Exactly What Wheels & Tires Fit C Bodies?
- Thread starter amazinblue82
- Start date
Fury1969WI
Member
17x7 front with 255/50R17 and 17x8 rear with 275/50R17, zero offset (catalog spec American Racing VN501 500 wheels and NITTO NT 555 GT tires).
You could run 285's in back but that's a very difficult width to get for some reason - at least with the 17" wheel i'd already settled on. 295s are possible with some offset and maybe more if you're willing to move the spring in. Note: I am not running, nor plan to run, the skirts.
**********
Other: I added just a very little weld to the steering (bump?) stop in the front lower control arm. After adding the Borgeson steering box some years ago i noticed the tires started hitting the inside frame at full lock with same wheels and tires (cop wheels with BFG TA 255/50R15). I just lived with it, was just enough to rub the paint at full lock and never saw any tire damage after tens of thousands of miles.
When it came time for new wheels/tires I dug into that a bit more. I inquired with Peter Bergman (at BAC) and he confirmed there is a skosh more turning/tighter turning radius in the new boxes vs factory (he also said i was the first person in 10 years to ask about that/notice). I was considering adding a small wheel spacer but Peter indicated it's better to just add some weld/material to the lower control arm if you wanted to change that radius - more like back to stock turning radius. I haven't noticed a difference in turning radius yet, i suppose car show season will be the real test -getting in and out of some of those can be tight.
Finally, i have some 4 and 10 mil wheel spacers. I am contemplating adding some to the PS rear wheel. As many have noted, these axles are not perfectly centered. My side to side measured about -0.5" (!) to the passenger side compared to the drivers side. There's been a LOT of body work done to this car and it's been hit before so that could be why it's more than most are reporting. Point is, with the wider tires it's more noticeable so might add a spacer if it bugs me. I'm not spending $500 for one wheel with custom offset.
Anyway, appreciate this thread and input. Special thanks to bnz84
You could run 285's in back but that's a very difficult width to get for some reason - at least with the 17" wheel i'd already settled on. 295s are possible with some offset and maybe more if you're willing to move the spring in. Note: I am not running, nor plan to run, the skirts.
**********
Other: I added just a very little weld to the steering (bump?) stop in the front lower control arm. After adding the Borgeson steering box some years ago i noticed the tires started hitting the inside frame at full lock with same wheels and tires (cop wheels with BFG TA 255/50R15). I just lived with it, was just enough to rub the paint at full lock and never saw any tire damage after tens of thousands of miles.
When it came time for new wheels/tires I dug into that a bit more. I inquired with Peter Bergman (at BAC) and he confirmed there is a skosh more turning/tighter turning radius in the new boxes vs factory (he also said i was the first person in 10 years to ask about that/notice). I was considering adding a small wheel spacer but Peter indicated it's better to just add some weld/material to the lower control arm if you wanted to change that radius - more like back to stock turning radius. I haven't noticed a difference in turning radius yet, i suppose car show season will be the real test -getting in and out of some of those can be tight.
Finally, i have some 4 and 10 mil wheel spacers. I am contemplating adding some to the PS rear wheel. As many have noted, these axles are not perfectly centered. My side to side measured about -0.5" (!) to the passenger side compared to the drivers side. There's been a LOT of body work done to this car and it's been hit before so that could be why it's more than most are reporting. Point is, with the wider tires it's more noticeable so might add a spacer if it bugs me. I'm not spending $500 for one wheel with custom offset.
Anyway, appreciate this thread and input. Special thanks to bnz84
Last edited:
Dsertdog
Old man with an old guitar, and a blue note.
I don't know about the backspacing, but the rims fit perfectly.
The fronts are 14x6 Ansen sprints drilled in a 4.5 bolt pattern. Tires are 225/70/14
Rears are 15x7.5 ET unilugs with 255/60/15s. Most of the rake is from the rear tire diameter and the 1" arched ESPO springs.
eyeballing it, the backspace is likely around 3.5 inches (or slightly positive offset). i can see a concave face, so offset could even be "zero" (3 inches in a six inch wide wheel). rears may be 4.0 backspace.
either way, with those tire sizes, on an unmodified car, would likely be fine.
i dont know the Ansen wheel brand from personal ownership experience but i am certain they are well constructed/high quality (so they probably dont even offer "problematic" offsets) in six inch to 7.5 inch widths probably dont allow a tire to be mounted that is wide enough to create interference issues with "standard" offset wheels
nice look!
Last edited:
@fury fan are you still running 235/60R15s on the fronts? Any sidewall rub at max steering lock? Got any pics of how they look in the wheel well? Saw your post #83 but unfortunately there wasn't enough light to see the wheels in those.
