What is the widest tire anyone has tried to install without wider fenders or massive frame mods? I measured 14.5 inches from outside of frame to inside lip of fender on my 51. My plan is to go as big as possible without major mods.
tires Remember that the bed sides are not level with the frame rails so you will not have 14.5" ?!? measure between the inside lip of the fender and the outside edge of the bedside , tires are in mm ie a 245 is 245mm wide and a 275 is 275mm wide , so if you have say 12"/300mm of gap , a 285 is probably the largest tire youll get in there with a solid axle maybe less with irs . (according to my mate that has a tire shop)
Vegaskenn, I'm running 285/60/16 rear tires on my 1950 1/2 ton. They will slightly rub the inner edge on the bed. It is likely because they are on 16 x 8 rims. With a 16 x 9 or 10, the sidewall would flex less. Overall, I would say a 275 to 285 is likely the max width, without having clearance issues.....Mike
Thanks for the info. If I do not modify the chassis behind the cab, I will tub it about 4 inches to start to get the bed out of the way.
With very careful measuring and having the truck not lowered so much the top of the tire contacts the curved top of the fender you can run a 10" wide tire. More than this and you get rubbing during cornering.
I wanted to add, that my truck is lowered a fair amount in both front and rear. The top edge of the rear tires tuck under the fender, but are nowhere near hitting the top of the fender. I am running leaf springs front and rear. The shocks and springs are fairly stiff, with front and rear sway bars, and the only time I get rubbing, is when I am turning into a driveway. And even then, the only real issue, is that the tire squeals when it rubs. If I had a wider rim, the sidewall would bulge less, and therefore flex less, likely not rubbing. On a stock type setup, the body will roll much more, meaning a narrower tire is likely needed. Another thing to consider also, is that a larger diameter rim will use a lower profile tire, with much less sidewall flex. So I guess to some extent, the suspension setup matters a fair amount. Also Vegaskenn, there are some plastic type wheel tubs available that are about 2 inches if I remember correctly. I think that is what I will end up running......Mike
i raised my bedwood so i didnt have tubs , im not using the bed to haul stuff about purely for show , i raised it 8" i also removed the inner rear fender braces and rolled the inner arch lip , also i have trimmed the bedsides so that my tyres will not rub on them when i let the air out my suspension , not everyones way of doin it ,but if we all done our trucks the same way shows would be very boring ! ooh thers a 50 chevy , ooh theres another the same , ooh and another lol
