1977 Plymouth Tire Fitment Guide

1977 Plymouth vehicles use 18 sizes across six model lines. Arrow uses 165R13 and 600-13 on 13-inch rims; Volare uses D78-14, DR78-14, E78-14, ER78-14, FR78-14, and F78-14 on 14-inch rims; Fury, Gran Fury, Trailduster, and most Wagon applications use various 15-inch sizes including F78-15, G78-15, H78-15, GR78-15, HR78-15, LR78-15, 700-15, L78-15, and E78-15. One Wagon application uses 800-16.5 on a 16.5-inch rim.

The practical takeaway is that year and make alone are not enough for a correct match. Start by identifying the exact model, then confirm the wheel diameter already on the vehicle, and only after that compare the size code. Rim-width guidance also varies by size, from 4.00-4.50 inches on 600-13 up to 5.50-8.00 inches on some 15-inch applications, so wheel measurement matters before moving from one size family to another.

On a 1977 Plymouth, 600-13 is a traditional numeric bias-ply size used on the Arrow. The 600 identifies the nominal section-width family in the older numeric system, and the 13 identifies the wheel diameter in inches. In the current product range, 600-13 appears as a bias-ply tire with narrow whitewall and wide whitewall sidewall treatments and a 1,010-pound load figure at 32 psi.

That means 600-13 is best understood as an era-style bias-ply fitment rather than a modern metric radial equivalent. If you are trying to preserve a late-1970s showroom look on an Arrow, this code points you toward the traditional sidewall profile and construction. If your priority is a more radial-like driving character, compare it against the Arrow's 165R13 option rather than assuming the older numeric code behaves the same way.

No, 1977 Plymouth models do not use one common tire size. Arrow stays in the 13-inch range, Volare uses 14-inch sizes, the larger Fury and Gran Fury families use several 15-inch passenger-car sizes, Trailduster uses 15-inch utility-oriented sizes, and the Wagon range spans both 15-inch and 16.5-inch applications. Even within the same model line, some Plymouths offered more than one size code and, in a few cases, both bias-ply and radial constructions.

That variation matters because many classic tire codes look similar at a glance while fitting very different wheels and vehicle types. A buyer who says only “1977 Plymouth” is still several steps away from a confident choice. Confirm the model name on the car, verify the actual wheel diameter, and then compare whether your application falls into the compact, intermediate, full-size, or utility side of the Plymouth range.

For a 1977 Plymouth Arrow, the choice between 165R13 and 600-13 is primarily a construction decision. The 165R13 is a radial 13-inch fitment offered in blackwall form from Michelin and Dunlop, while the 600-13 is a bias-ply 13-inch fitment from BFGoodrich with whitewall options. Both belong to the Arrow, but they represent two distinct eras of tire behavior and appearance.

Choose 600-13 when the priority is a period-style look with the visual character expected from a traditional bias-ply tire. Choose 165R13 when you want to stay within the Arrow's 13-inch fitment family while leaning toward the later-1970s radial experience. The important part is not treating them as interchangeable just because they fit the same model; construction, sidewall appearance, and intended use all point to different kinds of ownership goals.

1977 Plymouth tire choices span blackwall, narrow whitewall, and wide whitewall sidewall styles, depending on size. Arrow's 165R13 appears in blackwall radial form, while 600-13 offers narrow and wide whitewall bias-ply options. Among larger sizes, H78-15, G78-15, 700-15, L78-15, and E78-14 can appear in both blackwall and whitewall forms, LR78-15 uses a narrow whitewall, F78-14 uses a wide whitewall, and 800-16.5 remains blackwall.

For a 1977 Plymouth, sidewall style is often as important visually as the size code itself. Full-size sedans and many wagons commonly look most at home with whitewalls, while truck-oriented or utility applications often suit blackwalls better. If originality matters for a show car, match the sidewall treatment to the vehicle's trim level, market character, and restoration goal rather than choosing strictly by diameter or construction alone.

1977 Plymouth tire coverage comes from Michelin, Dunlop, BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, STA, and Firestone, depending on the size. Arrow fitments include Michelin and Dunlop in 165R13 and BFGoodrich in 600-13. Larger passenger and utility sizes bring in Coker Classic for many whitewall bias-ply applications, Firestone for 700-15 and LR78-15, BFGoodrich for 700-15 and L78-15, and STA for several blackwall truck-leaning sizes.

