Technical Tire and wheel sizes for a 51 Merc

I know there are many answers, but I'm trying to figure out how much clearance I'll have with different wheel/tire combinations with dropped spindles, cut springs, running discs. I keep coming back to a 5" wheel, with a 6.70x15 bias tire, but wonder about running smaller, skinnier tires on a heavy car. The front end isn't put together yet, but trying to figure ahead. Real world experiences? Thanks in advance. Bill

 

6.70 15 actually isn't small and skinny as far as tires for a 51 Merc go. As Mark showed they look right and fit right.
I've never got a grasp on why guys think the L series aka Caddy limo tires look good on early custom Mercs or Fords or Chevys. Maybe because some of the magazine cartoon artists drew them back in the day and they go from that.
I'm pretty sure these were 215-75 15 which comes out to 710 but the car came with 7.10 tires on the rear in 1963 when I bought it and they looked huge compared to the fronts.

This is about the largest diameter that looks decent.

 

Well merc came with 7.10 15s when new so use them on the rear and you would want a little narrower on front with the disc brake set up. The 6.70 in front should be good.

 

Thanks for the replies. Any thoughts on going down to a 6.40-15 to get a bit more clearance?

 

I guess you could go narrower are you going to run the flatty or a lighter motor? I like radials cause I just never had good luck with the bias they make now. My 51 merc

 

292 Y-block

 

Great motor for it,imo

 

I'm running 15 x 7.10 Firestones on stock merc wheels and drum brakes.

 

I always ran 6.70 x 15s on my Merc. I believe that's the only way to go.

 

6.70 15s on a Shoebox
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

 

Tire size for Mercury Sport Sedan in 1951, the model offered since October 1950 for North America U.S. ? The standard tire size for this Mercury was 7.10 - 15. We present here also the analysis of alternative tire sizes with the standard wheel total diameter.