Front vs rear wheel sizes for best handling
I just put new wheels and shoes on the Duster last week. After reading in depth about other A body wheel selections, I went with 17" x 8" wheels. I purchased the tires and wheels at the local Discount tire store. These guys were VERY helpful. The first set of wheels ordered were an aluminum black 5 spoke with a 30mm offset. The Discount crew said to take one wheel and test fit on the car (car is 3/4 compete with its restoration, undergoing a Painless wiring harness install at this time) without mounting the tire to the rim. These wheels sat very close to the rear leaf spring and did not fit over the hub of the front disc brake of the 1975 Duster. Round two: wheels sent back, and a set of US Mags 17" x 8" with a zero offset were ordered. These wheels had a larger opening for the front wheel bearing hub of the disc brake. Once again, I took a wheel to the car, and test for fitment. Well over an inch of space between the leaf spring and outer wheel lip. Also fit good on the front. These aluminum 8" wheels are about 9.2" in overall outside width. Tires. The next challenge involved picking a brand, style, and size. The pick was 235 50 17 BFG G-Force. These are a directional radial tire that is rated well for grip. The car had 1.03" PST torsion bars, front sway bar, and offset bushings installed so it should be good for radial tires. The goal is to have a good handling car that is fun to drive. 235s were a little too big for the front, and touched the rear part of the front fender. On the rear, great fit. The fronts were changed to 215 45 17s which gave an inch or so of clearance on the fender. The Duster is equipped with power steering. The pics are shown before any torsion bar adjustment yet, just lowered to the ground. I do have ceramic Hooker headers on the 340, so there is concern of hitting the collectors on speed bumps if the car sits too low.
I just put new wheels and shoes on the Duster last week. After reading in depth about other A body wheel selections, I went with 17" x 8" wheels. I purchased the tires and wheels at the local Discount tire store. These guys were VERY helpful. The first set of wheels ordered were an aluminum black 5 spoke with a 30mm offset. The Discount crew said to take one wheel and test fit on the car (car is 3/4 compete with its restoration, undergoing a Painless wiring harness install at this time) without mounting the tire to the rim. These wheels sat very close to the rear leaf spring and did not fit over the hub of the front disc brake of the 1975 Duster. Round two: wheels sent back, and a set of US Mags 17" x 8" with a zero offset were ordered. These wheels had a larger opening for the front wheel bearing hub of the disc brake. Once again, I took a wheel to the car, and test for fitment. Well over an inch of space between the leaf spring and outer wheel lip. Also fit good on the front. These aluminum 8" wheels are about 9.2" in overall outside width. Tires. The next challenge involved picking a brand, style, and size. The pick was 235 50 17 BFG G-Force. These are a directional radial tire that is rated well for grip. The car had 1.03" PST torsion bars, front sway bar, and offset bushings installed so it should be good for radial tires. The goal is to have a good handling car that is fun to drive. 235s were a little too big for the front, and touched the rear part of the front fender. On the rear, great fit. The fronts were changed to 215 45 17s which gave an inch or so of clearance on the fender. The Duster is equipped with power steering. The pics are shown before any torsion bar adjustment yet, just lowered to the ground. I do have ceramic Hooker headers on the 340, so there is concern of hitting the collectors on speed bumps if the car sits too low.
