1935 Studebaker Tire Fitment Guide

1935 Studebaker vehicles use four different tire sizes: 6.25-16, 650-16, 700-16, and 600-16. The 2 A uses 6.25-16 and 650-16, the Commander uses 650-16 and 700-16, the Dictator uses 600-16, and the President uses 700-16. Every listed size mounts on a 16-inch rim, but the supported rim-width ranges are not the same where that information is available. 600-16 is paired with 4.00- to 4.50-inch rims, 650-16 with 4.50- to 5.00-inch rims, and 700-16 with 4.50- to 5.50-inch rims on listed examples.

That means the first job is identifying the exact 1935 Studebaker model before comparing whitewall style, brand, or tread character. Shared year and make do not guarantee a shared tire size in this lineup, even though all four sizes are built around the same 16-inch wheel diameter. If your car has already been restored or modified, compare the tire size now on the car and the actual wheel width before making a final choice, especially on 2 A and Commander models where more than one size appears.

On a 1935 Studebaker, 650-16 is a traditional numeric bias-ply tire size. The 6.50 figure refers to the nominal section width in inches, and the 16 refers to the wheel diameter in inches. Unlike later metric radial sizing, there is no separate aspect-ratio figure written into the size. In the 1935 Studebaker range, 650-16 is used on the 2 A and Commander and remains part of the prewar sizing system collectors expect to see on many mid-1930s American cars.

Reading the size correctly helps you avoid confusing width with wheel diameter or assuming it behaves like a later radial code. For a buyer, 650-16 is less about decoding modern performance categories and more about matching the proper prewar fitment family for the right model. Once that is established, the next meaningful choice is between blackwall and wide whitewall styling and then among the available brands built in that same numeric bias-ply format.

No, 1935 Studebaker models do not all use the same tire size. The Dictator is tied to 600-16, the President to 700-16, the 2 A to 6.25-16 and 650-16, and the Commander to 650-16 and 700-16. Even where sizes overlap, they do so only between certain models rather than across the full Studebaker lineup. All of them use 16-inch rims, but width and overall tire proportions differ from one size family to another.

That model variation matters because a whitewall you like for a President may not belong on a Dictator simply because both are 1935 Studebakers. It also means that owner memory alone can lead to mistakes on cars that changed hands decades ago or were fitted with substitute tires during older restorations. If your car is a Commander or 2 A, take an extra moment to verify which of the two applicable sizes matches the wheel and the way you want the car to present.

1935 Studebaker tire choices include both blackwall and wide whitewall sidewall styles in the sizes with active product coverage here. 600-16 is offered in blackwall and wide whitewall versions, 650-16 is also available in both, and 700-16 includes blackwall and wide whitewall offerings as well. Those options let owners tune the finished look of a prewar Studebaker without changing the underlying size family. On 1930s American cars, blackwalls often suit a more understated presentation, while wide whitewalls emphasize period luxury and show-car visual impact.

The right choice usually comes down to how you want your 1935 Studebaker to read at a glance and how closely you are following a specific restoration style. A President or well-trimmed Commander often looks at home on a generous whitewall, while a plainer touring look can point toward blackwalls. If you plan to show the car, check event or club expectations before finalizing sidewall treatment, because judges and marque enthusiasts often notice sidewall style just as quickly as they notice the tire size itself.

Several brands cover the 1935 Studebaker range. In 650-16, available brands include BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, Firestone, and Garfield. In 700-16, the listed brands are Lester, Avon, BFGoodrich, and Firestone. In 600-16, available brands include BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, Avon, and Firestone. All of these offerings stay within the prewar bias-ply world appropriate to the sizes used across this Studebaker lineup.

Brand choice on a 1935 Studebaker usually comes after you settle the correct model and size, since no single brand covers every decision by itself. Some owners choose by period look, some by preferred tread or sidewall appearance, and others by whether they want a more traditional American restoration feel or a specialty touring option. Keeping the size correct first prevents the brand decision from pulling you into a tire that belongs to a different Studebaker model in the same year.

For 1935 Studebaker fitments where both appear, BFGoodrich and Firestone often differ most visibly in sidewall presentation and secondarily in listed weight and load figures. In 650-16, BFGoodrich is offered as a 3.75-inch whitewall with a listed 1580-pound load at 32 psi and 24-pound weight, while Firestone appears as a blackwall with the same 1580-pound load at 32 psi and a 23-pound weight. In 700-16, BFGoodrich appears as a blackwall rated 1900 pounds at 36 psi with a 26-pound weight, while Firestone appears as a 4.00-inch whitewall rated 1800 pounds at 36 psi with a 29-pound weight.

