New Studebaker owner...some tire/wheel questions 64 Daytona

[skangboy54]

Hello everyone. I'm a first time Studebaker owner of a 1964 Stude Daytona 259 V8 automatic sedan. Black with red interior. Runs great, got it from my dad. It is not restored but it runs and drives very very well, everything mechanical is in excellent condition, cosmetically it is not rusty but needs paint. I have a dumb questions though...and will no doubt have many more. The car has narrow stock rims and my dad, years ago, put tires that are too wide for the rims. The tires are weathered need to be replaced but I don't want to put the same size wide tires on small rims. I've seen suggestions for Ford rims, but I don't have a clue where to get these, and what size tires to get. I also heard (but don't know) that you have to have Ford lug nuts if you use wider Ford wheels so the wheels fit. Is it necessary for handling and safety to get larger rims? Can I buy new tires that are the right size for the stock rims without paying $200.00 per tire at Coker....as in...going to a local tire shop? Can you even buy whitewall tires anymore?? What are the pros and cons of stock rims verses wider Ford rims......ANY INFO or opinions would be great. I'm a little freaked about owning a Studebaker...I know nothing!!! I just want it to be safe and handle well.

[sals54]

[Scott]

Hello everyone. I'm a first time Studebaker owner of a 1964 Stude Daytona 259 V8 automatic sedan. Black with red interior. Runs great, got it from my dad. It is not restored but it runs and drives very very well, everything mechanical is in excellent condition, cosmetically it is not rusty but needs paint. I have a dumb questions though...and will no doubt have many more. The car has narrow stock rims and my dad, years ago, put tires that are too wide for the rims. The tires are weathered need to be replaced but I don't want to put the same size wide tires on small rims. I've seen suggestions for Ford rims, but I don't have a clue where to get these, and what size tires to get. I also heard (but don't know) that you have to have Ford lug nuts if you use wider Ford wheels so the wheels fit. Is it necessary for handling and safety to get larger rims? Can I buy new tires that are the right size for the stock rims without paying $200.00 per tire at Coker....as in...going to a local tire shop? Can you even buy whitewall tires anymore?? What are the pros and cons of stock rims verses wider Ford rims......ANY INFO or opinions would be great. I'm a little freaked about owning a Studebaker...I know nothing!!! I just want it to be safe and handle well.

You need to be cautious about changing wheels if your car has the front disk brakes. For what it's worth, I have stock wheels on my 1966 Cruiser and in 2013 put on Hankook Mileage Plus II tires, 205 75R15 with narrow whitewall. They'll look great on your car and 205's are not way too wide for the rims and the narrowest you'll find without going to Coker or a specialty manufacturer. The set of 4 tires cost me about $500 installed. They are a very good quality tire.

[showbizkid]

Here's a few notes I've compiled from different threads over the years that might be helpful to you:

• Stock 5" Stude wheels have 4.25" backspace, and OEM Ford & Mopar wheels with 4" backspace work just fine on a Stude.
• Using a 15x 6" wheel with a 4" back space, such as those found on 85-89ish Ford LTDs, Mercury Marquis or Ford Crown Vics will work.
• RWD Chrysler Fifth Avenue or variants from Dodge or Plymouth - Diplomats, Furys, etc. will also work.

For my car, I chose Wheel Vintiques Mopar 15 x 6" reproductions; they come in satin black and fit like a glove. I went to the junkyard and found a wheel off of an old Fury to test-fit, then went ahead and ordered new ones from Vintiques online. One thing: these will not hold OEM Studebaker hubcaps, so you'll have to use something else or figure out a way to hold your Stude caps on (the problem is that the full-cover caps will snap on, but rotate as you drive, cutting the valve stems).

No currently produced wheel will hold Stude dog-dish caps, IIRC.

[skangboy54]

You need to be cautious about changing wheels if your car has the front disk brakes. For what it's worth, I have stock wheels on my 1966 Cruiser and in 2013 put on Hankook Mileage Plus II tires, 205 75R15 with narrow whitewall. They'll look great on your car and 205's are not way too wide for the rims and the narrowest you'll find without going to Coker or a specialty manufacturer. The set of 4 tires cost me about $500 installed. They are a very good quality tire.
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Thanks for this. I am definitely a stock type off person so I prefer stock if possible. Glad I can get tires!!! I will check in to that.

[StudeRich]

Welcome to the SDC and to the SDC Forum!
Congrats Randall on owning a very sharp looking Car, a top of line Daytona.
Is it a 2 Door Hardtop?

