The 8-17.5" bias ply or 8R17.5" radial tires will be around 32" tall while your stock 7.50 x 17s are 34". Whether that difference lets you go to the smaller half ton wheel opening is the question. These 17.5" tires will be close in diameter to a 7.50 x 16" tire. That would be a pretty tall tire to mount on a normal half ton. Might be that a low profile metric sized 17.5" tire would let you come up with a shorter combination that would fit the smaller wheel opening. Stu

 

Thank you Stu. I was going by the chart posted by NumberDummy it says a 56 with 15" 16" and 17.5" uses B6C 16005-A https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post13695218
Thank you
Kevin

 

Right. That chart shows that a 1956 F-100 (equipped with the small fender wheel opening) could be supplied with 17.5" x 5.25" tubeless wheels having the half ton 5 lug x 5.5" bolt pattern. Part number B6C 1015-A. What the chart doesn't say is that those wheels were equipped with 7-17.5" tires. I looked up that size in a Tire and Rim Association reference and see that the static diameter of that tire is 29.86". I think the narrowest available today is an 8-17.5. Looking at the below Universal Tire catalog page an 8-17.5" tire is 31.4" tall.

https://www.universaltire.com/truck-...transport.html

Normally a radial tire will be slightly shorter than a bias ply. So an 8R17.5" radial might be nearer to 31". So, circling back to the comment in my above posting, it may be that a metric sized 17.5" tire may be shorter yet. I suggest checking with a tire dealer locally to see what is available. Stu

 

Thank you again

 

I recommend keeping your stock fenders. Half ton parts start looking strange on a larger truck in my opinion.

 

Did I read correctly that the truck presently has mix-matched fenders, and that is the basis for this concern? Stu

 

No Stu. but if you have seen all the pictures it does look like it does. but from what I have been told 53 was the first year with a set back front axle. now the left side is set back which you can see in the picture in this post. now on the right side some one replaced the front leaf spring with the right length but the centre spring bolt is in the wrong location so it puts the wheel in the centre of the wheel opening. the fenders on the truck are a little bit ruff for me.
Kevin

 

Can ya post up a good series of pic's of the truck all around and inside and
underneath so we can get a better feel of her? Pics help us to see what you
see. No amount of words or descriptions help near as much. It's not that
hard to post them in your post once ya get the hang of it.

 

Sounds like the spring center bolt may be sheared, fairly common.

 

Ok it is 1030 pm lets see how long

 

ok I will check but the spring is brand new

 

My vote is make the set-back side match the centered one. Might need a longer drag link. Easy with a piece of heavy walled structural pipe.

 

That is what the plans is. I took me over an hour of measuring to figure it out