Projects 39 & 40 Ford Owners: Lets talk bias ply tires sizes...

I recently pick up this 40 Deluxe Tudor. The current tire combo is 560-15 up front and L-78-15 on the rear. The front end has been lowered with a posies spring and the rear appears to have a leaf or two removed. My plan is to eventually add a dropped axle as well as bring the rear down a few inches... probably using Tardel's lowering shackles.

I've been debating rear tire size. Going with either 760-15's or 820-15's. I plan on staying with the 560 up front. What are you guys running? Post with pix please.

(black bumpers are coming off)

 

I don't own one today but I have hung 8.00-9.00s on the rear. If you drop it much 9.00s are a bit snug.

I wish you were not so far off I got an 8.20in the basement you could have to try it before you buy it.

 

Mark, is your car lowered in the rear?

 

I have 5.50-16 on the front of my 39 std with a 4" dropped axle and the spring stack changed. I already stacked the springs back like they should be, I also have to make some other changes to get the 5.50 tires out and go 6.00. They just look way too small but they were used to avoid tire scrub on the fenders. The 6.00s look way better yet I have to raise it up some to be right, which of course means the back comes up too. Here in various areas near Motown the roads simply suck. Here's a few pics of what I'll have to do.
As it was, and yeah it looks kool at first:

With the 6.00 but it hits the fender:

Raised up about 1 1/2 inches and it won't hit but the running boards are too close to level, lost some rake:

The difference in each tire in the opening in the next 2 pics:


My compromise will be to raise the whole car up so I can keep the rake but have a better tire size and ample clearance for bumps and turns. In my opinion it's too big of a car for 5.50-16 tires. The rears are 7.00-16 and fill it pretty good back there. 5.50s don't look so bad on Moriarity's coupe, maybe because they're whitewalls and 15", more sidewall can be seen?
Here's the difference in mine off the car, 5.50 and 6.00:

 

A few cases of shine will fix that.. I like the way your car sits up in the back a little...not that my opinion matters much.Thanks for the pics and the info.

 

If you don't mind me askin, which two out of the stack did you pull out? I like the way it sits and that's close to what I'm gonna shoot for on my 39.

 

5.60 x 15 fronts L78 x 15 rear

 

5:60 x15 up front. 7:60 x 15 rear.

Second photo is 5:60 x 15 up front. 8:20 on rear. The drive train and suspension was completely stock and getting the 8:20's on and off the rear was easy when using 51 Lincoln rims. Depending on your wheel backspacing make sure the tire doesn't rub against the rear suspension.
Here's more info. about tires and stance.
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77931&highlight=rake+40
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77931&highlight=rake

 

Bump for the evening crowd

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Thanks, and I hear ya about not losing them. Hahaa.

 

My '39 has 6.00/16 fronts and 7.00/16 rears. The front has a narrowed (un-split) wishbone and a 4 inch dropped axle.

 

5.60/15 Firestone front
7.60/15 General rear
Front has a dropped axle. (I'm not exactly sure how much)
Rear has longer spring shackles, and still needs to come down a heap.

 

Mine has been lowered in the front and I run a 5.60 in the front and a 8.20 out back. It's got the "Wichita" rake! You can't really tell in this photo but I dig it.

 

Your coupe isn't as low as many '40 owners want, but it looks as though it can be driven down our crappy streets without dragging. And, THAT'S what it's all about. After all, whose grilles aren't cheap.

 

Here's a few better pix of my new sedan. Excuse the red wheels, still trying. To figure out my wheel cover game plan



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Stock sized 600-16 tires all the way around. Reversed eye front spring, Posies "low" spring in back. I'm going to get some longer shackles in the rear, eventually...

 

Bump, I know there are a lot more 39 & 40 owners out there

 

Really diggin it man. Looks right, not too much of anything. How's the tire clearance? You mentioned a "...narrowed un-split wishbone...". Would you care to elaborate? Mine has lost a little turning radius with the 4" dropped axle. My 'bones seem stock, axle appears to be the gennie, dropped, but the backing plates hit the spring perch. Not hateful but I'd like the full turning radius if I can get it, or is that just an accepted compromise in the pursuit of style? Thanks...

