• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Wheels and tires please help!!!

Gary_gtx67

Well-Known Member
Local time
12:47 AM
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
261
Reaction score
0
Location
Fort Worth
Ok guys I'm wanting to to run a 17 inch wheel and tire and I want it stagerd. Does anybody know what is the widest and what offset or backspacing I can run in the rear and what I can run in the front? I'm looking for a black five spoke wheel with a polished lip. Car is a 1967 gtx clone.
 
Do a quick search. I'm sure there are other threads about what sizes will fit your car
 
Whatever you do make sure you're taking advice from someone that KNOWS the '67 and earlier body. Most people just know what's good for '68 and up and forget that the back tire is partially covered by the fender. I had a lot of guys telling my that they run 295/60R15 wide tires with no problem. Turns out they were refering to '68 and up cars. There's only about 1/2" between the tires and the leaf springs, so even with more backspace, there isn't much more room. On the flip side of getting advice, wheels and tires are so expensive that you should probably figure it out for yourself. You can do it with a coat hangar and a plumbob or even a heavy washer on a string.

The widest rear tire that I can fit on my '67 is a 255/60R15 on stock Magnum 500 wheels. That's what is on my car now with superstock springs (6/7) and I can just fit my index finger between the tire and the fender lip. I used to have a bad problem of the back tires rubbing the fenders on turns faster than 15-20mph. That was because I don't have any sway bars AND I was running itsy bitsy /6 torsion bars. I replaced the /6 TB's with new 1.12" bars from Firm Feel. I still don't have sway bars front or rear but I can't get the tires to rub unless I take an on ramp faster that 50mph. Sway bars are in the plans though. And yes you read that right, I went bigger on the FRONT torsion bars and that stopped the REAR tires from rubbing the fenders. I get a lot of non-believers when I tell people that. But that not here-say, that's what really happened. Think of how much more a 440 weighs over a slant 6 and it makes sense.

Let me know if you need more help. Knowledge on pre-'68 B-bodies is a little harder to come by that '68 and later. Goes the same for parts...
 
Thanks Brad!! Yeah I'm running a 383 right now. Thus sucks because if I oreder the wrong wheel then I am stuck with it until I try and resale the darn things. So I wanta get it right the first time and this is one of the last things I need to get this year before I start going to car shows. Know of any good wheel companies that would be willi g to help? Also the 67 charger would probably have to go with the same backspacing correct
 
No idea about the Charger. Maybe talk to some of the guys at the different Mopar parts houses. Mancini, Mazzolini, Firm Feel, CAP Auto, Hensley. They usually help if you ask nice. If they don't know ask them who does.

If you want to find out for yourself.
-Figure out how tall of a tire you want to run.
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/wheels/11.html

-Set the rear axle on jack stands so the suspension is at ride hight and pull the wheels.

-Tie a weight to the end of a string a few inches longer than your tire hieght.

-Mark the outer fender well half the tire hieght above the axle center line. You can use a coat hangar bent at 90 degrees to make it easier.

-Tape the string to the fender well where you marked. This marks the where the tire will sit at ride hieght.

-Measure from the string to the leaf springs to see how much width you have to work with. Subtract how much clearance you want between the outer fender and the tire, then do subtract how much clearance you want between the tire and the leaf springs. That will be your tire width.

-Now that you know how wide of a tire you can run, you can figure out how wide of a wheel you can run. Wheel width is measured between the lips so add an inch for total width.

-Subtract the wheel width from the tire width and divide by half. Add that to the clearance you want between the tire and the outer fender. This is how far your wheel will sit from the fender. Subtract that from the distance btween the brake hub (where the wheel will mate with the brake) to the string. Thats your backspace.

Make sure you factor in room for suspension travel.

Hope this helps.
 
Whatever you do make sure you're taking advice from someone that KNOWS the '67 and earlier body. Most people just know what's good for '68 and up and forget that the back tire is partially covered by the fender. I had a lot of guys telling my that they run 295/60R15 wide tires with no problem. Turns out they were refering to '68 and up cars.

GREAT Advice ! :yes:
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top