Here are some pics
Tire clearance
- Thread starter Cuda 1964
- Start date
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TXOval
340 stroked to 416
Just know when you get on it or hit a bump that 1/8 will go to zero.
Mine had clearance sitting there, but not while driving
Mine had clearance sitting there, but not while driving
19DART66
Well-Known Member
You need a 7 inch rim with a 4 1/4" (factory bs. on rally and police wheels) or a 4 1/2" backspacing wheel to fit a 255/60/15 tire. The 4 1/2" bs. wheel will give maximum clearance against rubbing with stock to lowered suspension early A bodies with weight in the trunk or 3 to 4 people. I have tried quite a few different tire and wheel combos on my 66 Dart over the last 25 years, and the 7" wide 15's with 4 1/2" bs. wheels and 255/60/15 tires fit the absolute best. Without inboarding the leaf springs for more clearance.
Would a 15/8 with a 4 1/2 bs and 0 offset and 255/60/15 work? I do have 6 leaf springs with 3in lift
19DART66
Well-Known Member
My honest opinion is no, I think they will rub on bumps, dips and turns on the outside edge of the wheel opening.
I installed the Dr. Diff leaf spring inboard kit (which move the springs in a 1/2 inch and i have Caltrac one inch lowering springs) a few years back and mounted my 9/28/15 M/T slicks on 15x8 wheels with 5.5 inches of backspacing and with a 7/16 inch spacers they just fit. No rubbing at the track, but wouldn't trust them not to rub out on the road with bumps and turns on the inside and outside of the wheel well.
Last summer I bought another set of the same 8" wheels and mounted a set of M&H J60/15 (255/60/15 bias ply) tires on them for the street. With 1/4 inch spacers they rub on the inside and outside of wheel well and are only a 1/4 inch from the springs ( the M&H tires have a one inch wider section width than the M/T slicks and the 255/60 M/T drag radials I ran on the 7" wheels) The spacers are bolted to the backs of the wheels to prevent chucking between them and the wheels.
I installed the Dr. Diff leaf spring inboard kit (which move the springs in a 1/2 inch and i have Caltrac one inch lowering springs) a few years back and mounted my 9/28/15 M/T slicks on 15x8 wheels with 5.5 inches of backspacing and with a 7/16 inch spacers they just fit. No rubbing at the track, but wouldn't trust them not to rub out on the road with bumps and turns on the inside and outside of the wheel well.
Last summer I bought another set of the same 8" wheels and mounted a set of M&H J60/15 (255/60/15 bias ply) tires on them for the street. With 1/4 inch spacers they rub on the inside and outside of wheel well and are only a 1/4 inch from the springs ( the M&H tires have a one inch wider section width than the M/T slicks and the 255/60 M/T drag radials I ran on the 7" wheels) The spacers are bolted to the backs of the wheels to prevent chucking between them and the wheels.
I was hoping they would work I have M/T E/T Street S/S 255/60/15 on 15/7 US MAGS with 3.80 back space and -5 offset and have 1in from the tire to the spring but maybe 1/8 in clearance from tire to fender lip
Thanks 19DART66
I haven't tried 255's on 7's on early A's. They will work (barely) on my 70 Swinger though. Not on early A's without some trimming.
Thanks toolmanmike I'm so close.
I just have not been able to find a 15/7 with at least a 4 plus backspace and 0 offset other than the Cragers without having a custom set made
TXOval
340 stroked to 416
Yeah, the custom wheels are a hard one to swallow…my billet specialties rims are $3k
I just found some 15/7 rims with 4in bs and 0 offset. They are vision rims, going to try and get info on them to see if they are any good
BartHoleMy
Member
I doubt it. I have 245 50 16 on 16x8s with a four inch backspace on my 1965. Clearance is tight on both sides. 205 55 16 on a 16x7 in the front.
Pic from rear pov still has 16x8 up front. The car did not like that size.
BartHoleMy
Member
BartHoleMy
Member
Those rears are actually a 5" backspace. My mistake. It'll fit as far as the leaf. The seven inch fronts are a 4" backspace. You have a lift but the outside is gonna be close. Mine barely fit. I rolled the hell out of those wells. Rolled the front fender also and radiused the bottom of the front arch for clearance.
I have an 8.75" from a 72 duster. I think it was an open attached to a slant. Eaton locker now. Might be original springs. New bushings and short shakles. Hdk front with mustang ii 2" drop spindles. 12 inch spring I think. No torsion bars. The eights up front were plowing and would rub the ARB.
I have an 8.75" from a 72 duster. I think it was an open attached to a slant. Eaton locker now. Might be original springs. New bushings and short shakles. Hdk front with mustang ii 2" drop spindles. 12 inch spring I think. No torsion bars. The eights up front were plowing and would rub the ARB.
BartHoleMy
Member
With the tire, my rear wheel has a 6.25" backspace.
33IMP
Well-Known Member
You have the answer now.
You have zero offset 14x7, wanna go to zero offset 15x8. So you're getting wider by a 1/2" in each direction.