That means the choice is not simply one brand versus another across the board for a 1935 Studebaker. The exact size and the sidewall style you want can matter just as much as the name on the tire. If you are comparing two candidates in the same size, look at sidewall treatment first, then rim-width compatibility and the published load-and-pressure pairing, especially if your car is a larger Commander or President using the 700-16 size family.

Available 1935 Studebaker tire products show different rim-width ranges depending on size. 600-16 is paired with 4.00- to 4.50-inch rims on listed examples, 650-16 with 4.50- to 5.00-inch rims, and 700-16 with 4.50- to 5.50-inch rims. All of those sizes use a 16-inch rim diameter, but width support broadens as the tire size steps up. Those ranges are important because a tire can share the same wheel diameter yet still want a different wheel width for proper shape and support.

On a 1935 Studebaker, rim width becomes especially important when the model can use more than one size family, as with the 2 A and Commander. Measuring the wheel before choosing a tire is a smart step on older cars because wheels are often swapped during long ownership histories or earlier restorations. Matching the tire to the actual wheel width helps preserve correct profile, keeps the sidewall from being pulled in or spread out incorrectly, and makes the car look more settled and authentic.

Original 1935 Studebaker wheels can only be shared across all listed tire sizes in one sense: every size here is built for a 16-inch rim diameter. That means 6.25-16, 600-16, 650-16, and 700-16 all belong to the same basic wheel-diameter family. What does not automatically carry over is wheel width, because the listed supported rim-width ranges differ by size where published. A 700-16 may ask more of the wheel than a 600-16, even though both mount to a 16-inch rim.

For that reason, an owner should treat diameter compatibility as only the first checkpoint. If your 1935 Studebaker has its original wheels, verify the wheel width before assuming every 16-inch tire in the model-year range is interchangeable. That is particularly relevant for cars restored over many decades, where a spare wheel, replacement wheel, or an entire set may have come from another Studebaker model. Correct width helps keep steering feel, stance, and sidewall profile closer to what the car was meant to carry.

A 1935 Studebaker should be stored in a cool, dry, dark space with the tires protected from direct sunlight, electric motors, battery chargers, welders, and other ozone sources that age rubber. Because these are bias-ply applications, they are more prone to taking temporary flat spots during long periods of sitting than later radial designs. Clean floors, moderate temperature, and steady inflation pressure all help the tire keep its shape and the sidewalls age more evenly over time.

Owners who store a 1935 Studebaker for months at a time should either move the car periodically or use appropriately placed stands to reduce long static loading. If the car remains on its tires, a small roll forward or backward every few weeks can help change the contact patch. Before the first drive after storage, inspect the sidewalls closely and expect a brief flat-spot feel until the tires warm and round out again, which is typical behavior for collector-car bias-ply tires.

Tires on a 1935 Studebaker usually age out before they wear out, because most surviving cars are driven seasonally and relatively lightly. A practical collector-car rule is to begin evaluating tires closely once they reach the five- to seven-year range and to treat about ten years as a strong point for replacement consideration regardless of remaining tread depth. The DOT date code on the tire helps establish age, and visible cracking, hardening, or repeated air-loss issues can shorten that timeline.

Mileage alone rarely tells the whole story on a 1935 Studebaker because the car's use pattern is so different from a modern daily driver. A tire that still looks deep in tread can still be overdue if the rubber has become stiff or the sidewall has begun to check. If your Studebaker sees occasional touring, replacement decisions should lean more on age, condition, and confidence at speed than on how many miles you believe have been put on the tires.

Tires on a 1935 Studebaker should be inspected before every drive and again before any longer outing. Check sidewalls for cracks, weathering, bulges, or cuts; look for uneven tread wear; and confirm that each tire is holding pressure consistently. Since these are prewar bias-ply fitments and some products in the range carry published load-and-pressure pairings, keeping pressures stable is part of preserving both tire life and road manners on an older chassis.

A quick walk-around matters more on a 1935 Studebaker than on a modern car because age, storage habits, and low annual mileage can hide problems until the car is finally driven. Include the spare in the inspection, and pay attention to valve stems and bead areas as well as the tread itself. If the car has sat for an extended period, add a closer hands-on inspection before heading out, especially if the drive will include sustained road speed or rougher secondary roads.

A 1935 Studebaker Dictator belongs to the prewar era when bias-ply construction was the standard tire type, and the Dictator's listed size in this range is 600-16. That makes a 600-16 bias-ply tire the right starting point for anyone restoring a Dictator within its proper period sizing. Sidewall treatment could vary by market, trim, and owner preference in the period, so blackwall versus wide whitewall should be matched to the particular car's presentation and any surviving historical evidence.

