My two wheel drive 1977 F250 has 31/10.50-16.5 tires, on white (well, OK, rusty) spoked wheels. I assume they are the 8.25x16.5 size. The spare is a fairly old 8.75x16.5 on what appears to be a stock 6.75x16.5 rim.

A friend just gave me three more wheels/tires. They've been around a while; the tires are older bias type. There's a 10.00-16.5 on another 8.25x16.5 spoked rim, and two well worn "Firestone Wide Oval" 9.50-16.5 tires on what look to be stock 6.75x16.5 rims. That should give me a total of 5 wide spoked wheels and three stock rims.

The tires on the truck look to have enough tread that I can make it through this winter, though I'm not a fan of wide tires in the snow/slush season. The truck sat for some time before I got it. At one point, someone "flipped" the tires. I see the raised white letters on the inner surface, along with much more disturbing weather checking than I see on the outer sidewalls.

As you might guess, I'm looking into tires and trying to come up with a plan. I find there are not a lot of 16.5's left, especially the 31/10.50-16.5 size. Costco still has the BFG All Terrain. Les Schwab has only 9.50-15.5 or 8.75-16.5 tires. The Schwab guy didn't have much good to say about 16.5 tires. As I recall, he said they were a good idea for carrying loads, but didn't stay on the rim well if at all low, were hard to keep in balance, and were hard to keep round. He'll sell me new 16" wheels for $51 apiece.

Is it worth popping for $200+ worth of wheels, then swapping to 16 inchers? Or am I better off staying with the 16.5's while I can still get them? This was supposed to be my "$500 truck," and I've already put a few hundred into it. I think this rig has a 4.10 axle (but no overdrive like my 4.10 equipped 1996 Suburban). It seems to go down the road OK with these tires, so I don't really want to get a lot shorter.

I'm wondering if I can get some take-off wheels that fit, for a bit less than the Schwab price for new spoked wheels. If I go 16" I can maybe use some of the old tires I have from my Suburban, but it's still money to change. I don't really have experience with 16.5 tires.

And thoughts???

 

Hi Lane, the 6.75 x 16.5 rim with 9.50 x 16.5 tire is quite common with commercial vehicles. The 9.50 tire will be around for a long time. I'm running 12.00x 33x16.5 tire on 9.75 rims in the rear, now thats a hard tire to get in highway tread and the centers wear out even at 18-20 psi. 9.50 Uniroyal is the only tire that i can run at 48 psi in the front and get even tread wear, Dunlops need 24-26 psi to get even wear but this makes for mushy sidewalls. I'd run what you have for rims, when your not looking a set of 16" rims will come up, then buy. I forgot, my tires are on an empty 68 3/4 ton PU. Carl
.......o&o>....

 

Id swap for some 16's easier to get tire for and the come into sizes up 215 225 235 245 255 265 275 285 and even seen soem 305's so you could get the same ride hiegth in a 16 and get some stylish wheels one note

becafull when buying used 16 rims (local junk yards here are $15 a peice with good tire on them)
you have to have 16's off a Ford or a Dodge do not buy chevy 16 wheels they will only fit the front! the rear dana (60 or 70) on a ford and dodge have a bigger snout than a chevy to make a chevy wheel work you have to cut the center section and then that makes the rim weak...

16's may cost a little more now to set them up but will be cheeper in the long run...

ps 16.5 does not have a inner bead on the rims so when they get low they will"Pop the bead" and are a bogger to get back on even sitting in the drive way with a flat I've seen a 16.5 break the bead and had to jack the truck up just to air up the tire...

 

Hmmm.... Both responses have logic. Maybe I'll not get into any sort of rush to replace my rims, but keep my eyes open, maybe check junkyards when I get near them, and save my shekels for a real deal on 16" wheels. The 16's would give me the option of sharing tires with our Suburban. I do have some used tires from that rig. Too bad Chevy 8-bolt wheels aren't the same. If one of these old 31/10.50-16.5's lets go on me, I'll be forced to a deci$ion. Otherwise, I'm taking my time.

Thanks for the food for thought, guys.