17x9 Cop Car Steelies

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GoFish

GoFish

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Steve Strope has been working on my '71 Scamp for awhile and he just gave me rim dimensions needed for the rear wheels. I spent two weeks looking for 17x9", 5-spoke rims with 5.5" backspacing without success. Keeping in mind the "sleeper look" I'm going for, cop car steelies would look great.

If I can find a company that has 17x9 hoops, they should be able to weld the centers to give me the backspacing needed. Searching websites for Stockton Wheel, Cragar and Wheel Vintiques, none of them seem to make 17's. So my question is, does anyone know of a company that makes a 17x9 steel cop car rim, similar to the 15" rims that came on cop cars in the '60's and '70's?

All suggestions appreciated!!
 
Wheels are a pain in the butt when you want a certain look I have a similar problem but I was wanting 16's so I ended up with the Wheel Vintiques 12 series smoothie and they do offer them in 17 X 9 w/ 5 1/4 BS. Porblem is they are dual bolt pattern. I was wanting a steel wheel no cap but it so happens my rotors are also dual pattern so I can either tap them and put a button head cap screw there or use the plain caps wheel vintiques offers I need to paint and mount a tire on one to better figure it out

http://www.wheelvintiques.com/index.php/smoothie-bare-finish.html

or maybe the 66 series http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wvi-66-791205/overview/
 

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Thanks, dodge71demon. Strange I couldn't find them on the Wheel Vintiques website. I don't particularly like the dual bolt pattern, but this is the closest thing I've found.

BTW, I went with 17's over 16's is because of better tire selection. I'm going with 275's, and even with springs moved inboard, We were concerned with tires rubbing. A lower profile tire should eliminate potential tire rub. This will be my daily driver, so I'll be dealing with all variety of road conditions.

Thanks for the link!
 
I have 17's on my use to be 74 Scamp with mag wheels ok for that car but on the 69 Valiant I'm doing I wanted more sidewall but not as much as the 15's have I will be using Goodyear Assurance TripleTred appears to be a pretty good tire and one of the few that offered the two different sizes I'm using 235/65 rear 205/60 front good luck it's not an easy thing to get right
 
Look for wheels from a Ford Crown Victoria cop car. They may be the size and look you are going for. Tell Steve that Romeo Says Hi !
 
Did you find any one who will make the 17" cop wheels? I would be interested in a set.

Thanks
 
Can you squeeze a 10" wheel under there? If so 17x10's with 5.5 are available as well as other backspacing.
 
What overall tire height are you aiming for? Even with 15x8 with 5.5 BS a 275 is pretty tight. And this is with Dr Diff spring relocation too. Mine are 26inch, and sit pretty centered in the wheelwell.
I would also love to see 17s, and still accept the stock center caps.
 
FredS said:
What overall tire height are you aiming for? Even with 15x8 with 5.5 BS a 275 is pretty tight. And this is with Dr Diff spring relocation too. Mine are 26inch, and sit pretty centered in the wheelwell.
I would also love to see 17s, and still accept the stock center caps.
Click to expand...

If you mean to the frame rails don't be afraid to use a QUALITY spacer. They work just fine, even for racing.

The offset shackles are easy and you don't have to do any tin work. Something else to consider.
 
The other fender lip is what I'm saying roccodart440. Plus, my tire is already very close to the leaf spring with 275s and the current rim. 10inch just seems too wide without pushing wheel further inwards into the inner tub, and into the springs, with just the relocation kit.
 
FredS said:
The other fender lip is what I'm saying roccodart440. Plus, my tire is already very close to the leaf spring with 275s and the current rim. 10inch just seems too wide without pushing wheel further inwards into the inner tub, and into the springs, with just the relocation kit.
Click to expand...

with the offset kit, not the relocation kit. you can fit 10.5" section width in the rear wheelwell IF you have the correct offset rim of course.
 
FredS said:
The other fender lip is what I'm saying roccodart440. Plus, my tire is already very close to the leaf spring with 275s and the current rim. 10inch just seems too wide without pushing wheel further inwards into the inner tub, and into the springs, with just the relocation kit.
Click to expand...

with the offset kit, not the relocation kit. you can fit 10.5" section width in the rear wheelwell IF you have the correct offset rim of course.
 
GoFish said:
Steve Strope has been working on my '71 Scamp for awhile and he just gave me rim dimensions needed for the rear wheels. I spent two weeks looking for 17x9", 5-spoke rims with 5.5" backspacing without success. Keeping in mind the "sleeper look" I'm going for, cop car steelies would look great.

If I can find a company that has 17x9 hoops, they should be able to weld the centers to give me the backspacing needed. Searching websites for Stockton Wheel, Cragar and Wheel Vintiques, none of them seem to make 17's. So my question is, does anyone know of a company that makes a 17x9 steel cop car rim, similar to the 15" rims that came on cop cars in the '60's and '70's?

All suggestions appreciated!!
Click to expand...

Wheel Vintiques made 17" steelies. (Jeff Koch's HRM project Montego ran them.) They still do...they have these, which they will sell in primer and you can paint black. Not "cop car" wheels, but might work.

Failing that...might late-model Crown Victoria wheels work?
 
Well I have to say this is a pretty good thread, and not for the wheel issue. I'd give my ballsack to speak to Steve Strope face to face. The guy is so in tune with my car desires and beyond. Then to discover one of our members is named Romeo, and friends with Steve Strope... Leads me to believe, he is the Romeo Furio that had Dust'ya built. What I believe to be the coolest Duster I've ever seen in print or person. Lol. One builder and one car that makes this 44 year old geek out and act like a fanboy! Lol. If ever I found myself in the position where money was no object... I'd be buying a mid to late seventies Plymouth cop car, the Dukes of Hazard body. I'd truck that baby out to Steve Strope so fast, and then beg him to build me a BMW killing Grand Tourer!!!! Hey we've all got dreams right? Lol
 
Just to add my .02, I'd think you could get crown Vic cop wheels, no they aren't Mopar cop wheels, but I thought they looked decent, and almost did it. You'd have to buy 6-8 of them but then having Stockton or any of the others cut and splice to make your needed wheel is pretty easy for them. Also another close option... Cragar Soft 8's. You can get a 17x9, w5" backspace. I have those for my car and love them. Again the big wheel guys could probably tweak those for you easy enough.
 
One more sorry about the twist. Some genius will come along and fix it for us.
 

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Specs... 17x9's with 275/40/17's rear. However we cut a 9" inch rearend to fit. So these measurements aren't necessarily rock solid for your car. My fronts are 17x8's with 245/40/17's. They aren't on the car yet. Backspace is 5" on the tears and 4.5' on the front.
 
GoFish said:
Steve Strope has been working on my '71 Scamp for awhile and he just gave me rim dimensions needed for the rear wheels. I spent two weeks looking for 17x9", 5-spoke rims with 5.5" backspacing without success. Keeping in mind the "sleeper look" I'm going for, cop car steelies would look great.

If I can find a company that has 17x9 hoops, they should be able to weld the centers to give me the backspacing needed. Searching websites for Stockton Wheel, Cragar and Wheel Vintiques, none of them seem to make 17's. So my question is, does anyone know of a company that makes a 17x9 steel cop car rim, similar to the 15" rims that came on cop cars in the '60's and '70's?

All suggestions appreciated!!
Click to expand...

Nice, to see you back. Go Fish, Go Knicks!Stockton would be my choice, Vintiques are nice, extremely pricey. Have you checked the actual Ford & Dodge CHP wheels? The later Ford Crown Vic wheels, look interesting. (Still a Laker fan ?, lol., been since Norm Nixon was starting point...)
 
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