I just bought a 1972 Ford F250 Ford Ranger XLT and I will need to replace the tires. Right now I have P265/70R/16, but would like to know if these are the original tire size for this truck.

Thanks

 

The P-metric size tires started in the '80's. From a '72 owner's manual, according to GVW, 7.50x16, 8.00x16.5, 8.75x16.5, 9.50x16.5. Your 16" wheels might not be original as it could have had 16.5 wheels of which tires are very hard to find. You need to find a tire conversion guide to find a P-metric tire size close to original if that is what you want to do. Radials are much better than the old numerical bias ply tires.

 

My 1972 Ford F-250 came with 8.75R16.5LT wheels. You can still find 16.5" tires but they are expensive and there are limited choices.

The 8.75R16.5LT tire size is about 29.5" in diameter. You can use this chart from the tire rack to compare other tire sizes:

"http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=53"

The tires you have on there now, 265/70R16, are about 30.5 inches. The speedometer error between 29.5" and 30.5" is only about 2 mph @ 55 mph. Assuming the speedometer gear is sized for the smaller tire.

 

Miata has a good calculator to compare tire sizes...Google search speedometer calculator. It shows a 235/75/16 as being 29.9" in diameter...pretty close to what Old Brown listed as the stock tire diameter.

 

The tires currently on the truck are P-metric (4 ply standard load) and don't belong on an F250. I would use a LT245/75R-16 Load Range E (30.5 inches tall) or a LT235/85R-16 Load Range E (about 31.5 inches tall). LT215/85R-16 Load Range E is another good option. The latter two options are narrower tires similar to the factory 7.50-16's used back in the day.

 

Just took a pair of 235/85-16's off the rear of my truck...ditched the front pair when I got it cause they were toast. That size raises the truck, gives it a nice stock look but the ride is brutal when the bed is empty...tires are so beefy, they almost look cartoonish compared to today's metric sizes/profiles.

 

Reviving this old thread. I have the same question, but I am not sure of the answer after reading this.

Question is - what was the stock diameter of the tires on my 72 F250 Custom?

I have what I believe are the original rims, and they are 16" rims. I believe they are original because they are two-piece rims for use with tubed tires.

Current tires are 235/85/16, which I know translates out to around 31.5" tires. Is this (close to) the original tire diameter?

 

Not that this helps, but I know the 235/85s are a VERY popular size for the f250s. Lots if guys running them.

If you wanted to go wider, an LT265/75R16 is another common size.

 

If your speedometer is real close or correct I'd go by the above noted tire calculators and get the newer version of whatever diameter tires ya got.