Radial Tires on Narrow Rims

My 1955 R-112 came with 6.50x16 bias ply tires. I would like to install radials to improve driveablity.

it appears that 215/85-16 radials have roughly the same diameter and section size so they should fit pretty well and there are lots of options that are much less expensive than Coker. BUT

when you check the specifications for any of these tires they show a minimum rim size of 5.5 inches. The 16" rims on my truck are 4.5 inches across. When I talked to a couple of on line tire shops (Tires Easy and Tire Rack) they both said you could not run a tire that specs a 5.5 rim on a 4.5 rim - but it sounds like a lot of guys are doing it if they are putting these modern radials on original rims.

Has anyone else bumped into this issue ? If so how did you work around it ?

Thanks

My friend has your truck. He bought a set of Ford Crown Victoria police steal 16 inch wheels. Same bolt pattern Get the Cop hubcaps for that just right look.
The original wheels are old enough to be stressed and weakened.

Thanks - that sounds like an approach that would work - but I like the triple diamond hubcaps and would like to keep them

Does anyone know if there any modern 16" wheels that would accept the IHC hubcaps ?

I don't know if the IH caps will not fit the CV wheels. I have machined IH to fit Ram 2500 caps.
Maybe you can have a machine shop put IH centers in other wheels.
Stockton Wheels can make new wheels.
One of the safety concerns is the old wheels may not have the safety beads. A too wide tire may dismount in a turn.
You may be looking for a wheel that never existed.

Tires list an "approved rim" width, you can generally go one size narrower or wider without to much problem.
Beyond those spec's the sidewall of the tire will not be over the edge of the tread, either too far in or out( depending on if the rim is too wide or too narrow), which will cause the tire to roll the sidewall in on a turn. Could cause unstable steering.

Thanks - that sounds like an approach that would work - but I like the triple diamond hubcaps and would like to keep them

Does anyone know if there any modern 16" wheels that would accept the IHC hubcaps ?

Looks like Wheel Vintiques sells several styles that SHOULD accept the Triple Diamond hubcaps...18-series and 19-series "artillery" wheels, and 15-series and 16-series "Gennies" seem to have the right "bumps" for our hubcaps. https://www.wheelvintiques.com/wheels.html

Summit Racing sells Wheel Vintiques products. Not pushing this particular seller, but a lot of folks buy from them. I would guess Jeg's might also carry that line.

I found true 750/16 radials for my truck, metric ones all kind of bulge out sidewall, mine look just like a bias tire but are radial,

can you tell me the brand of these metric radials and / or where you found them ?

Fair to assume they are approved for installation on a 4.5" rim ?

sent you an email,

The 14-64212234 wheels from summit do work with the triple diamond hub caps. Here is an original 16 wheel off my 52 and a new wheel vintiques wheel. I was going to use 225/75r16. Seemed pretty close to original in size. No idea If that tire size will work.