Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hi,
Looking to find out if a 225-70-16 tire would fit without issues on a 1940 160 coupe.
I'm looking at a Diamond Back touring tires for a white wall. These things are kinda pricey. I might go with Firestone Destination raised white letters.

thanks,
Mark

225 mm is 8.9 inches. That’s a lot wider than stock

wide might make it hard to steer in a parking lot.

Depends how wide the rim is as to whether this will fit properly.

Not really going for a concourse look. Being the car will be driven, I'd like something that performs well.

215/75 or 225/75. 75. 235's get kinda wide..

Diamondback radial 700x16 4” white wall Auburn
I just ordered four for my 1940 160

I have 215-85 on my 41. They don’t rub, but 7:00-16 is a better match

A tire that is wider than the original probably will not fit the spare tire location or sidemount.
An LT 215/85 R 16 does not correctly fit a 37 120 trunk mount spare tire arrangement.
Fender clearance also very tight on the late 30s 110 and 120s.
Packard warned against putting 6 ply tires on cars originally equipped with 4 ply, and also warned against oversize tires. However, today's 6 ply rated tires may well be 3 ply, while a pre-war 6 ply tire probably had a full 6 plies. Heavier, stiffer tires will degrade ride quality, and may negatively affect handling.

I have no experience using modern bias look radials on a pre-war Packard. I was going to try a set, but they are out of stock, so I decided on Firestone 7.00 X 16. They are 6 ply rated, so I hope they do not degrade the ride. Previous tires were Lester 4 ply 7.00 X 16, which gave good handling and excellent ride.

A lightweight, flexible tire will give a good ride and spare the car's chassis and body from road shock
much better than a heavy, stiff tire. The overall diameter of an original style 7.00X 16 tire is about 30.5 to 31.00 inches while the section width is close to 7 inches at the maximum. Tread width is about 51/2 to 6". Tires with an overall diameter over 31" are likely to rub on the fenders, and may be difficult to install and remove.

You also need to make sure a wider tire will not rub inside on tie rods, or steering parts when the wheel is turned one direction or the other.

At the moment, I can run a pretty big tire and not rub the fenders, like the sky's the limit.........

I have been running 750x16 diamondback radials on my ‘40 super 8 since 2016. The tires on the road have clearance. What is tight, a real struggle, is fitting the spares in the side mounts and trying to fit the covers on. It is a real bear, but they do go on with a fair amount of cursing.
In 2017 Diamondback introduced the 700x16 Auburn 4” wide white wall, the original size for the car. A new set are being shipped as we speak.
I’m hoping the handling will be better with 700s.

700R16AD Auburn Deluxe is exactly what I ordered with a 4” extra wide white wall
They have plenty in stock, but it takes a week or so to add the white wall.