Trailer Tires While Restoring?

[Bingster]

I need four tires to move my DeSoto around while restoring.  There are Black Friday deals that I'd like to take advantage of.  I see where somebody used 225/75/15 tires and when I look up this number there are a lot but those in the lower price range say they are trailer tires. I don't really care right now. Just thought I'd check in before I pull the trigger.

[Sniper]

As long as you're not driving around on them I don't see a problem. However 225/75/15 are kind of big they might actually hit. I know when I put 225 60 r15s on Mopar cop car rims they hit the upright

[Bingster]

I don't know a lot about tires and size for these older cars. What would you recommend that wouldn't hit?

[Plymouthy Adams]

225/75/16's on my 48 Plymouth and the fronts are zero issue but I admit, at the rear...you have no fudge room for sure.  They are there as they match the diameter of the donor vehicle and thus no reprogramming of the computer was needed for speedometer accuracy.  For a shop roller, the tires in question should not be an issue at all.

[Plymouthy Adams]

if staying stock transmisson, rear gear and speedometer head, match you wheels to that of stock for accuracy...change something be prepared to learn to drive with the offset in accuracy or install a ratio adapter. 

[Bob Riding]

On my Plymouths with 15" wheels, I've used the cheapest radials I could find at the national tire chain stores. Last time I bought some they were $60 apiece including mounting. I'm sure they're not as good as Firestone or Michelin but for rollers, who cares? I bought 205/65R15s and there are no clearance issues for a '49-'52 and '56 Plymouths. Another cheaper tactic, is to take the wheels into a local shop like "Bob's Pretty Good Tire Repair" and for around $10/tire, they can mount used tires. 

[Los_Control]

I have given a little bit of thought to trailer tires ..... Is a good used set local pretty cheap.

 

What I believe is they may be a heavier ply rating for heavier loads, I think they also have a speed rating meaning lower speeds.

 

Trailers drive down the road all the time at 70-75 mph .... how fast will you drive?

The heavier ply rating would make them ride rougher.

Because they are a cheaper trailer tire ..... I do not think you will get many miles out of them.

 

I think they would be fine to use for awhile .... If I bought a set really cheap used.

I think I would rather spend my money on better tires if buying new.

 

My daily driver chebby truck uses the same size tires as my 49 dodge truck. 235-R-75-15.

So the Dodge gets the hand me downs from the chebby .... Dodge is currently sitting on dry rotted tires I took off of the chebby when I bought it.

I need to put new tires on the Dodge before I can drive it ... The new tires on the chebby are now 5 years old with low miles on them.

I'm thinking about putting new tires on the chebby and then put the gently used tires on the dodge.

 

Just an idea if you have another vehicle that uses the same size.

 

[Bingster]

I checked a local shop but they said due to liability issues they don't sell used tires. However, they said I could search the used tires and take what I could.  That might be a chore chomping through used tires.

 

[Bingster]

My tires are rotting under Carlo as well.  I was thinking that raising the car up on full tires will make my reach under the hood harder on my back.

[desoto1939]

For all of us antique car and truck owners.  Cold and moisture are our biggest issues when storing our old vehicles.  I have owned my 1939 Desoto for 35 years.  Since I have owner the car i have placed used rugs under the car that covers the entire under area and also so that the tires are also on the rug.

 

I you have Bias Ply tires most of the time they will develop flat spots from sitting on the concrete floor.  When having a rug under each tire this preents the bias ply tire from developing a flat spot.  It does work, I never have any flat spots when pulling my car out of the garage.  Also the full used rug also help prevent any moisture from coming up thru the concrete. Also it now permits me to be able to lay on the floor and not have to be on cold concrete.

 

There isa major car collector in my area and every car that he has on display each tire sits on a piece of rug and he even verified that this prevents flat spots and he has cars that are over 100k in value.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

 

 

[Los_Control]

23 minutes ago, Bingster said:

I checked a local shop but they said due to liability issues they don't sell used tires. However, they said I could search the used tires and take what I could.  That might be a chore chomping through used tires.

 

I think that would be true with some shops, but not all.

At the same time, finding used 15" is almost impossible ... certainly rare. All newer vehicles have gone to taller wheels for larger brakes. Even small cars have 17" wheels or larger on them.

 

What would be easier to find, a set of used tires & wheels that share the same bolt pattern as yours. I'm not sure what bolt pattern your Desoto uses.

If it was the same 5 on 4.5" like the dodges, plymouths .... then some wheels off of a Ford explorer, Jeep cherokee .... Dodge Dakota ..... many choices.