 

Thanks Highlander. I can't take credit for the idea to narrow/shorten the front wishbone, as I borrowed the idea and information from Danny (hot rod pro) and Cory (CTaulbert). I believe they both used 5" dropped axles when doing this modification, but I wasn't looking to go as low, so I opted for a 4" dropped axle to go along with the rest of the formula.

I used a Superbell 46.5" wide tube axle, which tucked the front tires further inward, helping alleviate the tire rub I was experiencing on the outer fender lip. The 46.5" wide axle has perch centers of 34", which is narrower than the stock axle, causing the wishbone ends to need to be pulled inward. I could have split the front wishbone and mounted the ends to tabs on the chassis, but decided to copy Danny and Cory, and modify the wishbone in order to leave it unspilt. In order to narrow the wishbone, my friend Peter (The Old Ford Store in Tucson, AZ) and I cut off the yolk, removed approx. 1" off the length of each leg, and then Peter welded the yolk/legs back together (the legs have to be shortened in order to account for the narrowing of the wishbone, which effectively makes the wishbone longer when pulling the legs inward for the narrower perches).

Because of the narrower perch centers, I also had to have a new main leaf (with reversed eyes) made for the front spring pack, but was able to use the rest of the original spring pack since it was in great shape. The dropped axle required the steering arms to be lower, so I got an original pair of spindles (with the arms already cut off) from my friend Mike, and added dropped steering arms and a tube shock kit from Chassis Engineering. The car rides quite well, and has full turning radius, but still occasionally rubs the fenders on the outside edge if I hit a bump while turning, but not nearly as much as it did before narrowing the front track width. I also think that smaller front tires would help (it currently has 6.00/16 bias ply's in front) get it lower, but I haven't stepped up and ordered 5.50/16's yet. It would have been much less work to split the wishbone and run a wider axle, but I felt the extra time and money was worth it to be able to narrow the front slightly, even though most people will never notice the change. Hope this info helps, let me know if you have any questions.

 

After some deliberation I decided to go with 550-16's up front and 700-16's in the rear. I have a nice set of 40 wheels going to the powder coater this week. I'll post some updated pix. Next on the list is a drop axle

 

A dropped axle will lower your car 2 more inches.
Try to get a dropped axle that is a little narrower than stock so as to make sure your tires don't rub the fenders.
Reversed eye spring will lower it 1 inch.

 

The car has a posie spring in it already with reversed eyes. I'm going get an axle from Sid's eventually as well.

 

I'm curious for those guys with drops and wheel rubs.

Just got my 40 pickup back. It has a 4" drop and 5.60X16 on stock wheels. Rear is 7.5X16 and perfect.

But at full lock on the front, I'm getting a lot of rubbing on the rear of the front fender. Can you guys get full lock? I have a GM 525 steering box too. Just wonder if I need to lift the front 1" or out stops in.

 

Saw your truck on Midwest Fabs ig. How is the rear lowered?

 

No pics yet, I am doing 7.60-15s on the back of my convert, I think the fender shrouds the edge of the tire too much with the 8.20's, I don't like the look. One thing to be aware of, a 5.60 from one tire maker is not necessarily the same hieght as a 5.60 from another. Firestones seem to be quite a bit taller than the same size BFG Silvertown for instance, check and compare.

 

Thanks for the input. Not sure how much is going to help my gig though. As much for this convo as well as others in the same church I've included a few pics of what I have to work with. No pun intended but I'm hoping not to reinvent the wheel on this issue. Love the rake angle, don't like the tiny front tire, love the wheels I have. Sort of like a catch, uh, 39 (?). The last pic is how much I'm losing in turn radius, my finger is loose in there. The 1st is where it hits on the 'bones and spring mount.

It's so far "done" already with fresh stuff and I have a hard time starting the whole process over. Hoping an answer is possible and I'm just too close to it, or trying too hard maybe? Just don't like the 5.50s...