Hey Guys,
I have an all original "51 1/2 ton chevy, and have been running 6.00 x 16
Bias Ply tube tires on the original rims. Those bias ply tires are
almost dangerous on the highway, and the ones on my truck were so out of
balance, that the front end of my truck was shaking me to death above 50
MPH. After driving on them for the last 4 years, I finally had all I
could stand, so I broke down and bought some new chrome steel mag wheels,
and then went to my local tire store and bought some steel belted radial
truck tires with raised white letters.
You cannot imagine the difference, in ride, stability, handling, road
noise, speed, and looks. It's like I have a completely different truck.
The original rims are 4" wide, and I replaced them with 15 x 7" mags, and
for the tires I purchased 235/75R15. The new tires are about 1.5 to 2"
taller than my old bias plys and have almost 8" of tread as opposed to 5"
of tread on the bias ply. I was greatly worried as to whether or not
they would fit without rubbing on something, but they fit perfectly on
the original drums.
As far as speed goes, the larger tires have made a world of difference.
I am now actually passing people on the highway, even though I still have
the original 4.11 rear end, and 216 Babbit Rod engine. I can cruise
between 60 and 65 on the highway, and still carry on a conversation with
my passengers. I figure with a 3.55 retrofit differential kit, and my
new tires, I could easily hit 75, if not 80.
As far as handling goes, high speed turns are almost sports car like. I
thought that the truck would be harder to turn with the wider tires, but
found the exact opposite to be true. Probably because the weight is
spread out over 15-16" of rubber instead of 10", it is far easier to turn
than it was before.
As far as gas mileage goes, I feel like there will be an improvement, as
I can roll much farther in neutral than I ever could with the old bias
ply. There's definately less roll resistance with the new tires, but
won't know how much savings in gas until I burn a couple of tanks and
recheck my mileage.
If any of you guys out there are looking for a relatively cheap way to
improve your old truck short of replacing the entire power train, try
doing what I did. You will be amazed at the difference.
Sincerely,
Larry
1951 3100
OKC OK
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