You have 26.5 tall 225 tires now, wanna run 27" tall 255 tires that are an inch and a hair wider section. So, 1/2" wider in each direction
, and a hair taller.
So now, all you have to do is look.
Do you have room for a half inch more both toward the spring and fender, and still have adequate clearance?
If you do...... the combo you described will fit.
TXOval
340 stroked to 416
BartHoleMy, thank you for clarifying the backspacing of the rear wheel. I also noticed the folded wheel well lip.
15x8 with a 4.25” backspace and 235’s rub on my 66 Barracuda so I was wondering how you fit 255’s.
15x8 with a 4.25” backspace and 235’s rub on my 66 Barracuda so I was wondering how you fit 255’s.
I went with vision 15x7 rims with a 0 offset and 4in back space with M/T 255/60/15 which are approximately 27in tall and 10in wide which has 1in between tire and spring and it's tight between tire and fender lip
I do have 6 leaf springs with a 3in lift and stock shackles and stock leaf spring location
Now I have to wait for the weather to break so I can test it
BartHoleMy
Member
245 50 16 in the rear. I have disc brakes in the rear and I believe I have Moser axles that are .125" longer so effectively my back space is 4.875" when compared to stock.
I found a wheel that got me as close to the leaf spring as possible and clearanced the tire with a fender roller and a wood baseball bat.
19DART66
Well-Known Member
Like I said in my other post, a 7 inch wheel with 4.5 inch backspacing(mine were Weld wheels) with a stock A body axle with stock drum brakes. Makes all the difference between a 255/60/15 tire fitting, without rubbing and rubbing on the outside wheel well and lip.
I ran those same 255 tires on a set of 15x7 police wheels with 4.250 backspacing and on hard turns and big dips/ bumps they would rub on the outside wheel well, on my 66 Dart.
One of my buddies has a 67 GTX(not an A body) but have the same tire clearance problem. He has 15x7 with 4.250 backspacing Magnum 500 wheels on the GTX, he first mounted a set of 275/60/15 drag radials on the wheels(because he had them) and they contacted the outside wheel well. So he bought a set of 255/60's fit perfect. Back to the 275/60's I took a set of my 15x7 4.5 bs Weld wheels over one day and we mounted the 275 on them, that tire/wheel combo fit his GTX as good as the 255 combo.
Don't know what it is about those 15x7 4.5 bs Weld wheels, but that added .250 inch of backspacing always seem to be the perfect wheel for all the tight wheel well Mopars. At least in the ones I have dealt with, with stock width rear axles and brakes.
If you have modified your axle width or put disk brakes on the back, then all bets are off.
I ran those same 255 tires on a set of 15x7 police wheels with 4.250 backspacing and on hard turns and big dips/ bumps they would rub on the outside wheel well, on my 66 Dart.
One of my buddies has a 67 GTX(not an A body) but have the same tire clearance problem. He has 15x7 with 4.250 backspacing Magnum 500 wheels on the GTX, he first mounted a set of 275/60/15 drag radials on the wheels(because he had them) and they contacted the outside wheel well. So he bought a set of 255/60's fit perfect. Back to the 275/60's I took a set of my 15x7 4.5 bs Weld wheels over one day and we mounted the 275 on them, that tire/wheel combo fit his GTX as good as the 255 combo.
Don't know what it is about those 15x7 4.5 bs Weld wheels, but that added .250 inch of backspacing always seem to be the perfect wheel for all the tight wheel well Mopars. At least in the ones I have dealt with, with stock width rear axles and brakes.
If you have modified your axle width or put disk brakes on the back, then all bets are off.
19DART66
Well-Known Member
Another wheel tire combo I tried on my Dart were the rear wheels and tires off my 2012 Challenger R/T Classic with the 20x8 inch wide Cragar SS looking wheels with 275/40/20 tires.
Those wheels have 5.5 inches of backspacing and the tire are 10.5 inches of section width. Other than I thought the car looked a little odd with the 20 inch wheels, that combo fit nice and didn't rub at all.
Those wheels have 5.5 inches of backspacing and the tire are 10.5 inches of section width. Other than I thought the car looked a little odd with the 20 inch wheels, that combo fit nice and didn't rub at all.
Thanks 19DART66
I found out that 15x7 weld wheels not only have a 4.5 backspace but have a +13mm offset
BartHoleMy
Member
A little off subject but does anyone know where to get a good gas cap that doesn't leak? They don't sell the locking ones anymore. It's been forever. Had three OEM caps stolen years ago. The only ones I can find now don't seal...
I am about to weld up the stock hole and make both sides smooth. Then hang a tube in the top left corner of the trunk with a different head and cap or a plate style with a soft coupler. The fill plate from a Porsche cup car fuel cell would look nice on the side but I think it would still be a ***** to pump gas with that fill angle. It has a quarter turn steel tab that locks 90 degrees down. The cap is a plug that locks into place by spreading two plastic half moons into the cup. Has the flapper also. The rest is mostly aluminum I think. Just thoughts. I can have a picture in a couple days. Today is my Friday... should I copy paste this to a new post?
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