/size are you running and are you using the stock fenders or the 2 inch wider fiberglass fenders.

I have a 1940 1/2 ton with 19551st series rear end. My dimensions show the width of the box is 48 1/2 inches and the width of the fenders is 72 inches. Take out the fender lip and divide by 2 (2 sides of the truck) that leaves some where around 11 inches of fender to stuff tires under.

My rear end is 61 inches drum to drum. That gives me about 5 inches from the brake drum to the fender lip and about 6 inches from the bed side to the drum.

I'm taking any and all advice on back spacing and wheel widths.

Thanks,

I've got 235/75R15's on my stock 15" rims. (I've got a 3/4 ton)

That comes out to roughly 9.25" wide. They work fine on the front fenders, but I've got a flatbed right now, so I can't speak for the rear ones. They're only a couple of inches taller than the old 7.00x15's that came with the truck originally, and I'm thinking that they'll be fine.

The thing that you have to remember is that the tires (and the wheels) will be partly over the drum, so it's not that you have to worry about width so much (just so that they're not rubbing on anything or hindering steering) it's height.

If you measure from the center of the hub to the top of the fender (and then subract a few inches) you'll have the radius of the tallest tire that you can cram under there.

Bill -

I's almost not a real big deal wbout the tires you choose, within a reasonable choice, it's more about the wheels you use and the offset of those wheels. If I remember, you are going with artillary wheels, stock, I suppose. If they are 15 inch wheels, the closest tire to the original tire in a radial is a 225x75R15. If you are going with 16 inch wheels, I'm not sure what you can get in a radial, but I think there is a 225x75R16 available from Coker.

If you look at the pictures of my truck, you are looking at Diamond Back Classic 225x75R15. They are actually Dayton Tires.

Just my thoughts - hope it helps.

Joe

Take it easy on us Joe, I drool to much every time I see your truck...excuse me while I go get a hanky.......

Bill, I'm running BFG 255 60s on my '40 and it is a fairly tight fit.

Joe,

You are right. I am thinking of having 16 inch artillery wheels widened at Stockton Wheel. The resulting wheel will also be 16 inch. I was hoping to make 15 inch wheels from these rims but the centers are too big at 13.5 inches. This does limit my choices a bit in tires, but I thought I would ask to see what people are running. I am thinking of having the rear wheels widened to 16 X 8, but that might be too wide if if I can only get a 235 tire in there comfortably.

A one inch difference between the front spacing and back spacing (wider in the back spacing) should center the wheel between the fender and bed side. Then I think what ever tire within reason will fit in there.

Any one disagree with that. I'm all ears.

Dennis,

A 255 is almost 10 inches wide isn't it?

Hey Bill, yep it is about 10". I did the same as you are planning and had Stockton Wheel put the artillery wheel on new centers. You do need to get the offsets correct though for 255s. I had that size before these wheels and they were a bit too close to the bed. Occassionally the opposite tire would rub the bed when the other tire went over something like a steep curb or such. Didn't hurt anything since it was flat and going slow. When I did these wheels, I moved them out. They are close to the rim now. No rubbing anywhere so I'm OK. No way I could put anything like cable chains for snow though.
Dennis

Dennis,

Really! Can you send me some pictures of the truck. I'd kill to see how it all looks. What width did you go for on the rims front and back? What size rim did you end up with 15 or 16 inch?
Do you remember what backspacing you went with?

Thanks for the post.

Bill

I have winter studs on now but will probably take them off in a week or 2. I'll try to get some pictures then. I used a 3 1/2" backspace on 7" 15s. The rear end is 60 1/2".

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to the pictures.