Brand choice usually follows the character of the size you need. Some sizes emphasize traditional passenger-car styling with whitewall options, while others lean toward blackwall utility or transport-style service. Once you have confirmed the exact Plymouth model and tire code, compare brands within that size family rather than trying to force a preferred brand into a fitment it does not cover.

Rim width varies by size on 1977 Plymouth vehicles. The Arrow's 165R13 fits 4.50-6.00-inch rims, while 600-13 fits 4.00-4.50-inch rims. Among larger sizes, H78-15 uses 5.50-7.00-inch rims, G78-15 uses 5.00-7.00-inch rims, 700-15 uses 5.00-5.50-inch rims, L78-15 and LR78-15 use 5.50-8.00-inch rims, E78-14 spans 4.50-7.00 inches depending on product, F78-14 uses 5.00-7.00-inch rims, and 800-16.5 uses 6.00-6.50-inch rims.

That spread is why measuring the wheel you actually have matters before choosing a tire by size code alone. A tire may share the same rim diameter as another Plymouth fitment yet still call for a meaningfully different wheel width. If your car has been restored, modified, or swapped to a different wheel over the years, confirm the wheel first and treat the size code as only one part of the fitment equation.

Some 1977 Plymouth tires are clearly tubeless, while others need a closer look at the exact product and wheel. The 165R13 Michelin products are marked TL, indicating tubeless construction, and one E78-14 STA version is also marked tubeless. Many other bias-ply sizes here do not carry a tube marker in the size description, so the correct setup depends on the specific tire design and the condition and type of the wheel it is mounted on.

The safest approach is to check the sidewall marking on the exact tire you choose and match that to the wheel's design and sealing condition. Older wheels, riveted constructions, or wheels with imperfect bead seats may call for a different setup than a cleaner later tubeless wheel. This is one area where a quick assumption can create avoidable trouble, so confirm the tire's own marking before mounting.

Original 1977 Plymouth wheels cannot be assumed to work across all tire sizes because the year spans 13-, 14-, 15-, and 16.5-inch rim diameters. An Arrow wheel will not interchange with a Volare or Fury fitment simply by changing tires, and the Wagon's 800-16.5 application stands apart from the 15-inch Wagon sizes. Even within one diameter, rim-width requirements vary from size to size.

That means original wheels can usually be reused only within the correct size family for the model and application they belong to. If the car still has its factory wheels, confirm the wheel diameter stamping and measure the width before comparing tire options. If the wheels have been changed at some point in the car's life, verify the actual hardware on the vehicle rather than relying on the badge alone.

A stored 1977 Plymouth should be kept out of direct sunlight, away from electric motors and other ozone sources, and on a clean, dry surface. Tire pressures should be maintained even during storage, and the car should be rolled periodically if it will sit for long intervals. Bias-ply tires, which appear across much of the 1977 Plymouth range, are generally more prone to temporary flat-spotting during static storage than radials.

If the car will be down for a season, many collectors use tire cradles or support the car to reduce prolonged loading. That is especially helpful on heavier full-size Plymouths and utility models. A simple storage routine preserves appearance as much as drivability, since ultraviolet exposure, heat, and ozone age the sidewalls whether or not the car accumulates many miles.

On a 1977 Plymouth, tire life is usually determined by age more than mileage. Collector vehicles often cover limited annual miles, so the more useful benchmark is to inspect carefully once a tire reaches the five- to seven-year range and to think seriously about replacement as it approaches about 10 years, regardless of tread depth. The DOT date code on the sidewall is the best starting point for judging age.

A Plymouth that only comes out for shows, cruise nights, or occasional weekend drives can still age its tires quietly in the garage. Sidewall cracking, hardening rubber, vibration, and pressure loss are more meaningful warning signs than odometer readings alone. If you have just acquired the car and the tire age is not recent, replacing aged tires is often wiser than trusting old tread that merely looks good from a few feet away.

Tires on a 1977 Plymouth should be checked before every drive and given a more thorough inspection before any longer outing. Look for sidewall cracking, tread separation, bulges, embedded objects, uneven wear, and pressure loss. On any tube-type setup, or any setup where the wheel and tire require special sealing attention, the valve stem and air retention deserve the same attention as the tread itself.

Frequent inspection matters because many classic cars spend long periods parked and then return suddenly to road use. A short local trip can expose problems that formed slowly in storage. Building a simple pre-drive habit around pressure, visible condition, and spare-tire readiness is one of the easiest ways to make a vintage Plymouth more dependable without changing its character.

