Wheels / Tires: studebaker wheel interchange

[alstude3]

I have a 1953 stude commander starliner, and would like to use radial tires. Does
anyone know a wheel interchange that would fit the bolt pattern, and I could still
use my wire wheel covers?

Bill

[Dick Steinkamp]

Your bolt pattern is 5 on 4 1/2". This is the same bolt pattern as most same vintage Ford and Chrysler products (among others).

The problem will not be the bolt pattern...it will be the wheel width and offset. There is not much room between the face of the brake drum and the fender in the back and between the tie rod ends and the face of the drum in the front.

I don't believe any replacement wheels will have problems with the original (bolt on) wire wheel covers, but I'd try one before you commit.

Why don't you want to run radial tires on your stock wheels?

[alstude3]

Thanks for your reply. I was told it wasn't safe to use redials on the stock narrow wheels.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Thanks for your reply. I was told it wasn't safe to use redials on the stock narrow wheels.

I've successfully run 205 75 15 radials on 4 1/2" wide Lark wheels.









I believe your stock wheels are 5" wide. I would inspect them very carefully, however. Make sure there are no cracks and that the lug nut holes are not distorted.

You can get wider (6") Ford or Chrysler wheels, but make a trial fit both front and rear with the tire size you plan to run before you commit to them to make sure they fit.

[alstude3]

Thanks for the info.
Bill

[rockne10]

I'm in agreement with Dick. I ran radials for many years on my '63 Cruiser and have them now on the original wheels on my '51 and '53.
If they are not overly worn or abused and show no indications of stress, wheels do their job.

[LeoH]

I'm running 195/75 15s on my Lark wagon with no issues and they were new tires from Les Schwab within the past 2 years. The rims are original to the car.

[sals54]

Another point of safety I recommend for those using new tires on old rims is to replace the old style lug nuts with the new style. The new ones have a "shoulder" on them. In other words, they have more surface area at the point where the lug nut meets the rim. The old nuts are very small. I don't like the idea of the small nuts on the old rims.

[Chris Pile]

I ran radials on my '49 Champion 4 door with nary a problem.
Same with my '66 Wagonaire.

Of course, I wasn't trying to carve up any road courses.

[R3 challenger]

Bill, I installed new 6 X 15 Ford wheels on my Golden Hawk. Original Hawk 15" wheel covers fit these wheels properly, but I wanted to use the '55 Speedster type wire wheel covers, and they would not fit the Ford wheels. This was because the "basket" at the back of the wires would not reach far enough into the deeper, wider Ford wheel. It took a lot of work, but the problem was solved by disassembling the wire wheel covers and inserting tubular spacers between the basket and the front section of the wires. (This also took longer bolts to hold everything together.) I've forgotten the exact length of the spacers, but as a guess, it was somewhere around 1 1/4." The length of the spacers required would vary depending on the exact wheel you use. The Golden Hawk now looks stock, but the wider wheels, wide whitewall radial tires, and a rear stabilizer bar help handling. (Not that the white walls had anything to do with it! <G>)

George

I have a 1953 stude commander starliner, and would like to use radial tires. Does
anyone know a wheel interchange that would fit the bolt pattern, and I could still
use my wire wheel covers?

Bill

[StudeNorm]

In 1963 my father bought a new 1964 fixed roof Daytona Wagon. The first thing he changed on the car was the tires. Michelin recommended a 195/75(?) 15 for the 4 1/2 inch rim. He ran that size until he sold the car 6 years later. I have read specs for tires that list 5 inch as the minimum size for a 205/75 15 tire. I have also run into clearance problems with a 6 inch rim but "solved" it by welding a knob on the mating face at the steering stop jamb point. This increased my minimum turning circle but saved the inside tire wall from being torn up by the steering knuckle.

Norman Searle