Lafayette 6 Cyl. Tires

Lafayette 6 Cyl. fitments in this year range use three sizes: 550-17 for 1934, 600-16 for 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, and one 1940 application, plus 6.25-16 as another 1940 listing. The 550-17 size fits a 17-inch rim. Both 600-16 and 6.25-16 fit 16-inch rims, with many 600-16 products intended for roughly 4.00 to 4.50 inch rim widths.

The key is to identify the exact year first, then confirm the wheel diameter actually on the car. A 1934 Lafayette 6 Cyl. should be checked especially carefully because it stands apart from the later 16-inch years, while a 1940 Lafayette 6 Cyl. needs an extra verification step because two different 16-inch sizes are listed.

On a Lafayette 6 Cyl., 600-16 is a numeric bias-ply size. The 6.00 portion is the nominal section width in inches, written without a decimal point, and the 16 identifies the wheel diameter in inches. In the available Lafayette 6 Cyl. offerings, 600-16 is a 16-inch fitment with many products built around 4.00 to 4.50 inch rim widths.

That size matters because it is the most widely used Lafayette 6 Cyl. fitment in the later years of this range and it carries the broadest selection of tread and sidewall styles. If your car is from 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, or some 1940 configurations, 600-16 is the first size to verify against the wheel on the car.

A 1940 Lafayette 6 Cyl. can appear with both 600-16 and 6.25-16, and both sizes use the same 16-inch rim diameter. Because there is no wheel diameter change within that single model year, the split points to a configuration difference rather than a move from one rim size to another. In practical terms, 1940 is the one year in this range where year alone does not fully identify the correct size.

The best next step is to confirm the exact wheel and existing tire size on the car, then compare that with original paperwork, an unrestored reference car, or a marque specialist if the car has been restored before. That extra check matters more on 1940 Lafayette 6 Cyl. cars than on the earlier single-size years.

Lafayette 6 Cyl. rim diameter changes across the years covered here. The 1934 Lafayette 6 Cyl. uses a 17-inch rim with 550-17, while 1935 through 1940 move to 16-inch rim fitments, including 600-16 and the alternate 6.25-16 listed for 1940. That makes 1935 the key transition year from the earlier 17-inch setup to the later 16-inch setup.

Rim diameter should be confirmed before anything else because a tire with the right-looking width will still be unusable if the wheel diameter is wrong. On a Lafayette 6 Cyl., that is especially important if wheels may have been swapped over the decades, since a 1934 car and a later car do not start from the same rim size.

A 1940 Lafayette 6 Cyl. is the only year here with two listed sizes, 600-16 and 6.25-16, so the correct choice cannot be made from year alone. Both fit 16-inch wheels, which means the difference is not simply a wheel diameter change. You need to identify which configuration your specific 1940 Lafayette 6 Cyl. carries before settling on one size or the other.

Start with the wheel diameter and the size of any existing tire, then compare those details with surviving factory literature, restoration records, or a knowledgeable marque source. If the car has replacement wheels or an older restoration, measure carefully before choosing, because the 1940 Lafayette 6 Cyl. requires more verification than the earlier single-size years.

Lafayette 6 Cyl. tires in these sizes are available in blackwall, wide whitewall, and double-whitewall styles. The 550-17 offerings include blackwall, wide whitewall, and double-whitewall versions, while 600-16 has the widest variety with multiple blackwall and whitewall treatments across several brands and series. That gives a restorer room to match the car's intended appearance without changing the underlying size.

For a more restrained period look, blackwall is often the conservative choice for a prewar car, while wide whitewall or double-whitewall can suit a more formal or fully restored presentation. The important step on a Lafayette 6 Cyl. is to choose sidewall style after the correct size and rim diameter have been confirmed, not before.

Lafayette 6 Cyl. tire offerings here come from BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, Avon, Firestone, Ford Script, Excelsior, Lester, Goodyear, STA, and Camac. Most of that variety appears in 600-16, which has by far the broadest product spread. The 550-17 selection is narrower and centers on BFGoodrich bias-ply offerings in several sidewall styles.

Brand choice should follow fitment, use, and appearance rather than name alone. On a Lafayette 6 Cyl., that means first narrowing the car to 1934, the 1935-1939 group, or the specific 1940 configuration, then deciding whether you want a passenger-style prewar look, a particular sidewall treatment, or one of the specialty 600-16 military-style tread patterns.

Lafayette 6 Cyl. offerings span several series, including Silvertown Classic Bias Ply, Coker Classic Bias Ply, Firestone Classic Bias Ply, Ford Script, Turbospeed Mk4, Tourist Crossply, Traction Mileage, Goodyear Military NDT, Deluxe All-Weather, Firestone Classic Military, Firestone Military NDT, Military NDT, NATO CJ110, and Firestone Classic Truck. Those series represent different visual styles and intended uses, from passenger-car bias-ply designs to military NDT and truck-oriented tread patterns. They are not all interchangeable in character even when the size matches.

For a typical restored Lafayette 6 Cyl. passenger car, the classic passenger bias-ply series will usually align more closely with period appearance than the military and truck patterns. The specialty 600-16 NDT and truck-style options are worth noting because they share the same size, but the intended use and visual effect are quite different from a traditional prewar passenger tire.

