On my '38 SS saloon, 2 of my tires are this weird size.
Goodyear, All Weather, Made in England.
I think they are just covering two bases.
Peter
In them there days Tire s were made in a ot ofsizes. And so cars like the SS100 were listed as 525x18" aswere I think 1 1/2 litre SS/ Mk IVs.[ And SS 2s. The heavier models were 550 x 18"
Obviously ther eis not a big enough market tomake all these variations ad we must be grateful for getting tyres at all.
Makers have amalgamated sizes so that 525 and 550 are just one size. AS a saloon owner you ight be careful that you get a real 50 which will also suit 525, not a real 525 that they hope wil fit a 550. So look at tread width . At one stage i bought, I can’t remembrthe brand but with passengers in the back seat, the mK IV wandered a lot.
BUt as tyres have a ] Legally ] limited life span, they should be about the last thing one buys, right after polishing the mascot
The wheel shown appears to be a post war Mk IV wheel not an SS.
Greetings All,
Being that the 2 Engelbert tires and the other two brands were showing tubes when inflated, I had to improvise. My car is far being completed but needs to have something mounted on those rims to get pushed around.
Because of that 5 year “use before” date code, I’m too cheap to buy a set new just to throw away.
However…
There are motorcycle tires that will fit. They are the correct size and have a trials block pattern tread.
These ARE NOT FOR DRIVING!!! Just for moving around the shop.
The guy behind the parts counter was quick to point out not only that fact to me but, that I needed to use tubes that would support the car’s weight?
Had a good laugh, the tubes work just fine, as do the tires…for pushing around the shop.
I sent this question to Coker TIres, Lucas Classic Tires and Universal Vintage Tire.
“What is the meaning of the size 5.25/5.50 in an 18” rim diameter tire? Which way is 5.25 and which way is 5.50?"
Here are the responses I received:
From Coker:
“5.25/5.50 is an old designation meant to establish that a tire is between 5.25” and 5.50" wide. For specific dimensional details, be sure to see our specification tab found on each listing."
From Lucas:
“It means the tire replaces a tire that has a 5.25” section width or a 5.50" section width."
No response from Universal.
Such is the wisdom of the internet.
