1940 Studebaker Tire Fitment Guide

1940 Studebaker vehicles use three different tire sizes depending on model. The Champion uses 550-16, the Commander uses 6.25-16, and the President uses 650-16. All three are bias-ply sizes and all three mount on 16-inch wheels. Where wheel-width guidance is available, 550-16 fits 3.25- to 4.00-inch rims and 650-16 fits 4.50- to 5.00-inch rims.

That means a 1940 Studebaker owner should identify the model before doing anything else. A 16-inch rim alone does not make the three sizes interchangeable, because section width and intended application change across the line. If your car has been modified over the years, compare the actual wheel and the size already on the car with the model it is supposed to be, then confirm the tire's approved rim-width range before choosing a replacement.

On a 1940 Studebaker, 550-16 is a numeric bias-ply tire size. The 5.50 figure refers to the nominal section width in inches, while 16 is the wheel diameter in inches. In the 1940 Studebaker lineup, that size belongs to the Champion rather than to the larger Commander or President.

Understanding that code helps keep an owner from treating it like a modern metric size. It is an older American sizing convention tied to a prewar bias-ply tire, so the right comparison is with other period numeric sizes, not with a modern P-metric radial. If you are restoring a Champion, the next choice after confirming 550-16 is usually sidewall presentation, such as blackwall versus wide whitewall, rather than moving to a different factory size.

No, 1940 Studebaker models do not all use the same tire size. The Champion uses 550-16, the Commander uses 6.25-16, and the President uses 650-16. Studebaker kept a common 16-inch wheel diameter across the lineup, but each model line stepped up in tire size according to its place in the range.

That matters because many buyers begin with only the year and make, especially when working from an inherited car or a long-stored project. On a 1940 Studebaker, that is not enough to make a tire choice confidently. Find the model identification first, then compare the wheel on the car with the correct model size. That approach avoids ordering a tire that may fit the wheel diameter but look or sit incorrectly for the car's original model position.

1940 Studebaker tires are available in both blackwall and wide whitewall styles within the listed 550-16 and 650-16 offerings. The 550-16 choices include blackwall and wide whitewall versions from several brands, and the 650-16 choices do the same. That gives owners flexibility to match a simpler driver presentation or a more formal prewar look.

For many restorations, sidewall appearance is nearly as important as size because it changes the whole character of the car. A blackwall can suit a restrained, workmanlike presentation, while a wide whitewall usually delivers the fuller period visual statement many collectors expect from a late-1930s or 1940 American car. Before settling on sidewall style, compare the tire to the trim level, body style, and the way you want the finished 1940 Studebaker to present at shows or on the road.

Several brands cover 1940 Studebaker applications. In 550-16, the listed brands are Excelsior, Avon, BFGoodrich, and Firestone. In 650-16, the listed brands are BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, Firestone, and Garfield. All of those listed products are bias-ply tires, which is appropriate to the period of the car.

Brand choice on a 1940 Studebaker usually comes down to the look you want, the sidewall style you prefer, and the specific model size you need. A buyer comparing brands should also look at approved rim-width range where stated, as well as load information when it is given. That creates a more useful comparison than choosing by brand name alone, especially on a collector car where visual authenticity and proper fit both matter.

For 1940 Studebaker Champion fitment in 550-16, the listed BFGoodrich tire is a wide whitewall and the listed Firestone tire is also a wide whitewall. The Firestone entry includes an 840-pound load rating at 32 psi and a 3.25- to 4.00-inch approved rim-width range, while the BFGoodrich entry is listed without those figures. The Firestone is also shown at 19 pounds, compared with 16 pounds for the BFGoodrich listing.

That means the practical comparison is less about basic fitment and more about how much specification detail you want to work from when narrowing the choice. Either way, both are period-style bias-ply options for the Champion-size application. If your wheel has to be checked for width before purchase, the product with a stated rim-width range can make that confirmation easier and may help when you are matching a tire to an existing original or reproduction wheel.

Rim-width guidance is available for some 1940 Studebaker tires. In 550-16, listed products show an approved rim-width range of 3.25 to 4.00 inches. In 650-16, listed products show an approved rim-width range of 4.50 to 5.00 inches. All of the year's sizes use 16-inch wheel diameter, but width still matters to how the tire mounts and presents.

