[The Champ]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

If you're talking about the outside (fender side) edge of the tire, 4.5" BS on a 7" rim would be the same as 5.5" backspacing on an 8" rim. If you're talking the inside (suspension) edge, the 5.5" BS brings the rim in 1" (closer to suspension components).

You are right that the 5.5" BS on an 8" rim would pull the rim in by 1".

But the tire would not be centered like it was before.

When you add 1" in rim width, you only want to add .5" of backspace to keep the tirel centered in the same place.

The wider wheel does not change the width of the tire tread. It might affect the "bulge" of a tire a tenth or two.

You don't need to worry about the wheel contacting the suspension pr fender lip, it's the tire.

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

You have a Rally II on there now and a 235/60 is rubbing? Something doesn't sound right. That's only 7 1/4" wide tire. What rear do you have in there now?

I bet if you go to a 215 tire and a 6" rim it won't rub. But do you really want to go in that direction?

You just plain need to measure it out, you can't be just taking stabs at it or you WILL end up with a 216 on a 6" rim.

.

I dont think your right on that one there, Im tracking a 235/60/15 as 9.3 inches wide. https://tiresize.com/calculator/

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme

I dont think your right on that one there, Im tracking a 235/60/15 as 9.3 inches wide. https://tiresize.com/calculator/

Both of you are close to right and both of you are wrong....

Using a BFG T/A radial as a spec tire:

The tread width is 7.8".

The sidewall width is 9.5".

Link to BFG T/A specs:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...omCompare1=yes

[RocktimusPryme]

When it hits the tire on bumps I think it technically comes down just outside the tread. I’m not sure what they are calling section width. Ive been stuck in the armpit of the world for like 4 months so its not really fresh in my memory. I know that tire isn’t exactly a pizza cutter.

As I said part of the problem is The Right Stuff brake kit I used locates the tires 3/8 of an in further outward.

It was really bad with factory springs. I since put in a moog replacement 1967 400 car spring. But it was a shot in the dark. The correct spring I want should be maybe a tick shorter but significantly stiffer. I think I’m just going to end the nonsense and go with coil overs in the front.

That being said I still want to buy rims backspaced to get the whole tire back inside the well.

[The Champ]

The section width is the widest area of the tire - the sidewall "bulge".

The tread width is most important to contact as the wheel turns if the tread area is the culprit of any tire rubs.

The sidewall "bulge" is more of a concern with possible contact with the fender lip as the tire moves up and down due to the road surface and also for contact with frame rails or other suspension components on the inside.

I understand your problem with the disc brakes - I personally went through this. My 235/60/15's that I used to run on my car were fine before the conversion. After the conversion, I would get a rub in certain situations. That's why when I went with my 17's - I added 3/8's of an inch BS to alleviate my problem.

[RocktimusPryme]

I think a stiffer spring is going to solve most of the rub issues, but I also want to lower just a tick, more for stance than performance. so I want to get the whole tire back inside that wheel well. Between going one size thiner on the tire and adding a little backspace I think it should get me there no problem.

I was planning on going with the QA1s with like the 550lb spring.

[64speed]

Look at my post in the street section I paid less than 200 a wheel for mine thru Summit and they have them in polished too. Company is us wheel

[NeighborsComplaint]

I was hanging out at Discount Tire getting my rims mounted and noticed they had a pretty nice selection of wheels at reasonable prices.

[RocktimusPryme]

Yeah, but I think they are mostly for cars like 4th gens. Where say if you have a 5 spoke wheel the spokes are all the way out to the face. Even putting 17-18s on a classic car they look better when they have a deep setting of the face of the rim. Im sure there is a proper term for what Im describing but I dont know it. I will probably just save up and buy those black Welds that I liked. That being said Im very much considering buying a new classic to be a daily driver so I might buy some trim rings and roll with the 15s on the bird right now.

If I do that I might take the 245s off the back and go to 235s. They stick out a little more than I like.

[NeighborsComplaint]

I know what you're saying. My old 17x8 5 spokes looked like the spokes were flush with the rim.

[64speed]

I bought 18x8 torque thrust style wheels except the spokes aren’t as curved and they are more v shaped than rounded for less than 200 a piece from us wheel thru summit. They have the magnesium look centers but are polished and cleared with no “texture”. The guys at the body shop were blown away when I told them what I paid for them. I have less than a thousand dollars in wheels and tires

[64speed]

For the record though I will buy a nicer and wider tire when it comes time to replace these. I just bought them cause they were guaranteed fit and I didn’t think the first set would last very long anyway

[RocktimusPryme]

Ohh zombie thread.

FWIW I ended up going with Race Star Dark Stars in the Black Chrome with sadly are no longer in production.

