Here’s what’s going to replace the 8-3/4. Has 1350 U joints, aftermarket axles, speed sensor, and drilled/slotted disks. It was too cheap to not buy! It’s set up for ladder bar so I’m not sure if I’ll keep that setup or start with new axle tubes and do a 4 link.
1969 Dart Street/Strip (Re)Build
- Thread starter clinteg
- Start date
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The Dana is 2” narrower on each side than the 8-3/4 so I now will need 3.5” backspacing on the new rear wheels. The wheels I have now are no longer offered and I really don’t want to go back with that style anyway. So I went back-and-forth looking at all the different wheels offered and I ended up deciding on just going with a set of Billet Specialties Street Lites 17x4.5” one piece front and 15” rear. I liked a lot of the styles from RC Components and Weld in the 17” but I really just don’t like the rear wheels that go with them. It really just wasn’t the look I was going for. So for a simple five spoke wheel, this is what I ended up with.
The 12.19” Wilwoods look so small now with just a 2” larger wheel!
The 12.19” Wilwoods look so small now with just a 2” larger wheel!
famous bob
mopar misfit
KICK A$$. Like both wheels. My dana 60 w/ disc brakes take the same 3.5" back space, w/ offset spring hangars.
Personally I’ve always liked the rear Street Lites. It was the 15” front that I wasn’t real crazy about. If you compare the 15” and the 17”, they are very different. So when I realized they made a 17” front runner, I checked it out and liked that it looked clean and low profile around the hoop/spoke area if that makes sense. The 15” has more bulkiness around the outer part of the wheel than the 17” due to being a 2 piece wheel. It was then that I was sold (except on the price! Ouch!). The 3.5” backspace rear looks so good on these cars too. I’ve always wanted a deeper rear wheel but couldn’t do anything about it until now.
Right on!
It took me months of deciding to finally narrow it down to these. I have always liked the street lites for rear wheels but I wasn’t completely sold on the 15” fronts. Then I saw that they offered them in a 17” one piece wheel which was much more sleeker looking. So then I really got to looking at all the 17” wheels offered out there and ended back at the street lites.
68 HEMI GTS
Well-Known Member
Really a neat car! Nice to see someone else who likes to pile people into the car a go out and hammer it. Wheels are killer!
kc0r8y
Well-Known Member
I'm curious to see what the 17 up front looks like with a 15 in the rear. I have the same wheels but in black and something about them I hate. Like you, I like a plain polished 5 spoke wheel and was looking to swap these out for Weld Pro Stars which I love, But maybe it's not the black and it's something else I don't like. You might have something here my friend...
I like the look of the 3 1/2" backspacing too. My wheels are seven years old and are looking dated now. I've been exploring options. Steel wheels on back and skinny Cragars on front is where I'm leaning this week.
Clint when do you think you're going to be back on the road? Mopars Invade Mo-Kan is April 14th.
Clint when do you think you're going to be back on the road? Mopars Invade Mo-Kan is April 14th.
I’m with you there! There really is something about them that I don’t care for either. I was really wanting to go with the anodized black 17” like this.
Since this is a one piece wheel, it can be fully anodized. With the 2 piece wheels, the centers and the hoops are 2 different materials and the anodizing won’t match. That’s why you only see the spokes anodized on the 15” versions. But there lies the other half of the problem. None of the rear wheels are a one piece. So you can’t have the option of having both the hoop and the center anodized the same as the 17” front. You can only get the center anodized and then, to me, the wheels don’t match because you’d have a mostly black front and mostly polished rear. Maybe I’m being overly picky. I’ve talked with Billet Specialties and nothing they can change. Talked with Leanna about powdercoating all 4 wheels in satin black with the exact same pattern on all 4 wheels, but there were going to be some issues with leaving the machined spokes untouched through blasting. So if I couldn’t leave them bare, I’d have to blast the whole wheel and powdercoat everything, except in 2 different colors to accent the spokes. That seemed like a terrible thing to do to such a pretty wheel. Then I talked to the guy who painted my car and we talked about painting all of them instead. But he said you can’t get any polish on the satin black. Well crap that will be a pain! So right now I’m just going to leave everything polished and see how it all looks. If I decide to do the more blacked out theme later, I still can.
I’ve always like your setup. Clean and sharp!
Who knows when I’ll get mine ready. We’re on a new project at work which is forcing a seven day work week. Plus I’m trying to help my dad get a new barn built at his farm back in Oklahoma so I’ve been going there on weekends helping with that when I can. Then I have my daughter to myself for three days of the week so it’s been tough to get the time in with what time I have left over. If anything, I may go without my car and ride out with my friends that will more than likely be there.
kc0r8y
Well-Known Member
I'll probably just end up buying the Weld Prostars. I really love that plain, polished, 5 spoke look. Black wheels just don't do anything for me.
68 HEMI GTS
Well-Known Member
How about Weld RTS 5 spoke? Those look pretty sharp
Mine is an AAR scoop on a steel hood. I bought it off of a FABO member brand new for a song!
kc0r8y
Well-Known Member
I like the thicker spoke in the Prostars. I just have ot make sure they can go over 5/8 studs.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
You may have to hit the edges of each hole with a file, but they'll fit over a 5/8" stud just fine.
Suppose I should update my thread here. Have been putting transmission pictures over in my 200-4R swap thread and didn’t think to put any over here. So anyhow, here’s where we’re at. Ready for final trim work and the ready to start boxing the ends of the mount to the crossmember and welding it up.
o1heavy
1974 dart sport
famous bob
mopar misfit
Like the new rear mount. Are u going to box in the original ends where u cut them, and tie them together w/ some strap ?
Yes the ends of the old crossmember will be boxed off and welded to the new mount.
famous bob
mopar misfit
Kick a$$, wish I had ur drive ! Well, I guess I did a few yrs back.
I had to put my drive on the shelf for a while. Now I’m just getting frustrated that the car isn’t close to being done, my buddy bailed out on helping me, so it’s more that I’m forced into getting it done now than anything and I know I’ve got to put in the hours.
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