They did build '64's in 4 Door Sedans, 4 door Wagonaires, and Convertibles also in the Daytona Trim Line.

The larger O.D./Wrench Size and beveled seat Angle Ford/Chrysler Lug Nuts are to fit the different Bevel angle Wheel Seats than Stude.

Do not be freaked about it being a Orphan Make Studebaker, the Factory KEPT many more and older Parts than GM or Ford ever did, a very many are still in South Bend, IN most mechanical Parts fit '53 to '66 Models and most are easy to find.

As far as Maintenance goes, the Cars are very simple easy to work on with Basic 1960's Technology. Simple Electrical, and NO Electronics.
All components are of the highest Quality available, such as Dana Spicer Rear Axles, Borg Warner Transmissions, Bendix Power Steering, Saginaw Steering Gears, all Timken Roller Bearings, no cheap Ball Bearings, No cheap Ball Joint Front Suspensions, all Forged King Pin Type.

OH, almost forgot, to prevent Wheel Cover "Spin" use the Chrysler Product Wheels with the "Bumps" on each side of the Valve Stem to prevent them from turning. Some OEM Ford Crown Vic Wheels from the older models will also have the "Stops".

I use '76-'79 Chrysler Cordoba or the Dodge counterpart (Monaco ?) 15 X 5.5 Wheels with P205X75R15 Radials on my Daytonas and stock '64 Wheel Covers.
Steel Valve Stems also help, but may damage the Covers or squeak or rattle more than Rubber.

Cooper still makes 75 Series Whitewalls, and are the Last Tire Co. that is American Owned.

[studebakerkid]

YOu also have to remember that those stock rims have some age on them and how many curbs have they been bumped over. The last time I put tires on Pinkie I took a dozen stock rims with me to the tireshop to find two for the front. It is a good thing that I did as at the time it took a dozen to get two strainght running rims for the front.

[skangboy54]

Pics of my 64!

Here the pics of my 64. As you can see the car needs paint but is presentable as is. This is just as I found her, I've done nothing to her yet. I love the way this car drives, can't wait to get new tires! Thanks for all the good advice so far.

[showbizkid]

That looks like a clean, solid car! To heck with a paint job - spend a weekend with a clay bar and Meguire's and drive it proudly!

[53commander]

I have the Ford steel wheels from Vintiques which I got from Summit at a reasonable price even with shipping. They came in gray primer which makes it nice to paint to match the body color. You will need to use the larger seat Ford lug nuts and metal valve stems would be a good choice so the wheel covers wont cut them.

[wittsend]

Here is a look at Crown Vic Cop Car wheels. Tires are 225-60-16" Like the look, but at slow speeds and no power steering they are a workout. I used the stock Studebaker lug nuts, but like you heard it advised to use the Ford's which do have a larger tapered edge. The Ford lug nuts, for lack of a better term, have a built in washer that is for the clips on the center only hub cap.

The first image is another parties whole Crown Vic Cop Car wheel (CVCC, not to be confused the the engine in early Honda cars). The second image is the CVCC wheel in comparison to the stock Studebaker wheel and the last two are the CVCC wheels on the car. Also note that later CVCC wheels had a different offset that moved the wheel inward. I don't believe these would fit a Studebaker.

[63 R2 Hawk]

Very nice looking Stude!

[55 56 PREZ 4D]

15x6", 5x4 1/2" bolt pattern, steel rims with 4" backset also came on:
93-2010 Ford Rangers
93-2001 Ford Explorers
97-2010 Mercury Mountaineers
And some Mazda 93-2010 trucks
The factory wheel has 8 oval shaped openings.
I am using them with 215x75x15 tires on my 55 President State Sedan with the Ford lugnuts as required.
One wheelcover did spin on one wheel till I removed the covers, spread an even, thin, [1/16"] layer of "GOOP" on the rims where the wheelcover grips contact.
Be sure the band of Goop is wide enough for the grips to scrape into securely. 3/4" or so.
Let it dry before installing the cover.

[studebakerkid]

You may like how she drives BUT have you looked critically at the current tire wear? My 65 was driving fine but I noticed rapid tire wear on the insides of the front wheels. I have her in the shop now and just checked everthing out. Tie rods are tight as is the center link but all my rubber bushings are rotted so the tires are tipped out. I replaced everthing with stock back in 1981 so now I will be puting in the delrin kit that has been sitting on the shelf for five years.

[jimmijim8]

As Clark says of the paint. cheers jimmijim

That looks like a clean, solid car! To heck with a paint job - spend a weekend with a clay bar and Meguire's and drive it proudly!