1962 Chrysler Tire Fitment Guide

1962 Chrysler vehicles use four tire sizes: 800-14, 850-14, 760-15, and 900-14. The 800-14 fits certain Chrysler 300 and Newport applications, the 850-14 fits certain 300, New Yorker, and Newport applications, the 760-15 is used on certain Chrysler 300 applications, and the 900-14 fits Chrysler All Wagons and certain New Yorker applications. Rim diameter is 14 inches for the 800-14, 850-14, and 900-14, while the 760-15 mounts on a 15-inch rim.

That means year and make alone are not enough to choose a tire for a 1962 Chrysler. A Newport owner and a New Yorker owner may both have 14-inch wheels, yet still need different sizes, and some 300s step up to a 15-inch fitment. Before narrowing down sidewall style or brand, confirm the exact model and check the wheel diameter already on the car so you start with the correct size family.

On a 1962 Chrysler, 800-14 is a traditional numeric bias-ply tire size. The 800 portion refers to nominal section width in the older inch-based system, written without a decimal, and the 14 identifies the rim diameter in inches. On this year Chrysler, the size appears on certain 300 and Newport applications and mounts on a 14-inch wheel, with rim-width recommendations running from 5.00 to 6.00 inches on products that publish that range.

Modern drivers often expect a size code to read like a radial metric tire, but numeric bias-ply sizing follows a different convention. For a 1962 Chrysler, 800-14 points you toward an era-correct construction and a relatively broad choice of sidewall appearance, including blackwall and whitewall versions. If your wheel is 14 inches and your car falls into an 800-14 application, the next step is deciding how original you want the tire's visual presentation to look.

No, 1962 Chrysler models do not all use the same tire size. The Newport shares 800-14 and 850-14 applications, the New Yorker uses 850-14 and 900-14, Chrysler wagons use 900-14, and the 300 spans 800-14, 850-14, and 760-15 depending on the application. Chrysler also used both 14-inch and 15-inch rim diameters within the 1962 range, which makes wheel confirmation especially important on the 300.

That variation matters because a tire that looks generally correct for a full-size early-Sixties Chrysler may still be wrong for your exact car. If you are restoring a 1962 Chrysler for factory-style accuracy, the model and wheel diameter come first, followed by the exact size. If you are sorting out a car with replacement wheels or a mixed-parts history, compare the wheel itself against the intended fitment before choosing any tire.

1962 Chrysler tires are available in several period-appropriate sidewall treatments depending on size. The 800-14 offers blackwall, narrow whitewall, and wide whitewall versions. The 850-14 and 900-14 are available in narrow whitewall and wide whitewall forms, while the 760-15 also appears in narrow whitewall and wide whitewall styles. Those choices let a Chrysler owner tune the look from understated to more formal, without leaving the bias-ply construction family used across these fitments.

Sidewall style can change the personality of a 1962 Chrysler almost as much as wheel covers or paint trim. A Newport or 300 with blackwalls or narrow whites can look more restrained, while a broad whitewall suits the upscale character many owners want on a New Yorker or wagon restoration. If authenticity matters, compare your target look with period photos, brochures, and model-specific club references before settling on the exact whitewall width.

1962 Chrysler tire fitments are covered by BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, and Universal Vintage Tire, depending on size. BFGoodrich appears across all four Chrysler sizes here, while Coker Classic and Universal Vintage Tire are available in certain sizes such as 760-15, and Universal also appears in 800-14. Every fitment in this year-make range stays within the bias-ply category, so the brand decision is more about appearance, available sidewall treatments, and the exact size you need.

Brand selection can narrow quickly once you identify your Chrysler's size. The broadest brand choice appears in the 760-15 fitment for certain 300 applications, while the 850-14 and 900-14 are more concentrated. If you already know the tire size, compare sidewall style, published load information, and rim-width guidance within that size rather than assuming every brand offers the same combination of visual and fitment details.

In 800-14 for the 1962 Chrysler, BFGoodrich offers blackwall, narrow whitewall, and wide whitewall versions, with published load capacity of 1620 pounds at 32 psi and a rim-width range of 5.00 to 6.00 inches. Universal Vintage Tire offers a wide whitewall version in the same 800-14 size. Both stay within the traditional bias-ply construction that suits an early-Sixties full-size Chrysler, but BFGoodrich gives a broader spread of appearance choices and more published fitment detail within this size.