A Lafayette 6 Cyl. should be stored in a cool, dry, dark space with the tires protected from direct sunlight, ozone sources, and long periods of contact with moisture. Bias-ply tires also benefit from being kept at proper inflation so the casing holds its shape during storage. Clean floors, stable temperatures, and avoidance of petroleum contamination all help preserve the rubber.

If the Lafayette 6 Cyl. will sit for extended periods, move it occasionally or use methods that reduce flat-spotting and concentrated load on one patch of the tire. Collector cars that are driven lightly often age out their tires long before they wear out, so storage conditions matter almost as much as miles driven.

Tires on a Lafayette 6 Cyl. should be inspected before each drive and more thoroughly at regular intervals during the driving season. On a prewar car with bias-ply construction, that inspection should include inflation, sidewall cracking, tread separation signs, punctures, tube-related air loss, and the condition of the rim and valve hardware. The older the restoration, the more important frequent inspection becomes.

A practical routine is to do a quick walkaround every time the Lafayette 6 Cyl. leaves the garage and a more deliberate check after the car has been washed, serviced, or parked for a long period. Because collector cars may sit for weeks at a time, problems can develop slowly and then show up all at once on the next outing.

A Lafayette 6 Cyl. tire should be replaced when age, cracking, hardening, vibration, casing damage, repeated air loss, or any sign of structural deterioration appears, even if the tread still looks deep. Collector tires often spend far more time aging than wearing. On a prewar car with bias-ply construction, age-related decline deserves just as much attention as visible tread wear.

Replacement decisions should be conservative because a lightly driven Lafayette 6 Cyl. can still place real load on an old casing at road speed. If a tire has uncertain age history or has sat unused for many years, treat that as a reason for closer evaluation rather than as proof of preserved condition.

Lafayette 6 Cyl. fitment across these years centers on 550-17 for 1934, 600-16 for most 1935-1940 applications, and 6.25-16 as an alternate listing for 1940. The available products are bias-ply tires offered in several series and sidewall treatments, including blackwall, wide whitewall, and double-whitewall styles. That gives a useful period-correct range, but the exact tire style for a specific car can still vary by year and configuration.

For a restoration, the best approach is to begin with the correct size and wheel diameter for the exact Lafayette 6 Cyl. year, then compare sidewall style and tread character to factory literature, period photos, and marque-club references. Authenticity usually comes from the combination of size, stance, and visual style rather than from size alone.

Correct tire fitment can absolutely affect how a Lafayette 6 Cyl. is judged and how convincing the restoration looks. Judges and experienced collectors often notice whether the wheel diameter, section width, sidewall style, and overall stance suit the year and character of the car. A prewar automobile on the wrong diameter or visibly wrong profile can look incorrect even from a distance.

For that reason, a Lafayette 6 Cyl. restoration should treat tires as part of the car's visual and historical presentation, not as a generic maintenance item. Matching the year-specific size first and then selecting an era-appropriate sidewall style is usually the most effective way to support both authenticity and long-term value.

Lafayette 6 Cyl. tires are offered here in blackwall, wide whitewall, and double-whitewall form, all within bias-ply construction. Any of those may suit a prewar restoration depending on the look you are trying to recreate, the trim level, and the period presentation of the specific car. Blackwall generally gives the most restrained appearance, while wider white treatments create a more formal and visually prominent effect.

The best choice is the one that matches the year, body style, and restoration goal of your Lafayette 6 Cyl. rather than simply choosing the brightest option available. Period photography, marque references, and the surviving character of the car are the best guides once the correct tire size has already been established.

A properly selected and properly maintained tire can make a Lafayette 6 Cyl. suitable for careful public-road use within the limits of a prewar automobile. The available tires for these sizes are bias-ply designs, and bias-ply behavior is part of the driving character of cars from this era. Road safety depends on the condition of the entire car, not just the tire itself.

Before regular road use, make sure the Lafayette 6 Cyl. has sound wheels, correct inflation, good brakes, proper steering, and no age-related tire defects. A collector car should be driven in a way that respects its age, handling, and stopping distances, especially if it is running on authentic-style bias-ply tires rather than modern radials.

Before driving a Lafayette 6 Cyl., check tire inflation, visible sidewall condition, valve stems, wheel fasteners, and any signs of air loss or tread irregularity. On this model, also confirm that the tire size matches the wheel diameter actually on the car, especially if the car is a 1934 model or a 1940 model with the year-end size split. A short inspection can prevent a very avoidable roadside problem.

The pre-drive check should extend beyond the tires to steering response, brake feel, and general chassis readiness. A Lafayette 6 Cyl. that has been parked for a long period deserves an especially cautious first outing, with extra attention paid to how the tires roll, track, and settle once the car is moving.

A Lafayette 6 Cyl. on period-style bias-ply tires should be driven at moderate speeds that respect the design of both the car and the tire. Even with new production tires, the steering feel, braking, and road manners of a prewar car are different from a modern vehicle. Safe speed is shaped as much by chassis condition and road environment as by the number on the speedometer.

The practical approach is to let the Lafayette 6 Cyl. settle into the speed range where it feels stable, predictable, and mechanically comfortable rather than trying to keep up with modern traffic at all costs. Smooth inputs, longer following distances, and conservative cruising are part of using a prewar car well.