A buyer should treat wheel diameter and wheel width as two separate checks. It is possible for a tire to match the rim diameter yet still be wrong for the wheel's width or for the model's intended stance. On an unrestored 1940 Studebaker, measure the wheel you actually have rather than assuming it is original. That is especially useful on cars that have traded hands, sat for decades, or received replacement wheels at some point in their history.

The listed 1940 Studebaker products are not marked with tube-type or tubeless designations in the size field, so the safe approach is to confirm the specific tire's sidewall marking and match it to the wheel being used. Since these are prewar-style bias-ply applications on 16-inch wheels, tube use is a setup item worth checking closely rather than assuming one way or the other.

That check matters most when original wheels are still on the car, because wheel condition and wheel design influence how the tire should be assembled. Before mounting, inspect the wheel for rust, pitting, and bead-seat condition, and verify valve-stem compatibility as part of the installation plan. If the car is headed for show use, touring, or infrequent seasonal driving, getting the tube question right at the outset can prevent dismounting and redoing the assembly later.

All 1940 Studebaker tire sizes for Champion, Commander, and President mount on 16-inch wheels, so the rim diameter is shared across the range. That does not mean every original 1940 Studebaker wheel is automatically suitable for every size, because the smaller 550-16 and larger 650-16 have different approved width ranges where stated.

Owners should think of the common 16-inch diameter as only the first layer of compatibility. The next step is confirming the wheel width and matching it to the correct model-specific tire size. That is especially important if a car has mixed parts from different Studebaker models or years. A Champion wheel and a President wheel may both be 16-inch wheels, but the tire that belongs on each should still be chosen with the proper model and wheel width in mind.

A stored 1940 Studebaker should be kept away from direct sunlight, electric motors, welders, furnaces, and other ozone sources that accelerate sidewall aging. Clean, dry flooring and stable temperatures help preserve the tire casing, and correct inflation matters even when the car is parked. Because 1940 Studebaker fitments are bias-ply, they are more prone to temporary flat-spotting during long static storage than a modern radial would be.

For seasonal or long-term storage, roll the car periodically if practical or support it in a way that reduces constant load on one contact patch. Do not leave a 1940 Studebaker resting for months on underinflated tires. When the car comes out of storage, inspect the sidewalls and tread before driving, then allow the tires to warm up gradually on the road. A careful storage routine helps maintain both ride quality and the visual condition that matters on a collector car.

Tire life on a 1940 Studebaker is usually judged more by age than by mileage. Collector cars often accumulate very few miles, so a tire can look presentable while still aging internally. A sensible rule is to evaluate tires closely once they reach the five- to seven-year range and to give serious replacement consideration by around ten years, using the DOT date code and overall condition as guides.

That timeline is especially relevant for prewar cars that spend more time parked than driven. A 1940 Studebaker used only for local shows may wear very little tread, but age cracking, hardening, and reduced pliability can still make the tires poor candidates for continued road use. Keep a record of installation dates, inspect the spare as well as the road tires, and replace aged tires before a touring season rather than after problems begin to appear.

Tires on a 1940 Studebaker should be inspected before every drive, with a more deliberate check before any longer outing. Look for sidewall cracking, cuts, bulges, embedded debris, unusual wear, and loss of inflation pressure. On a collector car of this age, the tire check should also include valve stems and the condition of the spare, since older support components can fail even when the tread looks serviceable.

Regular inspection is one of the simplest ways to avoid roadside trouble in a prewar car. A 1940 Studebaker often spends stretches parked between drives, and that pattern can hide slow leaks or aging that would be obvious on a daily driver. Make the tire inspection part of a broader pre-drive ritual that includes wheel fasteners, brakes, and steering feel. Catching a problem in the garage is far preferable to discovering it once the car is already underway.

A 1940 Studebaker Champion would have been fitted with bias-ply tires as original-era construction, and the Champion's listed size for the model line is 550-16. That matches what a knowledgeable restorer expects for an American passenger car at the start of the 1940 model year. Original-equipment branding could vary by market and supply, so the key authenticity markers are the correct size, bias-ply construction, and an era-appropriate sidewall presentation.

