These are the rims I have...


Very helpful posts guys! Brad and Doc you made my day... Very nice trucks with excellent stance!
I have two original rims (I think), and I am looking for two more. And if I can get these tires over here I will go with them, too...

 

I am not a purist - I go for looks and practicality. Tire math is voodoo!

I really like how 30x9.5x15 tires look on older trucks - pretty much all older truck. That size translates pretty well to 235/75R-15...but you can still find the old inch sizes for trucks. These are wide enough to be practical when hauling and towing, yet not so wide as to look like a muscle car wannabe. They fill the wheel wells nicely. And there's lots of wheels that support this size.

If you're set on using original wheels, particularly 16", then you narrow your choices by default. I would run 7.00x16 though. They're a wee bit taller and a little bit wider (most of the time, they actually end up being wider than the 7.50x16 - once again, voodoo math). I honestly don't know what the radial equivalent is to either the 6.50x16 or the 7.00x16 - I always ran those as bias + tubes. Got a set of 7.00x16 on my '40 coupe...had the 7.50x16 on my '34 that I sold back in the UK.

 

6.50-16 96S TL Firestone 4PR Vintage black



The radial equivalent to 6.50x16 would be
195/70/R16
250/60/R16


The equivalent to 7.00x16 would probably be
205/70/R16,
225/60/R16
or 245/50/R16


All above are more or less theoretical converted sizes, does not mean they are available in stores.
I don't think it's Voodoo math, it is just a different way of setting the standard.
I would also agree on being practical, and I like the idea of Brad using Firestone Transforce HT LT215/85/16 which make for a really nice stance.
I have found a dealer here that offers vintage wheels, I might go with them: 6.50-16 96S TL Firestone 4PR Vintage black (see pic above)

 

Has anyone discovered what will actually fit in the spare tire carrier?

 

I learned the hard way that it must be an extremely skinny tire with pretty much almost the exact same dimensions as the original tires. Otherwise, you have to find some sort of extensions for the hardware, and the outer tread of the tire may actually stick far enough out that it will hit your tailpipe. In other words, a radial which is wider and taller than the original bias plys will give you problems.

 

When I did my truck, I was going to have to extend the stock hardware to run the 30x9.5x15 as a spare. I had several old wheel/tire combos lying around and the only one that remotely fit was something close to original 6.00x16.

In the end, I ended up making a bracket to hold one of those modern wind-up winch assemblies and used that instead of the stock setup. I ended up drilling a smal hold in the crossmember just under the tailgate that will take a 3/8" drive speedwrench that I keep in my toolbox.

I also fitted the biggest version of 30x9.5x15 I had lying around when I took it in to get the exhaust run. So, I cheated a little - put the spare in and then ran the exhaust...

 

So Doc, what did you end up with. Your making me curious. I'm looking at a 6oo-16 bias ply and hope I never have to use it, as you all know they don't play well with three other radials.

 

I said to heck with it and just toss the spare in the bed of my truck before going on long trips. I'm lucky because I live in a community where pretty much everybody knows everybody, and I can get my spare delivered to me within 30 minutes, get my flat fixed in the same or less time, or call one of my 2 or 3 buddies with a rollback (if the spare is not already laying in the bed). When the time comes for me to get new tires for my truck (in many, many years from now at the rate it's going), I'll probably go for expensive mail-order tires even closer to the original size, and I'll mount a spare then.


However, I think your idea of just going with a small spare (even if it is a bias ply) is a good idea. It will get you home, even if you have to creep along at a snail's pace. Look at the ridiculously small bicycle-wheel spares that are installed in modern cars nowadays.