Anyone increased backspace via machining rims

First of all, I want to thank everyone for all the excellent advice in response to my post. I fully agree that my initial inclination of milling the backspace was trashbin material.

And I especially admired the suggestion of turning down of the hub on the wood lathe, unfortunately I am woefully unskilled in such an operation.

However I have had great experience with the common crowbar, an under-rated implement, in my opinion. And only one minor fender malformation to report too!

Here's what happened.

First, I braced the outer fender lips, respectively in turn, against solid wood, anchored against my concrete carport walls. Then I hacksawed several vertical slits six inches apart or so along the inside beveled edges. I heatgunned and rubber malletted them down in no time flat, really flat, then I took my trusty grinder and shaved them down further, and cheated a few milimeters off the inside redius edges too. Self etching primer from the inside out, finished it off.

Then I went crowbar on them from the outside. I swelled them out gradually with a multitude of measured quarter inch apart pulls, using a wooden bock against the inner fender as a fulcrum. The driver side went perfect, but, inflated with arrogance, I kind of overdid the passenger side and put a small wow above the wheel, plus a bit of a ripple on the lip.

But I don't care, I fixed it myself, and all it cost me was three days after work underneath and over the car. Besides, the fenders needed repainting anyway, and good fibreglass filler is made right here in North America, so it will stay authentic.

Finally, I took the car down the worst bumpy, dippy, and twisty (good) roads and met with Great Success! Zero rubbing. Now the car handles like an Italian sportscar with those four sticky low profile Nittos riding on seventeen by eights all round. And I keep my fifth for a spare.

Though I don't think anyone would want to see the start of a crowbar thread.

I'm not saying that I did it right or the best way, intellectually speaking, but it sure felt good pounding, grinding and bending with my hands and basic tools into submission the steel that was trying to eat my tires. Now I can rip around in this awsome Dart and I'm happy about that.