670 15 tire into Avanti spare tire well

[Thomas63R2]

I'm going to get a new set of 670 15 tires for my Avanti and I noticed that there is more than an inch difference in the tire diameter from the different tires available in a 1" whitewall. The Firestone Vintage is 28.58" The Goodyear Custom Super Cushion is 28.3" The U.S. Royal is 27.5" The B.F. Goodrich is 27.42"

My carpet lined spare tire well looks to have maybe just less than 28.5" of diameter at its smallest.

So I am wondering if anyone has any experience with how the currently available Firestone or Goodyear 670 15 tires fit into the carpeted spare tire well? Or should I just get the U.S. Royal or BFG?

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[StudeRich]

Well most all of them did come with Firestone Tires, a good number with the Premium 500 Nylon you know, if it were me, I would probably put a used Firestone in there if I could.


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[PlainBrownR2]

Somewhat related, we have a Coker reproduction in our Avanti. It fits the spare tire well just fine, with one hitch. If I recall it had an ever so slightly wider tread on it, which prevents that plywood, carpeted cover from completely seating all the way. It's nothing to scream at, as it stays put anyway, it just sticks up a quarter inch higher when it sits on the spare.

[img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000137-1.jpg[/img=left][img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000145-1.jpg[/img=left][IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/Ex%20Studebaker%20Plant%20Locomotive/P1000578-1.jpg[/IMG=right]
[IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201964%20Studebaker%20Commander%20R2/P1010168.jpg[/IMG=right]

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by Thomas63R2

I'm going to get a new set of 670 15 tires for my Avanti and I noticed that there is more than an inch difference in the tire diameter from the different tires available in a 1" whitewall. The Firestone Vintage is 28.58" The Goodyear Custom Super Cushion is 28.3" The U.S. Royal is 27.5" The B.F. Goodrich is 27.42"
My carpet lined spare tire well looks to have maybe just less than 28.5" of diameter at its smallest.
So I am wondering if anyone has any experience with how the currently available Firestone or Goodyear 670 15 tires fit into the carpeted spare tire well? Or should I just get the U.S. Royal or BFG?

In this case I don't think the diameter is a problem, but I bought a Coker Firestone 6.70x15 to put in my '64 Avanti and I coudn't close the lid far enough to engage the latch and pull it down. I found the repro was wider than an original production Firestone 6.70. I'll try to find a comparison picture later.




Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[Thomas63R2]

I know that most Avantis came with Firestone tires, but I'm pretty sure the modern 670 15 Firestone is not of the original mold for the Firestone 500.

Okay, I looked up section widths, nominally:
The Goodyear is a fatty at 7.45", the Firestone is 7.01, and the U.S. Royal and BFG both list 7". Anyone with U.S. Royal or BFG that can vouch for flush fitting spare tire cover?

Thomas



Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by Thomas63R2

I know that most Avantis came with Firestone tires, but I'm pretty sure the modern 670 15 Firestone is not of the original mold for the Firestone 500.
Okay, I looked up section widths, nominally:
The Goodyear is a fatty at 7.45", the Firestone is 7.01, and the U.S. Royal and BFG both list 7". Anyone with U.S. Royal or BFG that can vouch for flush fitting spare tire cover?

The repro Firestones definitely aren't from the same mold. I took a couple pix of a NOS Firestone Champion and a Coker repop. However, the original tire is mounted and the repop isn't so it's hard to compare them. I had mounted the original to see if it would fit in my Avanti and it did. However, I did find that the repop tread was approximately 3/8" wider than the original. I don't know if that translates to the overall width being 3/8" wider or not, but, as I posted before, a repop would not fit.
One solution, assuming you aren't running four bias tires and really want a spare- deflate the tire until you can close the compartment lid. I did that on my Avanti because I was running 225x75x15 radials and I was very unlikely to use the 6.70 as a spare. Or, you could deflate it and carry a can of tire inflator.




Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[buddymander]

Or you could run a narrower wheel for just the spare. That would pull the sidewalls in.

[Thomas63R2]

One of the things I wonder about in regards to the spare tire cover resting flush with the trunk floor is if they are still using 5" wide Avanti wheels, or a 6" wide replacement. Generally always a wider rim width will make for a wider section width. I do have a couple of stealthy ideas for a fix to make the spare cover flush: 1)use a thinner piece of plywood, 2) I also have a 4.5" wide Lark disc brake wheel (I know that a 670 15 tire is too wide for regular driving on a 4.5" wide rim - it would only be temporary use for the spare).

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[sbca96]

If all you are looking for is a thin spare, how about a mini spare
from a modern car? I had to get one for my Avanti, to fit over the
13" rotors. I got a 17 inch Cobra space, its 4 inchs wide. Kinda
funny since its almost the same size as the factory Studebaker wheel.

Fits the spare tire wheel perfectly, and its an aluminum wheel.



Tom

'63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by Thomas63R2

One of the things I wonder about in regards to the spare tire cover resting flush with the trunk floor is if they are still using 5" wide Avanti wheels, or a 6" wide replacement. Generally always a wider rim width will make for a wider section width. I do have a couple of stealthy ideas for a fix to make the spare cover flush: 1)use a thinner piece of plywood, 2) I also have a 4.5" wide Lark disc brake wheel (I know that a 670 15 tire is too wide for regular driving on a 4.5" wide rim - it would only be temporary use for the spare).

Thinner plywood might indeed solve the problem. Avanti IIs just set the lid on top and adjusted the fastening clip up the same amount. This made for an uneven floor[V].
6.70x15s were standard on Lark station wagons and convertibles and were optional on all others. My Wagonaire came with Firestone 500 6.70x15s and it (unfortunately) had only 4.5" rims .





Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[Retired]

Food for thought. Raise the entire trunk floor with 3/4 inch plywood. Fabricate metal retainer for the rear of the cover, use existing latch or fabricate duplicate replacement, carpet. stainless steel bolts.
(With the jack handle laid out over the top of my original spare, the cover requires a nudge to get the latch to fold down.)

Richard

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by Retired

Food for thought. Raise the entire trunk floor with 3/4 inch plywood. Fabricate metal retainer for the rear of the cover, use existing latch or fabricate duplicate replacement, carpet. stainless steel bolts.
(With the jack handle laid out over the top of my original spare, the cover requires a nudge to get the latch to fold down.)

Duh![:I] That's certainly the best suggestion yet- wish I had done that on mine.




Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[sbca96]

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=28087

Tom