For a 1977 Plymouth Arrow, both 600-13 bias-ply and 165R13 radial fitments appear within the model's range, which reflects the late-1970s transition period when some cars could be found with either traditional or radial-type sizing depending on market and application. Bias-ply remained visually traditional, while radial sizing had become a familiar part of everyday passenger-car fitment by this point. No original-equipment brand should be assumed without checking a surviving car or period literature.

If originality is your goal, start with the exact body plate information, surviving paperwork, or an unrestored reference car rather than choosing by appearance alone. Marque clubs and model-specific forums can help confirm whether your particular Arrow should wear the older numeric bias-ply look or the metric-style radial fitment. That extra step matters because both codes belong to the model, but they tell slightly different authenticity stories.

Correct tire fitment absolutely matters when a 1977 Plymouth is judged for authenticity. Judges and knowledgeable enthusiasts often notice three things quickly: the size code, the construction type, and the sidewall style. A full-size Fury or Gran Fury wearing the wrong size family, an Arrow wearing a construction that does not suit the intended restoration theme, or a utility model carrying an obviously mismatched whitewall treatment can all stand out immediately.

That does not mean every event enforces the same rules, but it does mean tire choice should support the story you want the car to tell. A preserved original, a concours restoration, and a regularly driven collector all have different standards. Check the event's judging guide or ask a Plymouth or Mopar club before finalizing the tires, because show expectations can be more specific than general enthusiast opinion.

In 700-15 for a 1977 Plymouth, Firestone and BFGoodrich both offer traditional bias-ply passenger-car versions with a 1,700-pound load figure at 32 psi, while STA covers the same size from a more truck-oriented angle. Firestone appears in both blackwall and wide whitewall form, BFGoodrich appears in wide whitewall form, and both use a 5.00-5.50-inch rim-width range. The visible difference is largely sidewall presentation rather than a major change in basic fitment envelope.

That makes the choice largely about restoration style and the character you want the vehicle to project. A Wagon or Trailduster aimed at a passenger-car period look may point you toward a whitewall version, while a more work-oriented or utility-themed build may suit a blackwall better. Since the core dimensions align closely, appearance and vehicle theme usually decide the winner more than raw specification differences.

1977 Plymouth tires can be safe for highway driving when the correct size is chosen, the tire is in sound condition, and its construction matches the way the vehicle is used. The clearest speed information here appears in 165R13, where H-rated versions carry a 130 mph ceiling. Many other sizes are bias-ply collector or utility designs without a speed letter shown, so sensible highway use should be guided by the tire's construction, condition, inflation, and the mechanical realities of the vehicle.

On most 1977 Plymouth models, the car's brakes, suspension age, alignment, and general condition are often more limiting in normal road use than the tire itself. Highway comfort and straight-line behavior will feel different between bias-ply and radial constructions, which is one reason owners should match the tire to the intended use. A fresh, properly mounted tire on a well-sorted car is far more important than chasing theoretical top-speed capability.

Inflation pressure on a 1977 Plymouth depends on the exact tire size and product. Examples include 600-13 at 1,010 pounds and 32 psi, H78-15 at 1,770 pounds and 32 psi or 1,830 pounds and 45 psi depending on version, G78-15 at 1,620 pounds and 32 psi, 700-15 at 1,700 pounds and 32 psi, L78-15 and LR78-15 at 1,970 pounds and 32 psi, E78-14 from 1,400 pounds at 32 psi up to 1,710 pounds at 60 psi, F78-14 at 1,500 pounds and 32 psi, and 800-16.5 at 2,045 pounds and 60 psi.

Those figures are tire ratings, not a blanket instruction to run every Plymouth at the maximum pressure printed on the tire. Use the factory vehicle recommendation as your starting point for the car, then confirm that the selected tire's own pressure and load limits are appropriate for the application. Never transfer a pressure figure from one Plymouth size to another, because the product ranges here vary too much for that shortcut to be reliable.

Before a longer drive in a 1977 Plymouth, inspect each tire for cracking, cuts, bulges, irregular wear, and correct cold inflation. Check that the valve stems are sound, and pay extra attention to air retention on any setup using older-style wheels or tube-related hardware. The spare should also be checked for pressure, age, and physical condition, because an original-looking spare is not always a roadworthy spare.

Tires are only one part of the pre-trip routine on a car of this age. A longer outing is also a good time to look over wheel fasteners, steering feel, brake response, and the car's overall readiness before you are far from home. On a classic Plymouth, a careful fifteen-minute walkaround before departure is often what separates a pleasant drive from a roadside interruption.