1959 buick wagon tire size

[Guest rluke]

Can anyone tell me if 235/75 tires will fit under the 59 wagon without any rubbing on the front? Thanks for any info.

[Centurion]

rluke, I understand from other '59 owners that there is sometimes slight front tire rub with the 235/75's.

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Edited September 22, 2012 by Centurion (see edit history)

[NTX5467]

I'd be willing to bet that the load capacity of P225/75R-15 tires would be much more than the stock tires on that vehicle. If there are clearance issues with the P235s, then P225s would probably be just fine and possibly more correctly-sized (diameter) for the vehicle.

Enjoy Delta-Wing Land!

NTX5467

[Guest 4 bufords]

make sure your wheels have the correct backspace.my 62 invicta had non buick rims on the front,aarm rubber a groove into the tire.replaced them with tires/wheels from my 63 sabre and everthing is ok,4 bufords from ct

[dei]

My 1958 Buick Special convert has 215 75R-15's on standard rims (15x6") and there is NO RUB and handles great! Took care of the bias ply tire issues. Being a convert, heavier frame...... not sure what your '59 wagon weighs in at so maybe the 225's might work.

Might suggest, mounting the 235's (on the front), put chalk dust on the the inside sidewall, turn the wheel to the max both ways and see if there is white dust on the frame. Do this on the ground with the full weight of the car of course. A test drive with the chalk dust would be next but..... not sure you have the tires already or they would have to be purchased first and... put them on/own them issues.

Just my 2 cents.

Doug BCA # 35039

[Barney Eaton]

One Buick reference book shows 7.60 x 15 standard and Electras used 8.00 x 15 original size. Below is a conversion chart from The Tire Rack

Tire Size Conversion Chart

The chart shows 215/70 r 15 or 235/60 r 15 to be the replacement size for the 7.60 x 15 and 235/70 r 15 or 265/60 r 15 the replacement for the 8.00 x 15. This is just saying the tire size, load capacity is conpatable and does not attempt to tell you they will not rub. I suspect there is fairly good clearance since the big cars used the 8.00 tire.

I would go to the store where you plan on buying the tires and explain your concern, ask if they have a used tire in the size you want to try that they would mount on your spare. If they will do that, you can then mount that on the front and drive it around a parking lot, turning it to both right and left lock and then inspect the tire and frame for signs of rubbing. Once you are satisfied with a size, then go for the new set.

Once you determine what will clear, you can look at other size (aspect ratios) by going to www.powerdog.com and play with the numbers.

[old-tank]

Good info...but also be aware that the stock size and type tire will rub if there are worn steering components including but not limited to the idler arm.

[NTX5467]

To get an idea of the tire width issues, multiply 8.00 times 25.4mm/inch and see where it comes out. 8.50 equates to right at 215mm, which is probably where the P215/75R-15 tire would spec at. Going into the www.coopertire.com website, select "Passenger" for the vehicle type, then scroll down to "Trendsetter SE", then click on "Tire Specs". That'll bring up a chart of their multitude of tire sizes for cars we most probably own . . . including many sizes which other companies have dropped. The OTHER thing is their more-period-correct narrow tread width. Using a 6" rim width (which is important) the P215/75R-15 size tire has a width of 8.4" (mounted on the 6" rim) and the larger P225/75Rx15 size has a similar 8.7" width on a 6" wide rim. For what it's worth, both sizes are available in WHITEWALLs from the factory. Another KEY thing is the diameter of the tire, which is important not only for cosmetics but also for speedometer accuracy, so best-matching the OD of the tire is as important as whether or not it'll hit the undercarriage or the body, not ONLY in the front, but in the rear, too.

Otherwise, you might look around in the Coker Tire website for size specs and such . . . for repro tires so you might have a better idea of what's going on.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[bhclark]

235/75 tires rub on my '59, but not enough to be of any concern to me.

[Guest rluke]

Thanks for the replies. I cant try the tires on for size as I am in Australia and the car is in Colorado Springs. I have been there for the last two weeks and bought the car while I was there. I will try to get tires and a few other things put on before I ship it. Are there other wheels with a different offset that may work? Chev? I like the wider look but I am not that familiar with these cars. While I am here does anyone know if the windshield from a four door sedan will fit the wagon? Rob

[Centurion]

Yes, the 4-door sedan windshield is the same as the Estate Wagon windshield in 1959/1960.

[Barney Eaton]

For starters, there were several GM vehicles that used the 5 on 5 bolt pattern. All full size rear drive Cadillacs, Olds, Pontiac, Buick and Chevy used them from about '55 until rear drive vehicle production stopped. Also most 1/2 GM pick-up trucks used the same bolt pattern.

Off-set/rear spacing probably changed on different models, but I have no idea where you can find a list of that information.

If it would fit without interferrence, there were some p/u's that came with 15 x 8 wide steel wheels, many others were 7, but the majority were 6".