[updated:LAST EDITED ON 15-Mar-02 AT 06:02 PM (EST)]I think I saw on american racings website that 16.5's were stock on fords until 83 or 84.

I guess that there is more steel there, could be stronger.
Maybe brake technology was a little behind back then, and needed a bigger rim?

16.5 tires are still being made, so any tire dealer even in hawaii should be able to get them. If they can get other sizes in a manufacturers line, why not the 16.5's?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 15-Mar-02 AT 09:05 PM (EST)]The tapered bead on 16.5's is used on bigger truck tires, 19.5's like on the F550, 22.5's and 24.5's like on semi's. All heavy equipment like front end loaders also have tapered beads. The taper makes the tire seal to the rim better at higher pressures. Not sure why they invented the 16" rim, maybe they're cheaper to make? No improvement really other than they have a bigger beadlock and thus are harder to knock the tire off the rim at low pressure. This isn't why they designed them of course, more of a side effect. I'm sure Ford wasn't taking into account a handful of serious off-roaders deflating tires for traction when they made the switch from 16.5's to 16's. But for some reason about 20 years ago everyone decided that the 16" rim with it's non-tapered bead was superior. As far as the tire strength goes, one is not superior to the other. In fact skid-steers run on 16.5" tires, they see alot more abusive conditions than any pickup tire. But now the 16" tires have alot more development in them and still going into them to improve load rating, ride, traction etc since they are so much more common than the 16.5's.

If you compare a 16.5" to a 16" rim, they appear identical in size except for the bead. The inside of the bead before the taper is the same size, as is the whole inside of the rim. Just the outside of the bead on the 16.5 is bigger due to the angle. Thus why people at times have put 16" tires on 16.5" rims and vice versa. There's a big hole in the ceiling of the tire store I used to work at from someone attempting to mount a 16.5" tire on a 16" rim, the tire shot over the rim bead and stopped when it went halfway through the ceiling.

 

 

Dont know how old your post is but Ive got a very nice set of 16.5 tires and rims.I bought them for a chevy truck but it has 16" rims and I cant use them.Id let them go for less than I paid.Let me know Im in Norwalk Ct

 

its 8 YEARS OLD!!! i'll fall over if he responds.

 

Do I hear a THUD?!

I forgot about this thread. That truck is lonnnng gone!

 

yes...you heard a thud.

 

moved to up to date posting

 

i have a set of 16.5"x9.75" and i have 35"x12.5" on them right now.(BFG's)

 

thanks i bought the rims didn"t know it was going to be hard to find tires for them.

 

Well I am in need of some 9.5R16.5 tires and I am debating whether to just get new rims and tires. I hate to spend $600 on tires alone. Not a whole lot of options for these tires.

 

Hey there, I am looking for at least 2, 8.75R16.5 Rims the 9.5 may work also...are they still available?

 

I do still have the tires.There are 4 of them on rims.They are all the same obviously and the tread is identical as well as the silver rims.I dont know what the rims fit though,maybe Ford but I know Chevy had years with 16.5's
I pd 400 even for them and would take 300 for all 4.I would rather sell them as a set.My # is 203-854-4949.Jordan

email is best glm06854@yahoo.com