rfcr Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 I need some help with rims and tire sizing. The tires on my 46 Plymouth are to big and rub when turning to far. I need to find a rim size closer to the 600/16 stated in the manual. Is there a car or cars that have the right lug nut configuration and rim size that I might find at a pull a part, what size should I look for ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reg Evans Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 What size tires are on the car now ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfcr Posted August 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 LT245/75R16. I know the LT stands for light truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrwrstory Posted August 12, 2016 Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 The bolt pattern on your Plymouth is the same as Ford, 5 on 4 1/2" 15" ford wheels should be easy to find at the wrecking yard. Be sure to get wheels from a "rear wheel drive" car as the off-set will be about right. Wheels from a later "front wheel drive" car will put the tire in the wrong place. Google "tire size conversion" and you'll get all kinds of info including recommended wheel widths for a given tire size. If you're wanting a stock looking tire, I'd suggest something like 205 or 215 width and 70 or 75 profile. If you are not familiar with those numbers, the Google results will help you understand. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfcr Posted August 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2016 Thanks MrBill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blucarsdn Posted August 13, 2016 Report Share Posted August 13, 2016 The only problem with using Ford wheels is that they will have outside hubcap knobs, where-as the Plym has spring clips for the hub caps. You will be hard pressed to find 15" wheels that will fit your car in an average wrecking yard. I would suggest that you look for 15" wheels for a Chrysler/DeSoto, they will have inside spring clips and have the correct off-set. The rim size might be a little wide, probably 6" but they will work well with P205 or P225/75R15. The common 600x16 tire is about 28.5 " overall, the P205/225 will be smaller, thereby effecting your gear ratio. I have P205/60R15 tires on my car on 15x7 rims. No clearance problems. I have 3.24 gearing with an AOD trans.. The LT245 tires you have on your car are way to big for the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted August 13, 2016 Report Share Posted August 13, 2016 I had Wheel Vintique chrome smoothies on my 41 Coupe, 15x6 and 15x7, in their standard offset with 195/75x15 and 235/75x15 Coker Classic Radials, these rims and tyres cleared tie rods and front/rear fenders and inner body areas and improved the general drivability, handling and steering over the old crossplies...........not original nor stock but being a card carrying hotrodder helped.....lol........Andy Douglas 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 13, 2016 Report Share Posted August 13, 2016 ^^^^^ Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40plyrod Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Don, I hope you remembered to tighten that last wheel nut when you put the camera down. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blucarsdn Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Reviewing Don's pix of the wheel on his car I noted what appears to be a gap between the axle flange and the wheel. This is a very common potential mistake that many people make when using aftermarket, one size fits all wheels. A wheel that fits a vehicle properly, will fit the axle flange and the lug bolts, thereby spreading the load from the bolts to the axle and minimizing the chance of a bolt and/or several bolts breaking due to more load than what they are designed to carry. Traditionally, Mopar and GM has generally always designed their axle/wheel assemblies to spread the load over the two assemblies. Ford generally has not. During the sixty-five plus years that I have been driving I have seen numerous wheels come off of vehicles because the lug bolts broke under load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Reviewing Don's pix of the wheel on his car I noted what appears to be a gap between the axle flange and the wheel. This is a very common potential mistake that many people make when using aftermarket, one size fits all wheels. A wheel that fits a vehicle properly, will fit the axle flange and the lug bolts, thereby spreading the load from the bolts to the axle and minimizing the chance of a bolt and/or several bolts breaking due to more load than what they are designed to carry. Traditionally, Mopar and GM has generally always designed their axle/wheel assemblies to spread the load over the two assemblies. Ford generally has not. During the sixty-five plus years that I have been driving I have seen numerous wheels come off of vehicles because the lug bolts broke under load. Good point. I bought these wheels from Wheelvintiques manufactured in Fresno. I should have measured the hub prior to purchase. Pictured is the front wheel also with the bad spacing. Front hub is from a Plymouth Road Runner and the read differential is Dodge Charger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfcr Posted August 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Thanks all, I was thinking of having wire wheel hubcaps so what should I look for Ford or Mopar rims. If I have to buy new ones I can but what is the best place to look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Don, for the record, they do make centric rings just for filling that void...will be machined to be centric to your hub and allow the wheel to mount centric to the ring...this allow for better equalization of the wheel load to the hub and removes lots of stress from the lugs themselves....why I never liked a lot of mage wheels of the 60/70's as they like to use special washers for application...a basic one size fit all if you use the right mount washer....can you cringe and shake your head at that image....? I surely can... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 It's always made me wonder about the strength of those wheels that have two bolt patterns drilled into them as well.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 It's always made me wonder about the strength of those wheels that have two bolt patterns drilled into them as well.. I wonder if the 12 hole wheels are stronger due to the rolled edges on the holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) Dave72dt, on 14 Aug 2016 - 5:19 PM, said:Dave72dt, on 14 Aug 2016 - 5:19 PM, said:It's always made me wonder about the strength of those wheels that have two bolt patterns drilled into them as well.. based on that...I would have to consider the wheels that have a myriad of hole about their perimeter would be suspect....this area will see more flex under hard turns I would think...but have not done the math.....holes will take the very flex out of a strip of metal and add strength against crushing... where is Myth Busters when you need them......they have gone off the air... Edited August 14, 2016 by Plymouthy Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blucarsdn Posted August 15, 2016 Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 Thanks all, I was thinking of having wire wheel hubcaps so what should I look for Ford or Mopar rims. If I have to buy new ones I can but what is the best place to look? Since you have stated that it is your intent to use "wire wheel hubcaps" the equation changes dramatically. Most people like to keep the stock hubcaps on their vintage cars which requires the proper clips, etc., to secure the caps to the wheel. As I have stated, Chrysler and DeSoto used a lot of 15" wheels on the pre 1950 vehicles. Ford used inside/outside hubcap knobs on their cars starting in 1940, The '49 and later Ford built cars have the same bolt pattern as the Mopars, however, if the Ford wheels will properly fit the axle flange is another matter. Aftermarket wheels are generally a big can or worms because the manufactures do not generally build them to any DOT specification... Factory built wheels will generally have the Ford oval, Mopar wheels will generally have DCPD, GM wheels will be stamped with GM and a letter code for the vehicle application. Starting in about 1965 the size (15x7) etc., and possibly the weight capacity is also stamped into the rim/hub. Proper wheel fitment is probably one of the most miss-understood topics there is... When I was building my '39 Plym conv cpe I talked to ever aftermarket wheel company, not one of them could come up with a 15x7 wheel that had the off-set I needed and had spring clips for the 10" dog dish original hubcaps I intended to use on the car. I finally came up with my own combination of hub/rims, '49-52 Chevy hubs, aftermarket 15x7 rims and then had a wheel company build the wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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