a tire shop back home told me i could mount 16 inch tires on 16.5 rims. anyone done this?

 

Only if you want to loose various body parts, and the tires.
Tell their district manager if they are a chain store, the owner if they are local. Whoever told you that is going to kill someone.

 

I was working for TiresAmerica when the young kid working there tried to do just that. He kept airing it til it blew off the rim clamp machine, launching it into the rafters, BENDING the rafter it hit with a 20 foot high ceiling... The tire machine was ruined, the kid got lucky he got blown clear and was basically not hurt. A customer had brought the tire and rim in, and he didn't double check that it was in fact a 16" rim. There is a reason the warning on the side of the tires says not to mount 16" tires on 16.5 rims, THEY WON'T GO ON! Whoever told you that is either a moron that should not be working on tires, or so full of crap their eyes should be brown.If he is serious, it is a wonder no one has been hurt there yet.

 

That would be the last time I ever frequented that tire shop if they said that to me.

 

x2 on this.

Wow, the stupidity of someone working in a tire shop saying that just blows me away.

 

I personally know a guy this happened to. The tire came off the rim, caught him in the face and chest, carried him to the top of a 10' ceiling and dropped him like a rag doll. Various broken bones, internal damage. He somewhat recovered but permanently blind.

 

That person should be fired that gave that advice.

I have posted this story here before, but, here it is again for your benefit of the dangerous advice given you.

I was working at a Ford dealer when the shop "manager" decided he wanted to scoff some 16" warranty tires for his truck. I (parts person) told him he could not mount them on 16.50 rims and refused to give them to him for his own safety. Besides I was saving them for a mechanic that removed them. He told me I was going to be fired if I didn't give him the tire.

I basically told him to go %#$%, gave him the tires, and told everyone to stay away. Somehow he managed to mount the 16.5" tires on the 16" rims and about an hour later we hear an explosion that shook the garage. He had his truck on a lift and when he went to put the tire on he hit it against the lift arm or ground and it exploded.

It knocked the truck off the arm and sent him flying. I thought he was dead, luckily the only thing broken was his wrist.

I wished I could have said I told you so, but, when someone is lying there looking dead and you are wishing you weren't the 1st responder (you might have to give CPR), it slips your mind.

It was a nice tale to tell the whole garage (did my best) the next day though and the big burly mechanic I was saving the tires for (that I saw fold a import door in 1/2 with his bare hands and knee) really had a good laugh.

Working with greedy morons has it's benefits sometimes.

Ps. You can't mount 16" tires on 16.50 rims either. There is no safety bead.

 

This one wins my 2009 "WORST ADVICE OF THE YEAR" Award (It is not a prize to be covetted)

Buddy - thank God you checked with us before letting some damned fool clean out his service bay with "COMPRESSED AIR"...

I'm sure you hear what I'm sayin'. Some people deserve tools like Rosie O'Donnel deserves extra helpings

 

The only more certain way of committing suicide is to stick your 9mm in your mouth!.............................The warning is on the tires!!!!!........RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH!.......MOUNT ONLY ON 16IN. WHEELS!

 

I was given a set of wheels and tires a number of years ago because the guy I got them from thought the tires were defective (I was only interested in the rims as they were chrome spoke 8 lugs wheels that I wanted for my truck.) He said there was something wrong with the tires as they wouldn't seat on the bead of the rim. I took a good look at them after I got them to my shop and discovered that they were 16" tires, but the rims were 16.5. Somehow, two of them had taken air and were actually holding pressure. The bead was only on for about 1/2 of the tire but the other half was under the lip of the rim and was still managing to seal. There are idiots everywhere...