The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What tires to put on 54 3100

I need to replace the rims on my truck, should I use 16" or go to 15"? Also what size tire would be the best? Any ideas appreciated. OK, more info, my rims are rusted out, so have to buy new. I live on a gravel road. I priced new bias tires which need tubes. It would be cheaper to get radial tubless tires in 15", will they look OK? Also have read that radial tires ride & handle better. Thanks for any info.

What is the condition of your rims?

Do you want original-style rims or do you not care?

Do you want original appearance tires or do you not care?

Do you want radial tires or original-style black-wall bias-ply tires?

15" and 16" wheels were available in 1954. Tires that fit original rims need to be narrow.

You'll get loads of suggestions whether or not you post answers to the questions above.

Tim

First of all, welcome to the site. It's a good place to get lots of advice on these old trucks. Hope you are able to pick up some useful info.

Tim is correct, you need to give way more info. I put 16" rims on my 1953 half ton, with 6" x 16" skinny bias ply tires with inner tubes. That is good for poking around slowly on back roads, which is what I will be doing. Perhaps you intend a different use for your truck.

I put 15" rims on my '54 GMC but I kept the 16" with 6.50 x 16 tires in case I ever sell it. I used 235 x 70 R15's and I'm completely satisfied, they are almost the same diameter as the 16's and ride smoother, etc.

I sent you a pm So check that out it will get you rolling And them some.

Jaime

I have a 1954 1/2 ton truck with the original 15" wheels and I was wondering if you know what the width is of those wheels are?

5".
One thing you'll want to keep in mind when choosing tires is load rating. You'll need to make sure that you pick a tire size and ply rating that will at least carry to weight of the empty truck plus passengers/cargo. All 4 tires should add up to this weight. Too low of a load rating, and , while the ride will be great, you'll experience premature tire failure, especially if the tires aren't inflated properly.
Personally, I would only consider LT rated (min 6 ply) for any older truck, especially one that is still relatively stock. P rated would be alright, but make you'll want to go with one designed for truck use. If you're running a 15" rim, 235/75/15 will give you the most choices, you'll want at least a 15x6.5 or 15x7 rim for that size. If you 16', then a 215/85/16 (E load range) will be very close to the OE size, 235/85/16 (again, E load range) will get you a bit more road speed but still keep the narrow tire look. 245/75/16 will allow for more choices in the 16" rim size.

Where can I find 6" or 6.5" x 15" wheels for my 1/2 ton '54 PU? It has the 6 lug hubs.

Pre-'87 1/2 ton GM 4x4. They will not have the proper mounting tabs for the stock hubcaps, though.

Thanks for the information on the wheels.

Also with generally stock trucks of this era, remember that taller wheels and tires gives you less engine rpm at a given speed and wider tires up front are harder to turn at low speed with manual steering.

I have written about this before and am sure I will get pro and con answers. I have 650-16 bias ply tires on my stock 1949 half ton. I wanted (or thought I wanted) radial tires and saw some 215-85R16 but they were pricey and required (according to manufacturer's specs) a 6.5" rim width.
So to alleviate the problem I bought new bias ply tires. Do I like them? Yes. Would I consider radial tires in the future? Yes.
The new bias ply tires (at least mine) do not flat spot, run quietly but do track but it is something you get used to. I normally drive back roads at 35-45 mph but recently have been hitting the highway cruising at 55 mph.
At a recent cruise-in I met two fellows with bias ply tires on their 62 Corvette and 67 Chevelle. Both had gone to radials but did not like them on their applications so switched back.
If I go to radials I would need a wider rim.
I had radial tires on my 53 half ton and they ran fairly well but parking or turning at slow speeds caused a lot of stress on the steering and my arms. With the narrower bias ply it is like power steering when it comes to parking.