The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Need new tires - what size??

The 54 needs some new tires on the 16" steel wheels. Want something that isn't quite as tall as original. Was thinking something like a 235/50 or so......Any recommendations?

Stock wheels or aftermarket? Wheel width will come into play as to what you can run. With the stock wheels, anything wider than a 215 is pushing the safety limits. If you have wider aftermarket wheels, then there's more available choices.
For a smaller diameter tire, which will increase engine rpm at any given speed, I wouldn't suggest anything smaller than a 235/70/16. The 50 series tire you mention is not rated for truck use, it's meant for compact sporty cars. They will not last long under a truck due to the overloading.

But, but, but…..how many of us are using our vintage or classic trucks as, well trucks?
and those of us that do still haul something once in a while, are they ever fully loaded?
Heck the most I've ever hauled in my 3604 was a 235 engine that I just had to drag home.
Usually it's just a bag of grocery’s or case of beer so I‘m 100% of the time way under
weight. In fact I probably weigh in under what my fellow 1950 four door sedan does with five passengers, their luggage and a full tank of gas.
I suppose, no..…..I no doubt will get a bunch of flack for daring to say this from a few,
but I personally think that anyone who's intention it is to use a half century or older truck
to do the same job that it was expected to do when it was new needs to re-evaluate his
intentions.
A modern day 2000> vintage truck is built 10 times better from the get go, it has the
suspension, the bearings, the power train, the brake system to handle the loads that its
designed for. I just feel that asking my '50, 3600 to do a days work is like asking a 70 year
old to put in a 10 hour day digging ditches like he was expected to do when he was 20,
and like my truck, I'm that 70 year old. And I see nothing wrong with us both being
retired after a long productive life.

So what I’m saying Bill, is I wouldn't worry at all about using an auto tire on my truck.
But if someone is fool enough to load a ton of gravel in the back of his 1948, 3104 then
yes, he had better heed your advice and have tires that are rated for the load.
DG

First where in Indiana? i have a 54/3100 and i have 215-75-15 fronts and 235-75-15 rear. 50 series tires ride like a brick and i have them on my car because that is the way it came. i would go to www.randysringandpinion.com and play with calculator.

I see what you're saying, Denny. However, I'm more speaking from experience dealing with customers that insisted on too low rated tires on their trucks. One case in point, we had a customer bring in a '72 C20 pickup, 307 4 speed with 17.5 split rims. He wanted to go with 16" wheels to get rid of the splits, which was no problem. But then he insisted on a 225/60/16 tire, because he thought is was "cool". We warned him about the load capacity, and that he woulnd't be able to use it to haul anyhting as the tires he wanted were just barely enough to handle the weight of the truck empty. About a month later, he shows up demanding a warrantee tire, as the sidewall had blown out. Over the course of the following weeks, we ended up replacing all 4 of the tires we had originally mounted, plus a couple of the replacements, all for the same reason.
My suggestion really has more to do with getting a tire capable of carrying the weight of the truck itself, plus maybe a ight load (passengers, cooler, etc.). Those lower profile tires tend to not be up to the task.
BTW, the 235/70/16 tire I suggested is the base tire for the '99-'05 Silverado C1500. It's a 4 ply rated tire, sufficient for any 1/2 ton.

Indianapolis, we have 195/50 15 on the 1930 Model A Ford it looks good but the ride is like there is no rubber between the road and the wheels. So this time I want to have a better ride but I would rather have a tire that doesn't look as tall as the "stock" tire. The tires you have on yours, We B Old, look about right.
Stock wheels on mine.