For an owner pursuing a historically faithful restoration, size and construction come first, with sidewall style following close behind. If you are trying to confirm exactly how your 1935 Studebaker Dictator left the selling dealer, period photos, marque references, and Studebaker club resources are the best next step. Those sources can help settle whether your specific car should wear a more restrained blackwall look or a more formal whitewall presentation while staying within the correct 600-16 family.

Correct tire fitment matters on a 1935 Studebaker because show judging on prewar cars often notices size, construction type, and sidewall style almost immediately. A Dictator wearing a larger President-size tire, or a car presented with a sidewall treatment that clashes with its restoration theme, can look wrong even to casual enthusiasts. Since 1935 Studebaker models do not all share the same size, simply fitting any 16-inch tire from the year range is not enough for a strong authenticity presentation.

Showing the car well means matching the tire to the model first and then refining the look with the correct visual treatment for the era and the level of formality you want the car to project. Owners entering judged events should also remember that club and event standards can be stricter than general enthusiast expectations. If originality matters, consult the judging guidelines for that venue and compare your tire choice to period photos of the same 1935 Studebaker model rather than the broader make alone.

On 1935 Studebaker fitments where both are available, BFGoodrich and Coker Classic can differ in sidewall style, published load information, and listed weight. In 650-16, BFGoodrich appears as a 3.75-inch whitewall with a listed 1580-pound load at 32 psi and a 24-pound weight, while Coker Classic appears as a blackwall at 25 pounds. In 600-16, BFGoodrich appears as a 3.50-inch whitewall rated 1400 pounds at 32 psi and 21 pounds, while Coker Classic appears as a blackwall with the same 1400-pound rating at 32 psi and a 20-pound weight.

For a restoration-minded 1935 Studebaker owner, those differences matter because the tire helps set the entire visual tone of the car. A wide whitewall immediately changes the car's presence compared with a blackwall, even when the size is otherwise correct. If you are judging the choice through an authenticity lens, compare the car's intended finish level and period appearance before focusing on small weight differences, since sidewall style is usually the most visible distinction once the correct size family is established.

1935 Studebaker tires can be suitable for highway use when they are the correct size, in sound condition, and operated within their published limits. Speed ratings vary by product where shown: the 600-16 Avon Turbospeed carries an H rating, which corresponds to 130 mph, while the 700-16 Avon Traction Mileage carries an L rating, which corresponds to 75 mph. Many other listed prewar bias-ply products are presented without a stated speed letter here, so the tire should always be treated according to the specific model's marking and the car's intended use.

In real-world driving, a 1935 Studebaker is usually limited more by its age, brakes, steering feel, suspension, and overall mechanical condition than by the headline speed capability of a reproduction tire. Highway confidence comes from using the proper size, maintaining inflation, and keeping expectations appropriate to a mid-1930s car. If longer road trips are planned, inspect the tires carefully and choose the exact product with an eye toward the driving style you actually intend rather than the most ambitious theoretical limit.

Inflation pressure on a 1935 Studebaker should follow the pressure guidance appropriate to the specific tire and also be checked against period vehicle recommendations for the model. Published examples in this range include 600-16 tires rated at 1400 pounds at 32 psi, 650-16 tires rated at 1580 pounds at 32 psi, and 700-16 tires rated at 1800 pounds at 36 psi or 1900 pounds at 36 psi depending on product. Those figures describe the tire's rated load-and-pressure pairing and should not be transferred from one size to another.

The practical approach is to start with the factory guidance for your exact 1935 Studebaker model and then confirm that it aligns sensibly with the tire maker's published limits for the product you chose. A Dictator on 600-16 should not be inflated by copying a 700-16 President figure, and the reverse is also true. Use a reliable gauge, check pressure when the tires are cold, and recheck after long storage because collector cars often lose pressure slowly while parked.

Before a longer drive in a 1935 Studebaker, inspect each tire for sidewall cracking, tread separation signs, cuts, bulges, and uneven wear, then confirm cold pressures with an accurate gauge. Check that the spare is usable, not just present, and make sure the valve stems are sound. Since these cars use prewar bias-ply sizes and may have sat for stretches between outings, a tire that looked fine in the garage deserves a second look before sustained road time.

Tire condition is only one part of the preparation, but it is one of the easiest checks to perform and one of the most important for confidence on the road. A 1935 Studebaker heading out for a tour should also have its broader mechanical systems reviewed, including brakes and steering, because the tire can only do its job if the rest of the car is equally ready. Starting with a careful tire inspection helps set the tone for a safer, less stressful day behind the wheel.