Help on 30x3-1/2 tire info

[Simon Anderson]

Hello All,

I have been doing a bit of research into the narrowest/thinnest 30x3-1/2 tires.

I have looked up the various websites and come up with a list, but we all know what is listed isn’t always what the actual size is. 
Some brands don’t list the over all width just the tread width.

I have spoken to a tire company and they just said “look on the net”

So far on paper Wards has the narrowest tread at 2.38” with the Firestone at 2.50”, 

I would be interested to know if anyone has the Universal Ribbed tire, on it’s actually size, tread width, overall all width and overall size.

 

Thanks

Simon

[Bloo]

They are all, as far as I know, 31x4. The brands probably do vary, but the "30x3-1/2 Oversize" marking on a Wards Riverside is no accident. As I understand it, during World War 1, in the US tires were standardized by the govenrment, and the 30x3-1/2 was affected in a strange way. Tires marked 31x4 were straight sided and tires marked 30x3-1/2 were clinchers, but both were 31x4 in size. So, the 30x3-1/2 disappeared and the 31x4 clincher became the new 30x3-1/2. The 31x4 straight sided tire remained the same. After the war they never went back.

 

I found this thread: https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=9805  that agrees the Wards is the smallest. I have Wards Riversides on my 1913 Studebaker, and they don't look small to me. They are great looking tires, but are more like what you would have seen T's running around on in the 50s and 60s I suspect. No question they are oversize.

 

From the web: A Model T with Wards Riversides and a period photo. To be sure you are comparing apples to apples in photos, make sure you are looking at demountable rims. US market T's without demountable rims had a different size tire on front, and that was pretty much all of the early ones. Good luck with your search.

 

 

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Edited March 8, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Simon Anderson]

Thank you Bloo for you reply.

those links and details are very helpful. 
I note that 760x90 is a very similar size tyre, so 28x2-1/2 also fits a 23” rim..

The project I am working on had as standard 28x3 (22”rim) or option up to 30x3 (24”rim), I have good 30x3-1/2 wheels (23”rim) and here in Australia you pay very good money to have have new wheels made, around 4K for a set of 4.... so instead of spending a lot of money on wheels, that’s why I’m searching for the narrowest tyre, otherwise it’s going to look like It has big fatty tyres on compared to the standard 3” wide tyres.

[Larry Schramm]

FYI, my '12 Model T has 30x3 on the front, 24 inch rims and the rear has 30x3-1/2, 23 inch rims.  The wheels/tires are not demountable.  All of the tires are clinchers. 

 

As a side note, my Model F Buick has clinchers and if my memory is correct are 30x3-1/2.

Edited March 28, 2021 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)