Possibly a wrecking yard would have a set cheap ....

 

If a wrecking yard had a stock set of wheels for a jeep cherokee that has so so tires on it .... low tread & hold air .... they would sell them cheap.

They have little chance of selling the wheels, basically scrap metal prices ..... the tires they have to pay a disposal fee to get rid of.

Just saying, if you called a wrecking yard and told them you need some rollers while you restore your car, they could probably hook you up.

This also leaves your original wheels free so you can restore and paint the wheels, then add new tires to them as you see the need. ..... Just another option.

[Bingster]

I like the "painting the wheels and keeping them for later use" idea.  That would give the paint a long, long time to dry.  Seems like mounting them too soon would scrape paint.  I'll check into this. We have several scrap yards around here.

[Sniper]

I am running later model Chrysler 300 / Dodge Charger / Challenger rims on the back of my 51. They fit just fine but they're 17 in. In the front I need a bit of a spacer to clear but they fit the backs just fine.

[Bob Riding]

18 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

I think that would be true with some shops, but not all.

At the same time, finding used 15" is almost impossible ... certainly rare. All newer vehicles have gone to taller wheels for larger brakes. Even small cars have 17" wheels or larger on them.

 

What would be easier to find, a set of used tires & wheels that share the same bolt pattern as yours. I'm not sure what bolt pattern your Desoto uses.

If it was the same 5 on 4.5" like the dodges, plymouths .... then some wheels off of a Ford explorer, Jeep cherokee .... Dodge Dakota ..... many choices.

Possibly a wrecking yard would have a set cheap ....

 

If a wrecking yard had a stock set of wheels for a jeep cherokee that has so so tires on it .... low tread & hold air .... they would sell them cheap.

They have little chance of selling the wheels, basically scrap metal prices ..... the tires they have to pay a disposal fee to get rid of.

Just saying, if you called a wrecking yard and told them you need some rollers while you restore your car, they could probably hook you up.

This also leaves your original wheels free so you can restore and paint the wheels, then add new tires to them as you see the need. ..... Just another option.

Chrysler and Desoto wheels are larger and will not interchange with Plymouth or Dodge

[Los_Control]

17 minutes ago, Bob Riding said:

Chrysler and Desoto wheels are larger and will not interchange with Plymouth or Dodge

I realize this, I know some Chrysler uses the 5 on 5" bolt pattern ..... In this case the wheels from my 1991 chebby would fit. I'm sure other makes would also.

I just do not know what the bolt pattern is on any Desoto.

Most modern wheels are made from magnesium and have larger center holes for larger hubs on modern vehicles ..... so it is the bolt pattern and the tire height to be concerned with. ....... Naturally width but a stock wheel should not be a issue.

 

I do know of a guy that installed Cadillac wheels on his 3/4 ton B1C pickup with the 5 on 5" bolt pattern.

[Eneto-55]

I wouldn't buy new tires at any kind of normal price unless I was pretty sure I would have the car on the road within 4 or 5 years.  I should do a test fit, but a friend who was traveling through Ohio (from Texas) had a flat, and decided that it was a good time to replace his 16" temporary tire with a full-size wheel & tire, and he left the temp tire & wheel with me.  It is the same bolt pattern, from a 2nd or 3rd gen MoPar minivan.  My 46 is still sitting on the tires that were on it when I left it in storage in 83.  I don't know if the tubes actually still hold air, or if the tires are just so stiff, but they don't look flat, or even low.  The front left is a 6 or 8 ply mud tire, so it's got to be really stiff.  

I think if you have a trailer that the tires would also fit on, I would try one of those for fit, then put the older ones off of your trailer onto the car, and put the new ones on your trailer.  Or even rotate them onto the trailer from time to time, so you get the benefit of their useful life.  (I don't know about trailer axles, but that temporary spare my friend gave me even has the guide hole in it.)

 

What is it about trailer tires that means they are limited to 50 MPH?  Rubber quality?  Just the fact that they are bias ply?  I've often wondered.

 

About DeSoto & Chrysler:  I didn't know that they had a different lug pattern.  After buying a 62 Chrysler Newport in 66, about the first thing my Dad did was to put the 15" wheels from the 53 DeSoto on it.  It was still that way when it was "put out to pasture", December of 77.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Eneto-55

[Bob Riding]

1 hour ago, Los_Control said:

I realize this, I know some Chrysler uses the 5 on 5" bolt pattern ..... In this case the wheels from my 1991 chebby would fit. I'm sure other makes would also.

I just do not know what the bolt pattern is on any Desoto.

