Hot Rods Can there be life without "Bigs N Littles?"

6.70-15s all around


now with 7.00-16s rear, 6.00-16s front

rear might be coming down a bit in the next few weeks...

 

Yup!!! I've got that one saved on my phone to keep my inspiration for my '33 up. I'm gonna try for the same stance with 17" wheels all around. Great looking car!!!

 

650 16 all the way around on my full fendered

 

Thanks, but I "borrowed" the look from Thomas S&C.

 

gnichols - I don't remember GOD writing any rules to what YOUR car should look like. That's what it is all about doing YOUR thing to your car. Have at buddy and enjoy!

 

I think hes looking for some ideas, not divine inspiration...

 

I'm sitt'in on this side of the fence .

 

I'm firmly in the "big and littles" camp. Nothing detracts from an otherwise perfect car in a bigger way than to have the front tires just one size too big. I see that before anything else!
As far as how it was "back in the day"... Take a look at any of the Don montgomery books and look at the dates in the captions. You'll notice right away that before the war and during, almost anything that could be put on the car to roll was in use. Gotta remember that the counrty was still mopping up from the depression at that point and money was what it was. Then, rationing for the war.
BUT, look at the stuff from after the war and you start to see lots of big and little combonations. The tire that I notice most as a front in those pictures is the Firestone 5.00x16 motorcycle with the zig zag tread... Seemed to be lots of those.

 

I like bigs and littles. even had them on my HOT ROD Datsun truck. looked a little goofy when I rotated the tires though.

 

Thanks, yeah typing too fast.

 

I'm a fan of big rears and somewhere in between big and little in the front.

7.50/16 rear with 6.0/16 fronts looks spot on.

 

For me, it depends a lot on the year and body style of the car. I think pre-'35 hot rods look best with bigs and littles, fendered or not:





From '36 into the '50s, either can work. Customs seem to look best with the same size all around, even with a little rake:




DRD57 photo





From 1960 on, unless the car has a definite race car look, same-size seems to look best.
Later pickups are an obvious exception, and look fine with big tires in the back.

 

I'd have to think that it has to deal with the era look you are after. If it's pre WWII then the same size or very close to the same size. Post WWII calls for more of a big and little look. A 50's/60's build with an overhead in it calls for big and littles rather than same size.

When I first built my 48 in the 70's some clown in the town where I lived had a hemorrhage fit at the local gas station because my tire selection wasn't any good because I couldn't "rotate" the tires. Embarrassing now but I gave him the full force version of what I thought of his opinion.

 

76 ok city,it's not mine,I like bigs& littles.

 

If it's a 50's build I personally like some rubber rake.. 5.60's and 8.20's x15".......

 

I like big n littles, here I have 5.60 and L78"s

 

Not for me. But then the '60's style hot rods that I like had/have more rake than 1940's-'50's style.

 

On the other hand, some of these cars look pretty good with same / similarly sized grips, eh? Gary

 

A few more... Gary

 

Great thread!
To me it depends on the 'nature of the beast' your going for?
6.50 and 6.00 on my coupe, I like it, some may not.

 

gnichols; Here is a car that was on "that auction place" a few years ago. This is a newer build, but I love it because it is quite traditional.

Cut down coupes and sport coupes were OK to build back then, and this one looks like a very authentic model for what was done, on the cheap, with junkyard parts. You'd bring a six pack to donate, and a few bucks, to the local yard to strip a 39 Ford, and then get busy.

Times are changing and the current trends are being questioned...so there are good things to come. You will see.

 

Gimme that 'ol time religion,,big's and little's still work for me! HRP

 

Cliff Hansen's Brizio built '33 should be EXHIBIT A for the DEFENSE of Bigs n' Littles.

I rest my case!
Harumphh.

 

My opinion......almost every car needs at least a little rubber rake. Some more than others, but they all need some.

 

why would you think that way

 

Post #56 should carry the day. My opinion................ obviously

Frank

 

Absolutely! Choose your theme/era/style and go for it. Viva la difference!

 

If a guy was even leaning just a little bit towards the "Big & little" tire route, the pick-up in Post #54 ought to push him smooth over the hill. It is just dead nuts perfect IMO. That is as cool a stance as one could ever ask for.