Max tire and wheel size for 72 Dart

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Coastie

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Ive got a 72 dart swinger (/6, so small rear end and bolt pattern). I want to fill out the rear end and give it a bit of rake. What is the tallest and widest tire i can have back there under the stock suspension? Moving up to 15" rims, whats offset will i need?

And being hopeful; but if i get 15" steelies, will i still be able to use my dog dishes on my 14s?
 
15x7 with 4.25 backspace and 255/60-15's worked for me. I have a 8 3/4 and stock springs with a extra leaf added. Small bolt wheels by Wheel Vintiques.
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toolmanmike said:
15x7 with 4.25 backspace and 255/60-15's worked for me. I have a 8 3/4 and stock springs with a extra leaf added. Small bolt wheels by Wheel Vintiques.
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I cant quite tell from the picture, but do you have noticable rake? Do you think you have any more room to go taller in the back? Can you post a photo from straight on the side and the back?
 
Coastie said:
I cant quite tell from the picture, but do you have noticable rake? Do you think you have any more room to go taller in the back? Can you post a photo from straight on the side and the back?
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My 69 sits much lower in back and has 235 70r15 which in Cooper Cobra are listed as 27.91" tall, 255 60 r15 are 27" I believe. I'm
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not 100% sure but I think 67-69 Darts have similar wheelwell to 70 and up.
 
Not to hijack, but I just bought a '71 Scamp and both rear tires are trashed. It's on stock "14 rims. Rather than buy the same, stock size; what's a larger tire that will fit without any modifications?
 
Coastie said:
I cant quite tell from the picture, but do you have noticable rake? Do you think you have any more room to go taller in the back? Can you post a photo from straight on the side and the back?
Click to expand...
@Coastie
Sorry I didn't get back to you. I will post up some pics tomorrow. Thanks for the interest.
 
Coastie said:
Ive got a 72 dart swinger (/6, so small rear end and bolt pattern). I want to fill out the rear end and give it a bit of rake. What is the tallest and widest tire i can have back there under the stock suspension? Moving up to 15" rims, whats offset will i need?

And being hopeful; but if i get 15" steelies, will i still be able to use my dog dishes on my 14s?
Click to expand...

Toolmanmike pretty much nailed it. I think 255’s may be a little optimistic. I know they fit his car (and others) but the body tolerances on these cars isn’t great. If you have a car that’s on the narrow side of the tolerance, the 255/60/15’s can rub. Especially if the wheel isn’t perfectly centered in the wheel house. A 245/60/15 is a “safer” choice, gives you a little more leeway if everything isn’t perfectly square and equal. And some of these cars don’t even have the same clearance on both sides of the car. Even a 245/60/15 isn’t necessarily a slam dunk on all of them, there are Darts that have a hard time fitting 245’s in the back. I’ve measured my ‘71 Dart a whole bunch of times, I’m still on the fence between 245’s and 255’s. Pretty sure the 255’s will fit, but it’s tight. And being wrong buying tires is expensive.

So, break out a tape measure and a carpenters square and figure out the straight line distance from your wheel mounting surface to the springs and from the wheel mounting surface to the quarter lip. Do that, and we can figure out your ideal backspace and if you have the space to run 255’s.
 
The Rev said:
Not to hijack, but I just bought a '71 Scamp and both rear tires are trashed. It's on stock "14 rims. Rather than buy the same, stock size; what's a larger tire that will fit without any modifications?
Click to expand...
215/75R14, maybe a 225/70R14. With 14" skinny wheels... you are really limited in tire selection.
 
72bluNblu said:
Toolmanmike pretty much nailed it. I think 255’s may be a little optimistic. I know they fit his car (and others) but the body tolerances on these cars isn’t great. If you have a car that’s on the narrow side of the tolerance, the 255/60/15’s can rub. Especially if the wheel isn’t perfectly centered in the wheel house. A 245/60/15 is a “safer” choice, gives you a little more leeway if everything isn’t perfectly square and equal. And some of these cars don’t even have the same clearance on both sides of the car. Even a 245/60/15 isn’t necessarily a slam dunk on all of them, there are Darts that have a hard time fitting 245’s in the back. I’ve measured my ‘71 Dart a whole bunch of times, I’m still on the fence between 245’s and 255’s. Pretty sure the 255’s will fit, but it’s tight. And being wrong buying tires is expensive.