Most modern wheels are made from magnesium and have larger center holes for larger hubs on modern vehicles ..... so it is the bolt pattern and the tire height to be concerned with. ....... Naturally width but a stock wheel should not be a issue.

 

I do know of a guy that installed Cadillac wheels on his 3/4 ton B1C pickup with the 5 on 5" bolt pattern.

I once tried to use some spare Plymouth wheels on a '54 Chrysler Town and County wagon I was buying that had been sitting for years. Not even close- the hub was bigger and bolt pattern different. The wheels were wider too. I think that wagon weighs 2 tons and needs more support. The PO used his skip loader to get the wagon on the trailer.

[Los_Control]

You are 100% correct @Bob Riding and I suspect the Desoto also use the same wheels .... I'm just not sure if all of them use that bolt pattern or just some?

 

@Bingster could easily check by measuring the bolt pattern on one of their wheels. Or somebody else already knows.

 

Really kind of sorta getting off topic here though, Bingster looking for cheap tires, I'm suggesting a different option to just replace the tires & wheels with something used.

No idea if they are even open to the suggestion .... it does have other advantages though .... saves on labor cost to mount/dismount new tires.

 

If I wanted to find a used set of tires & wheels. There is 8-10 wrecking yards within a few miles of each other in Abilene TX.

I would call them and tell them what I was looking for. A few might be very well organized and have no time for such shenanigans.

There will be one though that picked up a car last month that they never got around to taking the wheels/bald tires off of. They will work for you.

If you want them for rollers, give me $50 cash and you can have them. ...... Cheaper then the mount/dismount fee of new tires.

 

You just need to know what you are looking for, the counter person can then use that information to tell you all the different vehicles and also used sets they have sitting in inventory.

 

Or just buy a new set of tires .....

[uncleaud]

The bigger Chryslers have 5 x 5.5 bolt patterns. 

[capt den]

my 54 windsor is 4.5x5 for the rim. i have a 51 plymouth rim for my spare and it fits. also, the 235/75 tires will rub on the tie rod ends on the front. i had to use 225x15 to avoid that.     capt den

[Bob Riding]

23 minutes ago, capt den said:

my 54 windsor is 4.5x5 for the rim. i have a 51 plymouth rim for my spare and it fits. also, the 235/75 tires will rub on the tie rod ends on the front. i had to use 225x15 to avoid that.     capt den

The '54 Town and Country wagon has the hemi- maybe that's the difference as the Windsor has the 265 flathead?

[Sam Buchanan]

9 hours ago, Eneto-55 said:

<snip>

I think if you have a trailer that the tires would also fit on, I would try one of those for fit, then put the older ones off of your trailer onto the car, and put the new ones on your trailer.  Or even rotate them onto the trailer from time to time, so you get the benefit of their useful life.  (I don't know about trailer axles, but that temporary spare my friend gave me even has the guide hole in it.)

 

What is it about trailer tires that means they are limited to 50 MPH?  Rubber quality?  Just the fact that they are bias ply?  I've often wondered.

<snip>

 

Trailer tires have sidewalls that differ considerably from car tires. They are stiffer and don't need to provide proper steering and accel/deccel response as do car tires. High speed trailer tires are available, the last set I bought were rated at 85mph. That was a heavy tire......

 

For moving a car around a shop during restoration tire selection doesn't matter. Custom shops often use "donuts" which aren't even real tires during restorations. But I wouldn't drive my car with trailer tires, tires are the only thing connecting our car to the road!

[Sniper]

12 hours ago, capt den said:

my 54 windsor is 4.5x5 for the rim. i have a 51 plymouth rim for my spare and it fits. also, the 235/75 tires will rub on the tie rod ends on the front. i had to use 225x15 to avoid that.     capt den

You bring up a good point about the tie rod ends. When I tested those Mopar cop car rims with a spacer so it wouldn't crash into the upright it was extremely close to the tie rod

[desoto1939]

Binster: instead of getting rims and used tires I would get the roller kits inwhich you jack up the car and place the roller wheel bracket under each wheel then you can move the car into tight places.  Buy something that can be used again and when you are done then sell them. you can get them for around 140 for four on ebay

 

Rich Hartung 

[Bingster]

I'm selling my house and so the car will need to be driven onto a trailer and then driven down at the other end. Still, I don't want anything rubbing.  Once I get the car to wherever it is we end up living, I imagine I will only have a one or two-stall garage. Not really a lot of space to move around in.  So basically I need tires for the move itself. The car won't see the road for quite some time.  

 

I'm going to call the dismantling yards around here and see what they might have.