That difference matters most when you are trying to match a specific visual goal. If your 1962 Chrysler needs a blackwall or a narrower white stripe, BFGoodrich is the clear path within 800-14. If your goal is a wide-white look and you are comparing styling options within the same size, Universal becomes part of the conversation. Either way, keep the decision inside the correct 800-14 application rather than comparing it loosely against the larger 850-14 or 900-14 sizes.

Rim-width guidance on 1962 Chrysler tires varies by size. The 800-14 is paired with 5.00 to 6.00-inch rims, the 850-14 with 5.50 to 6.00-inch rims, the 760-15 with 5.50 to 6.00-inch rims, and the 900-14 with 6.00 to 7.00-inch rims on products that publish those ranges. Rim diameter also changes by size, with the 760-15 using a 15-inch wheel and the other three sizes using 14-inch wheels.

That spread is a good reminder that wheel diameter alone does not settle fitment on a 1962 Chrysler. A 14-inch wheel for an 800-14 application does not automatically suit a 900-14 tire, because the acceptable rim-width window grows as the tire gets larger. Before mounting a replacement tire, measure the wheel or confirm the wheel specification on the car so the tire's section width and profile are supported correctly.

Original 1962 Chrysler wheels can only be shared across sizes when the rim diameter matches and the wheel width falls inside the tire's acceptable range. The 800-14, 850-14, and 900-14 all use 14-inch rims, but they do not share the same rim-width window. The 760-15 is separate because it requires a 15-inch wheel, so it cannot be mounted on the 14-inch wheels used by the other Chrysler sizes.

For owners of a 1962 Chrysler 300, this is especially important because that model spans both 14-inch and 15-inch fitments. A wheel that is original to one 300 application may not be correct for another. If your car has changed hands many times or has been restored before, verify both wheel diameter and width before assuming a tire change is straightforward. That is the safest way to preserve stance, clearance, and proper support at the bead.

A stored 1962 Chrysler should sit in a cool, dry, dark space away from direct sunlight, electric motors, battery chargers, furnaces, and other ozone sources that age sidewalls. Keep the tires properly inflated, make sure the floor surface stays clean and dry, and roll the car periodically if it will remain on the ground for long stretches. Because every fitment here is bias-ply, temporary flat-spotting after storage is more common than many modern radial-tire owners expect.

For longer off-season storage, many collectors reduce strain by moving the car occasionally or supporting it in a way that does not leave the full vehicle weight on one contact patch for months. Tire covers also help if light reaches the storage area. A 1962 Chrysler is a heavy full-size car, so careful storage habits do more than preserve cosmetics; they also help the tires return to smoother operation when the car goes back on the road.

Tire life on a 1962 Chrysler is usually governed more by age than by mileage. Collector cars often accumulate miles slowly, so the usual practice is to begin evaluating the tires closely around five to seven years of age and to treat about ten years as the point where replacement deserves serious consideration even if the tread still looks usable. The DOT date code on the tire is the key reference for age.

A low-mileage bias-ply tire can still age out before it wears out, especially on a car that spends long periods parked. Heat, sunlight, ozone, and long static storage all matter. If your 1962 Chrysler still rides on older tires from a previous restoration, inspect them carefully before trusting them on regular road use. Replacement timing should be driven by age, visible condition, and how you plan to use the car, not tread depth alone.

Tires on a 1962 Chrysler should be checked before every drive and again before any longer outing. Look for sidewall cracking, irregular wear, cuts, bulges, tread separation signs, and slow pressure loss, and confirm that the valve stems are in good condition. Since these Chrysler fitments are all bias-ply, paying attention to age-related cracking and changes in ride feel is especially worthwhile on a car that may spend time parked between drives.

A quick pre-drive walkaround catches many problems before they become roadside issues. On an older full-size Chrysler, a tire that has lost air or started to separate can stress handling and braking well before failure becomes obvious. If the car has sat for a while, inspect more carefully and drive the first miles gently to see whether the tires round out normally after any storage flat-spotting. Regular pressure checks are part of that routine.

A 1962 Chrysler 300 would have been fitted with bias-ply tires in period, and the fitments associated with the model here are 800-14, 850-14, and 760-15 depending on the application. That reflects how full-size American cars of the early Sixties were still built around bias-ply construction before radial adoption became common in the U.S. market. Original-equipment brand could vary by market, plant, and supply arrangements, so the most important authenticity points are the correct size, wheel diameter, and period-style sidewall treatment.

