My new wheels won’t fit

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Gotemduster

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i just bought these jegs 15x8 wheels with a 5.50 back space. The tires are 275/60 drag radial. The tires hits the springs, I’m going to replace with cal trac. I’m thinking of getting the 4.50 back space. That 1 in back space should help..what did you guys do to make this wheel/tire fits?

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Welcome to FABO. Too much backspace. Cal Tracs probably won't help unless you move your springs in. You bought the wrong wheels, sorry. There's tons of wheel offset information here. Use the search function on your upper right.
 
toolmanmike said:
Welcome to FABO. Too much backspace. Cal Tracs probably won't help unless you move your springs in. You bought the wrong wheels, sorry. There's tons of wheel offset information here. Use the search function on your upper right.
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Yep and from the looks of it, the front of whee opening would have to be clearanced too
 
(I was just typing the same info when Gotemduster and Dartsun posted!)

It might be cheaper than replacing the wheels, but would there be enough room if you used a 3/4" offset kit for the leaf spring hangers It would require the spring pads to be cut & rewelded, adding labor costs.

I thought I heard that Cal-trac can make a "slightly" narrower spring. But I'm sure it wouldn't be enough by itself.
 
Locomotion said:
(I was just typing the same info when Gotemduster and Dartsun posted!)

It might be cheaper than replacing the wheels, but would there be enough room if you used a 3/4" offset kit for the leaf spring hangers It would require the spring pads to be cut & rewelded, adding labor costs.

I thought I heard that Cal-trac can make a "slightly" narrower spring. But I'm sure it wouldn't be enough by itself.
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I only bought one wheel thank god..those are $150 shipped..i think i will get the 4.5 back space and the offset shackle kit..that should be more than enough.
 
DesertRat said:
4.25" backspace work with your tire\wheel combo without moving the springs. That is on my 67 Barracuda though.
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You Barracuda guys are lucky. Duster, Demon's too. You have enough wheel opening clearance for a 8" wheel with a 4.25-4.50 offset. The Darts are pretty tight unless you roll or trim the lip. I run 15x7's on my Swinger.
 
My 2 cents...

  1. take your old tire and wheel and mount it on the car.
  2. have the tire support the weight of the car with the car on the ground(ie all 4 tires on the ground)
  3. measure the back side of the tire to the spring
  4. measure the front of the tire to the edge of the fender lip
  5. measure the outside of the tire to the fender lip
  6. measure the old tire and wheel back spacing
  7. measure the tire cross section width
  8. measure the olde tire diameter.
  9. use the new tire and wheel to get the same measurements as in #6 thru #8
  10. now do some math! (the hard part!)
with this info you will know how wide, tall a tire can be and what backspacing you will need to make it all fit.

Keep one thing in mind. the rear end moves around under normal driving, it will move side to side when cornering, forward and backward when moving up and down, and it will rotate as the body leans to one side or the other, and will move up and down from weight and bumps. all these things need to be taken into account or you will have tire rubbing somewhere.

Also some tire shops have a tool that mounts to the car inplace of a tire wheel combo that can be adjusted and it will get the max sizes for you.
 
Too much backspace has an easy cheap cure called spacers. That wheel does not appear to be hub-centric anyway, so if you have the correct nuts for it, spacers are no big deal. And then once mounted you can check the other clearances. For test fitting, I have even used washers.

But IMO for track work;IDK why you wouldn't move the springs and or narrow the rear as may be required. I'm pretty sure the Duster/Demon tubs are the same width as my Barracuda, which easily accepts 295/50-15s on 10s. Miles of room.Centered in there I can rip around turns as hard as I want.... as well.
 
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AJ/FormS said:
Too much backspace has an easy cheap cure called spacers. That wheel does not appear to be hub-centric anyway, so if you have the correct nuts for it, spacers are no big deal. And then once mounted you can check the other clearances. For test fitting, I have even used washers.

But IMO for track work;IDK why you wouldn't move the springs and or narrow the rear as may be required. I'm pretty sure the Duster/Demon tubs are the same width as my Barracuda, which easily accepts 295/50-15s on 10s. Miles of room.Centered in there I can rip around turns as hard as I want.... as well.
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Would you use spacers even if it go down the 1/4 mile?
 
Gotemduster said:
Would you use spacers even if it go down the 1/4 mile?
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I have but my 60ft was in the 2.4zone,lol. I have even used adapters with a 340car;
you just have to add checking them, to your regularly scheduled maintenance program. Whatever you use has to span the cavities in the back of the mounting surface, I mean that's just common sense. I used vintage Ansen-Sprint type wheels, designed for 4.5 bolt-circle,so are not slotted, and which don't have cavities, and do use open-ended shank-drive nuts, and I installed screw-in long studs; So big hard washers worked for me.
 
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Well yeah, 5.50 ain't a Mopar backspacing. You found that out the hard way.
 
Not sure if they are legal or not in drag racing, but wheel spacers would or should be limited. May require aftermarket studs for safety and/or enough lug thread engagement.
 
The only way a 5 1/2 backspace will work on a Duster with the springs in the factory location,you have to mount the 275-60-15's on 10 inch rims. The car must have big bolt axles and the big brakes.
 
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