For restoration work, that means the Champion owner should begin with 550-16 and then decide whether blackwall or wide whitewall best suits the car's intended finish. If the build is aimed at formal judging, verify event and marque standards before choosing the final sidewall treatment. Studebaker clubs and model-specific experts are often the best sources for body-style and market nuances, but the foundation remains the same: proper Champion size and proper period construction.

Correct tire fitment matters a great deal when a 1940 Studebaker is judged for authenticity. Size, construction type, and sidewall style all affect how accurately the car presents. A Champion shown on a President-size tire, or a car fitted with a sidewall treatment that does not suit the restoration's historical goal, can stand out immediately even to casual observers.

Judging standards differ between clubs and event types, so owners should align the tire choice with the level of authenticity expected. Some events reward a broadly correct period look, while others scrutinize details more closely. If your 1940 Studebaker is being prepared for concours-style presentation, treat the tire as a visible restoration component rather than a generic replacement part. Correct scale, construction, and sidewall appearance can make the finished car look settled and properly proportioned.

For the 1940 Studebaker President size of 650-16, both BFGoodrich and Firestone are listed as bias-ply offerings with a 1580-pound load rating at 32 psi. Each is shown for 16-inch rims with an approved width range of 4.50 to 5.00 inches. The listed BFGoodrich version is a wide whitewall at 24 pounds, while the listed Firestone version is a blackwall at 23 pounds.

That makes the most visible difference one of presentation rather than basic dimensional fit. A wide whitewall BFGoodrich will suit an owner trying to emphasize a more formal prewar visual style, while the blackwall Firestone gives a plainer appearance with the same listed load and rim-width guidance. For a judged restoration, the right choice depends on how the specific 1940 Studebaker President is being finished and what sidewall treatment best matches its intended period character.

1940 Studebaker tires can be suitable for normal road use when they are the correct size, in sound condition, properly mounted, and inflated appropriately for the application. The listed tires for this year and make are bias-ply designs, which are true to the period and entirely different in feel from a modern radial. On a prewar Studebaker, the car's braking, suspension, steering, and age-related mechanical condition are often just as important to highway confidence as the tire itself.

Owners should approach highway use with realistic expectations for a 1940 automobile. Bias-ply tires can follow road crown and ruts more than modern radials, and a long-stored car may need a few miles for the tires to settle after sitting. Before any sustained higher-speed drive, verify the age and condition of the tires and make sure the rest of the chassis is equally roadworthy. Safe touring is a whole-vehicle question, not a tire-only question.

Inflation pressure on a 1940 Studebaker should follow the vehicle manufacturer's specification for the car and the tire maker's guidance for the specific reproduction tire being used. Some listed 1940 Studebaker products include load and pressure figures, such as 840 pounds at 32 psi for one 550-16 option and 1580 pounds at 32 psi for several 650-16 options. Those figures describe the tire's rated load at that pressure, not a universal pressure setting for every 1940 Studebaker size.

A Champion, Commander, and President should not be lumped together on pressure simply because they all use 16-inch rims. Start with the original vehicle recommendation for your exact model, then make sure the chosen tire's published limit is respected. Avoid transferring a pressure from one size to another or inflating to the sidewall's maximum by default. Proper pressure affects ride, wear, steering response, and the way a bias-ply tire carries the car on the road.

Before taking a 1940 Studebaker on a longer drive, inspect each tire for weather cracking, cuts, bulges, uneven wear, and proper inflation. Check the spare as carefully as the road tires, and inspect the valve stems as part of the same routine. If the tires have been on the car for years with limited use, confirm their age as well as their appearance before trusting them for distance.

That tire inspection should be part of a broader pre-drive review suited to a prewar automobile. Wheel security, brake operation, steering play, suspension condition, and fluid levels all deserve attention before the trip begins. A 1940 Studebaker that feels fine around town may still reveal problems on a sustained outing, so a thorough garage check is worthwhile. Tires are the car's contact with the road, but they should be assessed as one element in the vehicle's full mechanical readiness.