I just took of the 215 x 75R x 14" tires and put on 215 x 70R x15" on 15 x 6" wheels on my 57 Ford.  The back wheels and tires were really tough to get on, but once on, there is plenty of clearance.  FYI, the tires I put on are BFG Radial TA Touring Pro's and are T speed rated with a narrow WSW.  This tire is only sold at Sam's Club I believe.  The car rides and drives much better, the steering response is vastly improved too...I have power steering.   I would be interested to hear if there is some little trick to get the rear tires on and off.  I have been considering adding a leaf to my rear springs to firm up handling and raise the rear a little bit.  I don't like reversing the shackles, although I think Karol Millers 56 Fairlane had them reversed.  I am concerned that if the springs were stiffer, it would not let the springs drop down as much, making tire changing even more difficult.  I think the new wheels and small hub caps give the car a high performance look, but probably looks better with 14" wheels and Turbine wheel covers, with or without fender skirts.  Any tips appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul J. - '57 E Code

Hi Paul,Several of us with 56's found the same problem in that there was insufficient clearance between axle and wheelwell to gets wheels on easily.When I had the shock off to replace the exhaust the axle dropped another 4-5 inches.Upon further investigation we decided that some of the aftermarket replacement shocks were actually shorter than they should be.Adding a shock extender stud will fix the problem we found.Try removing a shock and see if the axle drops further.Regards Mark 

  

Paul, I know what you mean. I removed the 14" stockers & put in 225 70r 15's all around. Fills out the wheel wells much better than the stock size, but gone are the days of jacking up the whole rear and removing both tires at once. It's a real tight squeeze getting them on and off, but once they're on, there's plenty of clearance. I flipped the shackles recently, but haven't tried actually removing a tire yet. I've got a feeling it'll be interesting.

I agree with Mark. I have a 8" rear in my '55 wagon and I used to remove the nut from the bottom of the shock before jacking up the car so the axle would drop down so I could remove the wheel. Then I installed shock extenders and have no more problems.



FYI the shocks are KYB Gas-A-Just.





Johnson Rod



Southern California

Paul, Johnson Rod  makes a good point, buy a set of shocks that extends a little longer and your problem will be solved. Been there done that.

-Gary Burnette-

the shock extender are a good idea.i always have to let the air out of the rear tires to remove them.is any one aware of a longer shock?

If you have a 55-56 the shocks for rear are Gabriel Ultra G63398.These are actually listed for Ford pickup.A good matching set for front are Gabriel 82026.These numbers came from Chuck Gardiner who spent some time trying a few shocks to get a set that fit and worked well.If you want to see his 56 go to www.chuckgardiner.com/1956ford.htm  Regards,Mark

  

 mark ,thanks for the info on the shocks and chuck gardiner web sight.alot of great info there,jim

Oldcarmark.

I just put a set of the Ultra shocks on the rear of my 3" lowered 56. Now I can change tires without messing with the shocks or springs! They are perfect and a much heavier duty shock. Thanks for the tip. Chuck in NH

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

   My '57 has the same clearance issues with the rear tires,I installed Gabriel air shocks with 3" shock extenders and run 35/40 psi in them. But put it on jack stands,100 lbs of air in shocks and out they roll,lifts the top of the fender well 3" above top edge of rim! KID