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By Danny - 9 Years Ago
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I have a 1956 Crown Victoria that have 670 x 15 bias ply tires with Thunderbird wire wheels. I need a new set of tires and would like to change to radials however radials are a much wider tire than what I have now. All the tire conversion charts says I could go with the 205x75x15 radial tire. The 670x15 are 7.01 inches wide and 28.88 inches in diameter. Most 205x75x15 tires are 8 inches wide and 27 inches in diameter. Although my shop manual specs are 710x15 for v8 Fairlanes with Fordomatic, I can't because I have Thunderbird wire wheels and their specs are 670x15.
Here's the rub (no pun intended). I only have about 1/4 inch clearance between my existing tire and the upper control arm ball joint area. Going from a 7 inch wide tire to an 8 inch wide tire, in my view is not going to fit. Can someone tell me what the gap clearance between the tire and upper control arm is on a 56 Ford with stock rims? Is there someone who has Thunderbird wire wheels on a 56 Fairlane or Thunderbird and went with a larger radial tire and had any problems? Are wheel spacers reliable - I don't know anything about them?
Thanks
Danny
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By miker - 9 Years Ago
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I'm pretty sure the 55-56 ford, and the 55-57 bird front ends (a arms, spindles, etc.) are the same. My bird had the 15x5 wires when I bought it, and 205/75 -15 Coker radial while whites. No problems, and the previous discussions here don't indicate a problem. At worst, you might need a 1/4" or 3/8" wheel spacer. The front studs on my car would easily have accepted that and still had the lug nuts with threads coming thru them. At that time, the car had the original front drums, but everything stil worked when I changed to front disc on the original spindles.
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By PF Arcand - 9 Years Ago
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Tire companies used to make a 195-75 x14". Is it available in a 15" rim?
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