So, break out a tape measure and a carpenters square and figure out the straight line distance from your wheel mounting surface to the springs and from the wheel mounting surface to the quarter lip. Do that, and we can figure out your ideal backspace and if you have the space to run 255’s.
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I agree completely. The rear on my car isn't centered and I can slide my fingers between the tire and the fender lip on one side and not on the other. If the previous owner hadn't added a extra leaf to the springs for height and stiffness I would have tire cutting for sure. I would be forced to cut or roll the fender lip or go with a smaller tire.
 
Coastie said:
I cant quite tell from the picture, but do you have noticable rake? Do you think you have any more room to go taller in the back? Can you post a photo from straight on the side and the back?
Click to expand...

@Coastie

I do have a slight rake and I will try to capture it in the pictures. Parking on a hill and positioning the camera low makes it look like more than it really is. I don't have much room for taller tires (70 series instead of 60's?). With 255's the tire is pretty close to the front of the fender opening.

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toolmanmike said:
@Coastie

I do have a slight rake and I will try to capture it in the pictures. Parking on a hill and positioning the camera low makes it look like more than it really is. I don't have much room for taller tires (70 series instead of 60's?). With 255's the tire is pretty close to the front of the fender opening.

View attachment 1715145012 View attachment 1715145013 View attachment 1715145015 View attachment 1715145016 View attachment 1715145017 View attachment 1715145018
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Looks really good!

On a semi related note; im contemplating going with an adapter to get 15s, (4 to 4.5), and i know te adapter adds an inch to the width; so i need a wheel with 5.5 or 3.5 back spacing? Sorry, im really new to wheels.
 
Coastie said:
Looks really good!

On a semi related note; im contemplating going with an adapter to get 15s, (4 to 4.5), and i know te adapter adds an inch to the width; so i need a wheel with 5.5 or 3.5 back spacing? Sorry, im really new to wheels.
Click to expand...
Let me think about this, you would neef a deeper offset wheel I believe.
 
toolmanmike said:
15x7 with 4.25 backspace and 255/60-15's worked for me. I have a 8 3/4 and stock springs with a extra leaf added. Small bolt wheels by Wheel Vintiques.
View attachment 1715140810
Click to expand...

What do you have on the front? I have a set of, I believe, 15x6.5 rallies (I never could figure out what they're off of, but Chrysler still had trim rings for them) and since your car has PERFECT stance, I want what you got, and for you to have something better.

If you're inclined to measure that rake, Either degrees or body height measurements, I'd sure be grateful. I've got super stock springs under my car and need to get them de-arched.

Will a slightly narrower rim make much of a difference?
 
jos51700 said:
What do you have on the front? I have a set of, I believe, 15x6.5 rallies (I never could figure out what they're off of, but Chrysler still had trim rings for them) and since your car has PERFECT stance, I want what you got, and for you to have something better.

If you're inclined to measure that rake, Either degrees or body height measurements, I'd sure be grateful. I've got super stock springs under my car and need to get them de-arched.

Will a slightly narrower rim make much of a difference?
Click to expand...
The fronts are 14x6's thus adding to the rake. I would have to work on the rake. I don't have any way to measure the degrees but I can measure to the tops of the wheel opening if I get a chance. The car is in the storage garage.
 
Coastie said:
Looks really good!

On a semi related note; im contemplating going with an adapter to get 15s, (4 to 4.5), and i know te adapter adds an inch to the width; so i need a wheel with 5.5 or 3.5 back spacing? Sorry, im really new to wheels.
Click to expand...
1" thick adapter means 1" more backspacing to keep everything the same. Problem is, there is only a very limited selection of wheels made that way. Typically a 7" wheel for these cars needs 4.25"-4.50" backspacing. Pretty easy to find those. Now try to find 7" wheels with a 5.25" minimum backspacing. Good luck.
 
toolmanmike said:
The fronts are 14x6's thus adding to the rake. I would have to work on the rake. I don't have any way to measure the degrees but I can measure to the tops of the wheel opening if I get a chance. The car is in the storage garage.
Click to expand...
What size are those front tires?
 
cpearce said:
My 69 sits much lower in back and has 235 70r15 which in Cooper Cobra are listed as 27.91" tall, 255 60 r15 are 27" I believe. I'm View attachment 1715140846 not 100% sure but I think 67-69 Darts have similar wheelwell to 70 and up.
Click to expand...
hi , any chance you could measure the gap between the tyre and the front of the rear wheel arch ? im hoping to fit 28'' tyres on mine but i know it will be close .
 
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