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pretty sure its all just friction that holds it all together, except the plate that holds the tire tight to the car.

Mine are all bias ply.... they should fit with no problem.

I’m jumping on to this very old thread with a question.

My dad put on reproduction 7x16 bias ply tires (Coker) before handing the car over to me. I have found that the sidemount covers seem VERY tight. It seems like the tires are slightly too wide.

The current tires are good for now to have a rolling chassis while I work on it, but will have to be replaced before driving.

I’m wondering what thoughts you all have about getting four 7x16 tires and two slightly narrower tires for the spares….maybe 6.5x16? Any experience with this?

I believe they normally fit tight. Also, older tires that have been mounted and inflated for several years may "grow" slightly over time.

You might try reducing the pressure in the spare tires to 20 PSI. That may give a little more clearance.

If the stems are acessible with the spare covers mounted, try deflating the tires to 5 PSI, then put the covers in place, then re-inflate to 28 PSI.

Thanks. I'll experiment a bit with the tires I have now. I know I had seen another post a while back where someone mentioned using slightly narrower tires for the spares for this very reason. I can't seem to find that post again.

A post earlier in this string also mentioned that modern reproduction tires may not fit.

I'm just curious if the reproductions are slightly wider than the originals. As it is now, it is almost impossible to get the tread covers to overlap the side covers properly.

I'll try to follow up with some photos, but it may be the weekend before I can get to it....work keeps getting in the way!!

According to this chart showing some specs on polyester bias ply tires there is a small difference in width but a fair difference in weight carrying ability between the two sizes. Also a slight mismatch in diameter. A few sites show those sizes as mostly a tractor and truck tire so if that is what is being used as a base for repros maybe more stiffening side plys could be the reason for a perceived wider width than the older originals.

The size differences would surely make the covers fit better and if you are going to keep the smaller tire in the sidemounts and only there as a never or very occasional use spare then a smaller size might work OK -- sort of like the ridiculous mini spares offered with modern cars but maybe without so many limited range and speed restrictions. If you plan on doing a periodic rotation and drive on them to keep wear even then maybe worth some more thought.

Thanks, Howard. That chart is really helpful. I think I'll stick with six 7x16s and try TxGoat's recommendation regarding the pressure.

Having just installed new auburn radials I can feel your pain.I laid the tires bacside down on the ground and with difficulty and sore fingers and masking tape on the edges I started at one end and just wound the outer cover around carefully. the second one was much easier. the center cover plate is held in by the outer cover.

Getting the tires in and out of the side mounts without scratching your paint up is not for the faint of heart. It is better to treat those as ornamental and carry a AAA card.

I read somewhere 1935 service letters(?) that there is more than one size spare tire cover, or parts for the cover assembly. They look about the same, but have a letter or number stamped on them to distinguish one from another.