For a serious restoration, start by confirming whether your specific 300 uses a 14-inch or 15-inch wheel and then match the proper numeric bias-ply size. Whitewall width can also influence how authentic the car appears in profile. If you are building toward marque judging, factory literature, surviving unrestored cars, and Chrysler club resources are the right places to confirm market-specific presentation details before making the final call.

Correct tire fitment matters on a shown 1962 Chrysler because judges and knowledgeable enthusiasts notice size, construction type, rim diameter, and sidewall appearance. For an early-Sixties Chrysler, a numeric bias-ply tire is generally the authentic construction family, and a mismatch in overall size or an obviously incorrect sidewall treatment can stand out quickly on a full-size car. The difference between a narrow whitewall, wide whitewall, and blackwall can change the car's visual era-correctness even when the wheel itself is right.

That does not mean every event judges tires the same way, but the more original the class, the more tire details tend to matter. A New Yorker or 300 aimed at concours-level presentation deserves close attention to both size and visual profile. Before finalizing a show setup, compare your intended tire with period photos and check the standards used by the Chrysler club or event you plan to enter, since class rules can be more specific than general restoration practice.

In 760-15 for the 1962 Chrysler, BFGoodrich offers both a 3.375-inch wide whitewall and a 1.00-inch whitewall, while Coker Classic offers a 3.00-inch whitewall. Both brands publish a 1710-pound maximum load at 32 psi on the versions carrying that information, and both are intended for 5.50 to 6.00-inch rims. The main distinction is the available sidewall presentation rather than a major difference in the basic fitment envelope.

That makes the choice especially relevant for a 1962 Chrysler 300 owner trying to dial in a very specific early-Sixties look on a 15-inch wheel. If your target is a broad whitewall, even small differences in stripe width can affect the car's stance and visual balance. Compare the exact whitewall width you want against period reference photos and the overall personality of your restoration rather than treating all wide-white 760-15 tires as visually interchangeable.

1962 Chrysler tires can be used for highway driving when they are the correct size, in sound condition, and matched to the car's intended use, but the fitments here are all bias-ply rather than modern radial designs. No explicit speed ratings appear on these sizes, so highway safety depends heavily on overall tire condition, inflation, age, and the mechanical state of the car itself. On a full-size early-Sixties Chrysler, brake performance, suspension condition, steering play, and alignment can matter just as much as the tire.

A well-sorted 1962 Chrysler can cover highway miles comfortably, but it should be driven with the manners of its era in mind. Bias-ply tires often track and respond differently than modern radials, especially on grooved pavement or in crosswinds. Before any sustained higher-speed trip, make sure the tires are fresh enough for use, the pressures are correct for the chosen tire, and the rest of the chassis is ready for the same kind of service.

Published maximum-load figures for 1962 Chrysler tires include 1620 pounds at 32 psi for 800-14, 1740 pounds at 32 psi for 850-14, 1710 pounds at 32 psi for 760-15, and 1860 pounds at 32 psi for 900-14 on products that carry those ratings. Those figures are tire ratings, not a blanket recommendation to run every Chrysler at 32 psi under all conditions. Factory pressure targets for the vehicle itself should come from the owner's manual or factory service literature for the exact model.

The practical way to approach a 1962 Chrysler is to separate tire capability from vehicle setup. Use the manufacturer's published tire information to understand the tire's load-and-pressure relationship, then compare that with the carmaker's inflation guidance for your specific Chrysler model and operating conditions. Avoid borrowing a pressure figure from one size to another, especially when moving between 800-14, 850-14, 900-14, and 760-15, because they do not carry the same load profile.

Before a longer drive in a 1962 Chrysler, inspect all four tires and the spare for cracking, cuts, bulges, irregular wear, and proper inflation, and make sure the sidewalls and tread look sound all the way around. Confirm that the wheel diameter and tire size on the car match the intended fitment, especially on a Chrysler 300 where both 14-inch and 15-inch applications exist. Tire condition is only one part of the check, but it is a critical one on a heavy vintage Chrysler.

A sensible pre-trip routine also includes checking brakes, coolant, belts, hoses, steering response, and fluid levels, because a long drive asks the whole car to work as a system. On the tire side, pay extra attention to anything that suggests age rather than wear, such as fine sidewall cracking or long-term pressure loss. If the car has been sitting, take a short local drive first so you can feel how the tires settle in before committing to a full highway run.