Thread: Tire size question

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Sorry guys, I'm not old enough to be familliar with tire sizes like G70 or L60, everything I'm used to starts with a P. However, I'm curious about 560 15s. I just got a set of 15" Ford wheels with the 5.5 inch bolt pattern to bolt to the 40 Ford front brakes on my AV8 roadster. On the inside of the wheelshell (Where the tube would go) the following is stamped: D 15 X 5 1/2. That's a 15" rim that's 5.5" wide. Would 560 15's fit on these wheels? Coker has a nice tire that's $101 a piece and I want to make sure before I buy them, thanks.

It is a perfect match. I'm running exactly the same combo on the front of my '27 roadster, with trim rings and small '46 Ford caps, and it is a really nice look. I think I am running L78 15's on the back, and it gives a nice big and little look.

Just be sure to stay with bias ply all the way around, or radials all the way around. Don't mix the two.


Don

In fact, I just remembered I am running the same front tire/wheel combo on my '39. This will give you some idea of the size when mounted.

Cool, thanks again for the info. I have 16" 1941 Ford wheels on the back mounted to a 1957 Ford 9", they're a different style than the front wheels which I think are from the 70's. I can't run the same hubcaps but I'd probably lose them on these bumpy Michigan roads anyways. While we're on the topic does anybody know where I can get a set of lug nuts for this 1940/1957 combo? the studs are the same all around. Thanks.

try these two catalogue, web sites. I use to use DC when I had my beautiful 1966 f-100 custom cab , indian white with robins egg blue, trim rings and chrome door visors.. pretty looking truck......

Just a couple comments. The old tires were measured in inches, the newer numbers are metric. So the 5.60 would be approximately 5 5/8" in cross section measurement (the width of the sidewall "bulge"). The metric equivalent would be approximately 145 (mm), use a tape measure with both systems to give you a quick reference. A 5.60 will fit on a 5.5" wide rim (measured inside the flanges just for clarification), but that will force the beads to spread out to nearly the same width as the cross section, giving the sidewalls an odd "vertical" look. A 4.5-5" wide wheel would be more appropriate for this tire size. You may want to look for a '41-48 Merc wheel, they're 15x4.5 (maybe 5" even, tougher to remember now), and have the 5.5" bolt circle, and you'll have the same center for cap mounting.

Here's a reference chart that has some of the data you might use; http://66ford.fordregistries.com/Tir...0Reference.htm

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
[B] A 5.60 will fit on a 5.5" wide rim (measured inside the flanges just for clarification), but that will force the beads to spread out to nearly the same width as the cross section, giving the sidewalls an odd "vertical" look. A 4.5-5" wide wheel would be more appropriate for this tire size. /B]

Bob: I pretty much always agree with your posts, but your comment about these tires looking "odd" hit too close to home to let it go unanswered.

I am running 5:60's on 5.5 rims on both my current project and my undergoing-rebuilding '27, and I don't think they look "odd." If you think about it, a half inch wider rim equates to 1/4" per side, and I can't see how that small amount makes the tires look any different than on the very slightly narrower rim.

I guess that is why everyone signs off most times with JMO, because that is what it really boils down to, one person's opinion versus another person's opinion.

After your post, you had me wondering, so I stopped over at my shop on the way home from work and shot these pictures of my '27 and my '39 , both shod in 5:60 Commanders from Coker. The sidewalls look ok to me, but this is JMO.

Don

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And here is the same tire on my '39.

Thanks you guys for going through the trouble of posting all the pics and info. IMO those tires/wheels look pretty cool. I would like to have a skinnier wheel with very little backspacing but I'm not having much luck finding anything so I'll try this combo for my first attempt. Thanks for the Merc idea Bob, I'll keep my eyes open. What's up with the site? I can't log on at work or home. The only way I got to this page was through my email account.

I was going to direct you to my gallery to see what it looks like on a 4" rim, but at this time it looks like the photo stuff isn't working except the random images at the top of the home page.