I need to find four wheels for my 1956 F-100. The po had Cragar wheel on there and they are peeling and ugly. I want to find some stock wheels and then put some "original" tires on for that authentic look! Any suggestions, Midfifty has some but they are $100 each. How do I know what size I need too there are a bunch of choices in the midfifty catalog. Thanks.
Chris

 

Cooker sells them too, Price depends on size, I bought 15x8, But What you need to do is measure for the off set, If you contact them they have a chart that explains measuring the offset. I would fo with a little narrower wheel if you do not have power steering.

Kyle

 

Don't forget to put your Cragars on ebay to help offset the cost of the new ones.

 

The spare on the truck is a 6.70-15 tire. What is the difference between running 5 1/2 size or the 8's that you're running. I don't have power steering.

 

You don't want to put a 6:70-15 tire on an 8 inch rim. If you will be running a 6:70-15 you need a wheel around 6 inches wide. You might stretch it to 7 inches just in case you ever plan to update it a more modern tire.

Vern

 

I think you misunderstood what I was asking. What is the difference between running 5" tires vs 6,7 or 8's. My old rims are 5 by 5 1/2. I heard that the wider the tire the harder it is to turn without power steering. Also do you run radials or bias ply tires? THanks, it seems like a lot of questions about tires but before I put down $400 for wheels I want to know what's best.

 

Christopher -

Yes, the wider the tire footprint, the harder it is to steer (while sitting still or rolling slowly). Power steering eliminates the problem (so that you can scuff flat spots on your tires while sitting there).

With most of the weight on the front, I figure a wider tire footprint improves braking. I run 235/60R15's (9" wide) front tires. I don't have PS, but it isn't a big problem unless I'm in a tight parking situation. Then my arms get a workout. The wife could not drive my truck, though.

The radials unquestionably give a better ride quality because the sidewalls flex at a bump more than a bias ply will. They also and handle better because the foot patch stays in contact with the road as side pressure is applied in a turn.

When you select a tire size, make sure the standing height fills the fender well and doesn't leave a lot of space between the top of the wheel and the bottom of the fender opening. If this is a driver and you're running 15" rims, I would suggest P215/60R15 (8.5 wide X 26" tall) for the front and P255/60R15 (10" wide X 27" tall) in the rear. These will fit a standard rim and fit under your fenders. Goodyear Eagle GTII's or Goodrich Traction T/A Radials in these sizes will run less than the $400 figure you are working with (more like $350 out of the Summit catalog).

That's my 2 cents.

 

radials won't flatspot from sitting or go out of round like bias ply tires do.
As far as tire width vs rim width: putting a narrow tire on a wide rim will cause the tread to cup up in the center, reducing contact patch and accellerating edge wear. Too wide a tire on a narrow rim will bulge the tread wearing out the center and the wheel will tend to move in and out relative to the tread when side loaded giving an uncomfortable sloppy feeling while driving. At the extreme in either case, you could roll the tire off the rim resuting in an instantanious flat tire.

 

Randy has brought up a good point. If you don't add power steering, she'll never ask to borrow your truck.

 

Go to www.Coker.com They have a chart you can use to determine the setback for the front and the back wheels. It's best to use one setback for front and back if you can so that you can rotate the tires for better wear. Good luck, Jag

 

Yes the wider the tire the harder it is to turn! (Know from experience) I would go with a radial for safty and drivability, Bias Plys look good, but are not as fun to drive.

Kyle

 

Another issue with wider and/or larger tires is to make sure the center on the contact patch is inline with the king pin axis. Otherwise instead of just rotating the tires "scrub" along the ground in an arc. This is KILLER on steering components. Look at one of those ghetto-mobiles with the wheels stuck way out - the wheels are inches outside of where they should be but since the car has power steering the drivers don't notice. I've seen several of those POS's on the side of the road with the front wheels pointing opposite directions after a tie rod snapped. The tire size and backspacing must work together to keep the steering angles in the proper place. For those of us without power steering, it's a herculean effort to scrub the tires. Modify correctly and drive safely.