New wheels and tire suggestions for 1948 D-24 sedan

[southfield48d24]

hey guys i am trying to find out what stock and or aftermarket wheels and tires sizes that can be put on my car. i am now looking to replace my bias tires with radials and also replace the 15 inch wheels with a bigger wheel like 16 or 17 inch to give the car a different look. i don't have $1,200 for new coker white wall tires and i here that they do not balance correctly. i have stock brakes no discs on my 48 d-24 sedan now. i say that also because that would help me with the wheel problem that you guys have had with the tire replacement on the oem stock wheels from 48. i have come across other threads that say that the new tire shops have damaged the stock wheels when used with the newer tire changers. i would like to see pictures of your cars posted to this tread of what you guys and look foward to hearing your suggestions. thanks

[TJM70's_48]

Nice car! Love the color.

I have 15" chrome reverse rims on mine and 215 75 15s on them...they do not clear the upper control arms on tight turns...I have tire damage and will be going back to stock 15" rims and old style (but radial) tires. Just realized you have a dodge...I have a P-15....I barely know my own car and a D-24 not at all!

Interesting about tire guys damaging rims. I'll be interested in what others have to say.

Edited July 16, 2010 by TJM70's_48
Just realized he has a D-24

[Edward Roberts]

The set-up you have is beautiful! What a car. I have a '46 P15 with 16" wheels and Goodyear Eagle LS-2 P205/70R16 tires. The first two photos in my album compare the radials with the bias ply that were on the car. I'll warn you that when you step up from 15" to 16" wheels (the thin originals) your tire choices go down and prices go up. Thus my blackwalls...

[greg g]

I am running wheel vintique smoothies with radials 205 75 15 up front and 225 75 15 on the back. The rears rub the fender a bit with a full trunk ad gas tank in sharp turns. But I think its more a spring shackle problem than a tire problem. You need to be carefull with back spacig stock is like three inches ad 4 inch is about max front and rear.

I tried a set of cherokke wheels same bolt pattern but the back space was to deep and the tires cotacted the springs. Some folks are running 7wide inch police wheels. My wheel vintiques are 5 inch wide. I agree that 16 in usually puts you into 60 and 50 series rubber or at the opposite end light truck tires. Which is why i stayed with 15.

I think I got the wheels from summit for about 38 bucks a piece. Tires are cheapie uniroyals from wally world. Like that any where in the country warranty.

[Plymouthy Adams]

as for wheel dmage..it could happen..the newer wheels do have greater backsets..modern machines may be guiding the lower bead breaker in and missing the rim's bead area and catching under instead thus pushing against metal and not tire...if they go slow and quide the lower breaker..should be okay...it may cost a bit more but if worried, find a shop with a manual tire machine..

Edited July 16, 2010 by Tim Adams

[old rat 49]

Can anyone identify a good steel junk yard 15 inch rim for a P15 replacemnt wheel that's a little wider ? An S10 perhaps ?

[greg g]

Dodge full size van wheels might be doable if the back space isn't too deep. Any of the 70's B bodies if they were 15", ford wheels fit Early Dakota maybe, AMC, GM are not the correct lug bolt circle diameter. As mentioned MOPAR Police package from the RWD drive set ups.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I had great success with just transferring the wheels and wire hubcaps off a '88 5th Ave. to my 49 Plymouth..now it was not without a small setback..I put 1/4 spacers on the front to give me what I thought was a comfort zone for tierod end to wheel rubber clearance..it missed originally but thought that sidebody roll from cornering could cause a problem..I just went ahead with the spacers and did not worry about making any test..had I went down one size in rubber I probably would not have had an issue at all but the donor wheels wee in excellent shape and at a better than good price..I had no issue with the spacers..and they are about the max you can use with stock bolts...

NOTE..

thicker spacers will require grade 8 bolts long enough for what spacers you need to use..these can then be under cut on a lathe at 60 degrees for mating the wheels 'cones'

[moparbenny]

my vote; police car wheels..but i'm a little bias...don't know why????:cool:

[BobT-47P15]

If you could find any 15s from the 1960s old Mopars, they would

probably work OK.

Chevy rims usually have a different bolt pattern, far as I know.

Ford rims would usually fit the pattern, but holes tended to be

a bit larger diameter than Mopars.

[Andydodge]

I have Wheel Vintique Chrome Smoothies, 15x6 & 15x7 with Coker Classic Radials 195/75x15 and 235/75x15 front and back, the back is on 2" lowering blocks, the front has 1coil cut, everything clears, the rims are the standard backspacing the original drums have a locating rivet that has been cut off, and the original left/right wheel bolts are used.........regards, andyd

[greg g]

Andy's car looks great, but keep in mind the later cars had different rear wheel openings. I believe mine is on the limit with wheels similar to Andy;s but painted and 225 75 15 tires.

These are 205 75 15's before I put on the larger tires. The area of concern is the lip at the rear of the wheel well. I suppose some judicious metal massaging might gai a bit of room.

[YukonJack]

my vote; police car wheels..but i'm a little bias...don't know why????:cool:

Hey Benny, what size tires are you running?

[Andydodge]

Greg, good point, I'd forgotten about the wheel arch shape........might restrict what you can do.........andyd

[Robert Horne]

Can anyone identify a good steel junk yard 15 inch rim for a P15 replacemnt wheel that's a little wider ? An S10 perhaps ?

My Plymouth 15 inch wheels, 5 wide, have a back space of 3.5 inch....

These Ford Ranger 15 inch, 5.5 wide, have a back space of 3.75....

I have white spoke camper wheels, 15 inch, back space of 3.0..

[Plymouthy Adams]

if you really like the look of that camper wheel...ford used some very similar on ther full size truck..

[Robin (UK)]

Here's a computer-generated mock-up of my planned variation on my wheel/tire combo... except I'll probably go with bigger hubcaps.

The artillery wheels are from a '34 Dodge.