I originally wanted 215/70R15s but because I kept humming and hawing about it, the specific ones I was after were sold out by the time I decided to pull the trigger. Am going to run the 80s 15x7 cop steelies and like fat sidewalls so I'm hoping 235/60 is fat enough.
I originally wanted 215/70R15s but because I kept humming and hawing about it, the specific ones I was after were sold out by the time I decided to pull the trigger. Am going to run the 80s 15x7 cop steelies and like fat sidewalls so I'm hoping 235/60 is fat enough.
fury fan
Old Man with a Hat
Yes, still 235/60-15 on the fronts.
No sidewall rub, there's 3-4" between tire and framerail at full left-turn on hte driverside. (I didn't check passenger side but expect it to be not much different).
I have run 235/60-15 on several different 15x7 Mopar wheels, on the front of several C-bodies, with no rub issues.
I did have a rub issue to the brake hoses with that wheel/tire combo on a J-body, though.
Here's are 2 better pics. If you need a straight side shot LMK.
fury fan
Old Man with a Hat
To add - if you are putting tires on a Fusey, they might benefit from a taller 70-series, their wheelwells are a little bigger-looking.
I had originally wanted 70s, but by the time I decided to buy them they were all sold out. And the factory still hasn't made a peep as to whether they're actually making them or not. Otherwise I might try out 205/65R15s since there's one tyre pattern that I know has a supernatural amount of wet grip while being priced as a regular everyday commuter tyre.
Oops, misread your post - not going on a fusey, it's a slab side, 67 Fury. More or less identical to yours.
Oops, misread your post - not going on a fusey, it's a slab side, 67 Fury. More or less identical to yours.
Last edited:
I see you're from Australia. I had to check when I saw the above.
fury fan
Old Man with a Hat
That decreased 1/2" of BS and/or lack of fenderskirt latch must make the difference between your 68 and mine.
I have the same 275-60 tire size but on a 15x8 Ramcharger wheel with 4" BS. I needed a slightly-narrower rear axle to keep the tires off the fenderskirt latch.
Probably the latch was the bigger conflict.
Question - how do the hubcaps fit on your WV wheels?
I had thought of getting another pair of 15x8, with same offset as yours, to fit on a different car without the rearend swap.
But there are lots of reviews that the caps fit too loosely, and looking at photos of how the wheel disc is stamped, it's not the same as OEM.
If anything, I find these caps a bit on the tight side. They are the 69(-??) Plymouth Division caps.
New wheels this week finally.
1966 Chrysler 300
15x8 Magnum 500 Rear with 4.5" backspace - 245/60/15
15x7 Magnum 500 Front with 3.5" backspace - 235/60/15
No issues whatsoever with any rubbing or turning.
Could have went to 265 on the rears, but some mods to the wheel spats would need to be performed to make it work.
Couldn't find a 70 series tire for the front, but still very happy overall.
The difference from the old 14" 195 radial ply cheese cutters to this is night and day - the car now hugs the road and drives in a straight line, didn't even need to do any wheel alignment.
1966 Chrysler 300
15x8 Magnum 500 Rear with 4.5" backspace - 245/60/15
15x7 Magnum 500 Front with 3.5" backspace - 235/60/15
No issues whatsoever with any rubbing or turning.
Could have went to 265 on the rears, but some mods to the wheel spats would need to be performed to make it work.
Couldn't find a 70 series tire for the front, but still very happy overall.
The difference from the old 14" 195 radial ply cheese cutters to this is night and day - the car now hugs the road and drives in a straight line, didn't even need to do any wheel alignment.
1970300vert
Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2012
- Messages
- 96
- Reaction score
- 106
That looks fantastic! I have a 70 300 vert that I am wanting to put these wheels on. Do you know if there are any front hub issues with these wheels on a front drum design? Also would you mind sharing with me where you purchased your wheels from?
Do you still have Lt & Rt hand lug nuts in the car? Thank you
C-Body Wheel and Tire Survey
20-inch Raceline wheels and 245/40/20 and 255/45/20 tires. car is heavily modified underneath.
20-inch Raceline wheels and 245/40/20 and 255/45/20 tires. car is heavily modified underneath.
Hey mate. No hub clearance issues at all. The center bore was 72mm if that helps.
Yes, still have the Lt & Rt lugs as well.
Wheels came from an Australian company. BCI Wheels
1970300vert
Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2012
- Messages
- 96
- Reaction score
- 106
I am just concerned that the magnum wheels might not fit correctly. This is what my front drum and wheel looks like. It seems it wouldn’t fit flush on the drum?
I had those same drums on my '70 Newport. Before I converted the car to disks, I needed to use spacers to mount the Shelby 500's on my car. Glad I don't need to do that anymore.
Similar threads
