Wheel and Tire help - 66 4x4 Suburban

[Southcity]

Long time board member with very little 4x4 wheel/tire knowledge, please bare with me. Hoping the 4x4 guru's can provide some guidance/recommendations based on the below:

1.Want to run radial over bias ply
2.Want the tall/skinny offroad look (keep wheel/tire inside fender wells)
3.Vehicle is 66 4x4 Suburban (stock height, no lift)
4.Wheels will be new OE style GM truck steelies. Either 15x6 or 15x7 so I can run dogdish caps.

Want the tallest/skinniest radial 4x4 tire I can safely run and try keep that "close to stock" look. Thanks in advance.

[Short 3/4]

Originally Posted by Southcity

Long time board member with very little 4x4 wheel/tire knowledge, please bare with me. Hoping the 4x4 guru's can provide some guidance/recommendations based on the below:

1.Want to run radial over bias ply
2.Want the tall/skinny offroad look (keep wheel/tire inside fender wells)
3.Vehicle is 66 4x4 Suburban (stock height, no lift)
4.Wheels will be new OE style GM truck steelies. Either 15x6 or 15x7 so I can run dogdish caps.

Want the tallest/skinniest radial 4x4 tire I can safely run and try keep that "close to stock" look. Thanks in advance.

Assuming 1/2 ton?

[Southcity]

Fair question Short 3/4. Vehicle is 66 4x4 Suburban (6 lug) which as I understand it makes it a 1/2 ton. Apologies, I don't yet own the vehicle so am unable to validate.

[mongocanfly]

not sure how bigga tire you can run , but thisll help you with what is what for tire sizes
https://tiresize.com/chart/

[b454rat]

I had 35s on my 62. Weren’t tall n skinny but fit just fine. A 255/85/16 is a skinny tire, smidge over 33” I think.

[mongocanfly]

("A 255/85/16 is a skinny tire, smidge over 33” I think.")
b454rat..they are... i have 2 sets of those
but hes wanting 15s

[cadillac_al]

BFG used to make a 235/85r15, probably not anymore. If I had lots of money I would get custom 16" wheels made for the 6 bolt pattern and run the 235/85r16 tire. They may already make those wheels but not cheap.

[Southcity]

Appreciate the responses all, thanks. I am taking a slightly different approach and am going to go with a 16x6 wheel rather than 15". It will be a few weeks before I have the vehicle and a few more to obtain the new wheel/tire combo. I will do my best to update with pics here once I get there.

[mongocanfly]

it may be hard to find a taller tire for the 6in wide rim...i wanted the tall/skinny , so i went with 255/85-16s..but i had to step up to a 8in wide rim to run them

[Southcity]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

it may be hard to find a taller tire for the 6in wide rim...i wanted the tall/skinny , so i went with 255/85-16s..but i had to step up to a 8in wide rim to do run them

Thanks mongocanfly and understood. I am not set on tire size or wheel width yet but do know I am going to go with a 16" wheel. Any chance you can post a pic or two of the wheel/tire setup you mentioned above?

[Short 3/4]

I have always used a 235/85 16 radial and I think it’s a nice stock look on these era trucks, and still fairly easy to drive with manual steering. Have mainly used 70-80’s steel take off rims, but mine always 8 lug, so easier to find.
BTW I just learned that all Suburbans are 1/2 ton, so my first post was kind of redundant.
Have fun with the new project
Tom

[mongocanfly]

this is the set with black rims...i have the other set mounted on white rims, ill add a pic of those tonite

[Southcity]

Thanks for the pic, that does look good! To confirm the wheel/tire sizes in that pic?
wheel = 16x8
Tire=255/85R16

[mongocanfly]

yep...

[Stocker]

For the record, 255/85-16s fit perfectly on 7" wide wheels too. That's what I have (on Ford wheels) on my K20.
Tire Rack shows a recommended rim width of 6.5"-8", and a measured rim width of 7".

[mongocanfly]

I looked for a set of those Ford rims, but never found any

[Stocker]

I got lucky, found mine in a junkyard about 6 years ago.

[mongocanfly]

Wernt those rims just on Ford vans?

[Southcity]

[QUOTE=Stocker;9073908]For the record, 255/85-16s fit perfectly on 7" wide wheels too. That's what I have (on Ford wheels) on my K20.
Tire Rack shows a recommended rim width of 6.5"-8", and a measured rim width of 7".

Appreciate the info and pics, Stocker. That is one nice truck and a sweet wheel/tire setup.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Wernt those rims just on Ford vans?

No sir, they were on F250s up until 1996. Ford changed them to a metric bolt pattern in 1997. Van wheels didn't change until later, but I'm not sure which year.

Originally Posted by Southcity

Appreciate the info and pics, Stocker. That is one nice truck and a sweet wheel/tire setup.

Thanks! It should be out of paint prison soon and I'll post up some fresher pics.

[mongocanfly]

Heres a pic of the set I have mounted on white...really like the way these look

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Heres a pic of the set I have mounted on white...really like the way these look

Those look great!!

[Southcity]

As promised and thanks to all the board members that chimed in with helpful info. 16x6 smoothies arrived 4 1/2 months after ordering, currently at the powder coater. Next post will be before/after shots.

[Southcity]

Before/After shots

Wheels = 16x6 smoothies, powder coated
Tires = 255/85R16 BFG KM3

BEFORE:



AFTER: