Stubby is gonna need a new set of shoes soon.

[casadejohnson]

So the Stub is going to need new tires soon. Currently, we are rolling on factory steel wheels and BFG AT 31x10.50 R15's. The Tires are not totally bald yet but they are old and showing dry rot cracking. I Don't know exactly how old they are but they are were on there when I brought it home 8 years ago and they were not new then.

So What to do? In a perfect world, I would swap my stock steel wheels for the optional 16" versions that were optional ( but uncommon ) on 70's fords. I have kept my eyes out for them in the junkyard for a long time but have not found them yet. I would consider other wheels as long as they are steel and look like they could be stock. I passed on a set of 16" Jeep wheels from a Willy's era jeep recently because I was unsure of the backspacing and because they were originally tubed wheels. They did ,however, look cool. The 16's would be nice to open up some other tire size options but keeping the 15" stockers is defiantly not out of the question. Mine are currently rattled canned Black but I was thinking of Blasting them and going back to White or Argent Silver like they were when they were new.

So, Question 1 is: Do I keep the factory steel wheels or Track down some 16"s? If I go with 16's they will need to be had on a budget, I'm thinking a max cash outlay for steel 16's would be about $250

On to the next issue, what tire size? I would like to go bigger than stock but smaller ( At least narrower ) than what I have now. The Stub is uncut and has 1 inch of body lift. Currently the 31's clear but rub like hell on the radius arms. Under the hood is a straight 6 200 with a C4 behind it so we don't have a plethora of power to turn the tires and wheels. For that reason, I am considering going from a 31" tire down to a 30". I believe the factory tire was about a 28" tire.

Given all that, does anyone have any tire and / or wheel suggestions?

[casadejohnson]

If you have never seen it, This is the Bronco in question.


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[Justin]

The '73 I had in college fit 30's with no lift and no rubbing. That's the way I'd go, and I'd stick with the wheels you've got. They fit Stubby well. The new version of the BFG AT's have been well reviewed.

[akaFrankCastle]

The biggest question is, how soon could you acquire 16s? Frankly, I like the idea of the larger wheel. Not many people have them.

And now that I know you might want 16s, I'll keep my eyes open at the yard in COS.

[casadejohnson]

The '73 I had in college fit 30's with no lift and no rubbing. That's the way I'd go, and I'd stick with the wheels you've got. They fit Stubby well. The new version of the BFG AT's have been well reviewed.

I agree, the wheels look "right".That is why I like the idea of the optional 16" wheels. They are exactly the same except an inch bigger.


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[casadejohnson]

The biggest question is, how soon could you acquire 16s? Frankly, I like the idea of the larger wheel. Not many people have them.

And now that I know you might want 16s, I'll keep my eyes open at the yard in COS.

Please do keep your eye out for them. I used to look for them regularly but it had fallen down the "must have" list in the past few years. Looking at the steel dodge wheels that Phil used on his bronco got me thinking about it again. I have seen them one at a time but the last time I found a full set they were priced so high that it would be cheaper to buy a brand new set of smoothies in 16". I know they are out there. As for the time line, I would wait a year if I was confident that I could find them. The tires I have are certainly not great but they do have some tread left on them. 95% of my driving takes place below 45MPH so I'm not exactly risking a high speed blow out. In the worst case, I could rob the tires and wheels off of the boys 68 bronco to get me through.


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[Viperwolf1]

I have one Bronco 16" wheel you can have to get your set started.

[mickphatmac]

I sure do like Stubby!
30x9's on your current 15's, Wimbledon White, to match the top!

[casadejohnson]

I have one Bronco 16" wheel you can have to get your set started.

I'll take it! 3 to go!

[akaFrankCastle]

Don't forget a spare

No dice at the yard today. Was supposed to be a new 75 Econo there. They were wrong.

[casadejohnson]

Don't forget a spare

No dice at the yard today. Was supposed to be a new 75 Econo there. They were wrong.

Thanks for looking. I have my dad combing CL in N California and my brother checking in Portland.

[Stubborn3]

I have siped BFG KM2 and love them but if you want an all terrain, my wife is running the new BFG KO all terrains and from our experience so far they are amazing including on ice. Pretty sure both are offered in 30"

[mickphatmac]

Stubby...... "The Tractor "!!!!!!