I originally went with a reverse stagger 17" in the front and 15" in the rear with the drag radials out back. I had plans to purchase some 17x9.5 rears for normal street tire rears. Then my front 17inch cracked. Maybe bad luck, maybe a forging weakness. I don't recall ever making a pot hole hard. I had 45 profile tires so its not like I had rubber bands. But long story short it spooked me on using light weight racing 17" rims on the front of a car that doesn't have a more modern fast acting strut suspension. So I bought some 15x8 fronts because they had already sold out of the last of the dark chrome 15x7s. I had to use a small spacer to get the 8 inch wide rims to work in the front.

I still have the 17s, which I should repair the one and be on the lookout for a used rear set to match that I could use on another car down the line.

If I were still in the market for a pro touring style wheel, these are killer looking and are on a pretty sick sale right now.Way back when I made thing thread I was considering paying almost double this for a Cosmis wheel.

https://cosmisusa.com/products/cosmi...hoCNCUQAvD_BwE

[JLMounce]

This thread is too old to really talk about wheels in the $250 ea. range anymore. For the most part those days are past.

Rocket Racing Wheels does have both the Attack and the new Racing Flair that launched not too long ago. Both are slated in the auto-x wheel category and can typically be had in conventional sizes and backspaces for around $450.00 per wheel.

In some instances you can also look at BMW wheels designed for cars like the E36, then use a spacer as necessary. That has always been a go to in the pro-touring scene.

[HWYSTR455]

There's still some in the 250-300 range when you buy 4, but selection can be limited.

You can still get a set of 18s of US Mag wheels in the 1100-1200 range.

Some clearance wheels you can still get for around 200-250 a piece, like these REV ones:

https://www.holley.com/products/whee...s/110S-8906100

REV, Ridler, Vision, and even some American Racing ones are in the $150-$250 range.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/are-51088034400

https://www.summitracing.com/itemgro...diameter=18-in

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vsw-1438861gmml1

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rid-607-8861g

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rwg-110s-8806100

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rid-650-8861g

Just gotta shop it. eGay has sets that include lugs even, free shipping, under $1200.

You can always keep an eye out for used, too.

IMO, it's pointless to shop anything smaller than 18" for a driver-type car. Tire selection is starting to get tough on those even.



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[JLMounce]

Color me surprised. I thought these were long past that price point. Though I haven't looked recently.

I agree that 18's are the key right now. Good tires in the 17" sizes are definitely becoming harder to find and are now in some cases as much, or more than the 18" size equivalent. One of the reasons I upgraded wheels last winter. I'll be set again on wheel and tire choice for another 7-10 years.

[HWYSTR455]

Forged wheels are off the charts, not sure how there's even a market for them. Like who spends $10-$20k for a set of wheels? Might be a small niche of people but don't think you can make a living on selling those.

I remember Centerline used to have super affordable wheels, and they had a wide range of backspacing, but that started fading away, and now, even looks like they may be going under.

Musclecar and race car markets are still pretty big, but many are focusing on modern muscle and 'custom' cars. That now has a baseline of basically 20" and larger wheels. I understand that tire tech is moving in that direction, but uhg, looks pretty ridiculous to me.

I remember folks not liking anything over 15s, guess I'm in that next group of crusties that don't care for 20"-up.

Trucks too, that's a big market right now, and is probably driving a lot of the manufacturers.

Soon as flying cars finally hit, it's going to crush all but the hardcore era and 'vintage/antique' groups. And that will be within 10 years, I'm sure. There's already companies that have some consumer 'craft'.

,

[JLMounce]

There are some Forged wheels available that aren't stratospheric, but still not cheap. My set of BC Forged wheels was just over 5K with tires. Wheels themselves were $4250.00

I realize that's actually a lot of money as I'm typing it. Certainly not everyone can actually afford that.

I know the Wheel Pros bankruptcy is also causing a lot of issues. Anything under that brand may have limited availability and may really only start to stock high volume off the shelf stuff. The problem with that is getting anything wider than 8" becomes unfruitful when you're talking about 0 offset wheels.

[HWYSTR455]

There's still some that make 6" backspacing on 10" wide, but zero really would only apply to 7 or 8" wide wheel on our cars. Anything more than 4-4.5" from the hub face out is going to rub, depending on tire.

Unless you narrow the rear, but then you have to worry about rubbing the lower control arm or the leaf spring (in the back).

Unless you run tubular arms up front, 6 or so inches inboard is max. And you will still have to mod the inner wheel well. There's still other stuff to deal with too, depending on how far you go, like sway bar, frame, etc.

When it comes to max effort, if you go to an aftermarket chassis, but then you have money to do whatever wheel you need. And fab anything that needs to be.

As a reminder, it is possible to actually have too wide a tire/wheel. Contact patch downforce is the limiter, unless you are just going for looks.



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[RocktimusPryme]

I could be wrong, but I think all Race Stars are forged, and they are regularly on sale around $200 each. Maybe Im mixing up terminology.

I want to use their Bronze "Mirage" wheel that looks like a salt flats wheel on my gasser project. But class rules state that only cast wheels are allowed. I did some poking and it seems that all of Race Stars wheels are considered billet.