Rear Wheel Fitment w/ Spacers

Hello FABO!

Edit: Title should say adaptors instead of spacers but the end result is the same so yeah...

I asked this on an A-body Facebook group and got one answer and I am posting here to hopefully get some more insight (hopefully someone out there has done this exact thing and can provide first hand experience).

My 74' Dart currently has 14" steel wheels in the rear and its SBP 7 1/4". I don't know why its SBP, it originally was LBP but its something that the previous owner did and I have to deal with it until I get another LBP rear end built for it. I do plan to put a LBP rear in it eventually but I would like to drive it with my nice cop car rims.

With that, I currently have 215/70r14 in the rear on the 5.5" wide rims and they clear with MILES of space (roughly 3" lol) and from what I am reading a 195/75 would have been what the factory threw on there. I purchased a set of cop car wheels (15x7) and plan to run them with a 1" adaptor to take it from SBP to LBP. Can I fit a 215/60r15 tire given the stock width of the 7 1/4" plus the 1" adaptor? I have read that the cop car wheels have a 4.75" backspacing instead of the 4.5" backspacing so not sure how things will shape up once you add up all the extra width. Not looking to go as wide as possible, just wanting to figure out what will fit. Its a slant car that's going to stay that way.

Thanks everyone!

Cop wheels have a 4 1/4 backspace. They are going to stick out of the wheel well a good amount.

Frank

The wheel adaptors move it out 1 inch on each side, measure the old wheels offset compared to the new wheels and add that to the 1 inch. Will you be using different
size tires now? if so factor that in. Add those up and see how much room is left. I
have used scrap wood as spacers and junk tires to check fitment.

66jim said:

The wheel adaptors move it out 1 inch on each side, measure the old wheels offset compared to the new wheels and add that to the 1 inch. Will you be using different
size tires now? if so factor that in. Add those up and see how much room is left. I
have used scrap wood as spacers and junk tires to check fitment.

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I ultimately plan to throw 215/60r15 width tires on it since 195/75r14 appears to be what it would have rolled out of the factory with and this would correct the speedometer (which is wrong with whats on there now) but width wise the tires are the same as the current set-up.

I was thinking about making mock wood adaptors last night too. If there is no way its going to work there is no sense in spending the money on the billet adaptors, I would rather just dump it in to the replacement rear end.

duster2 said:

Cop wheels have a 4 1/4 backspace. They are going to stick out of the wheel well a good amount.

Frank

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Well crap lol..

Bolt a stick on and measure clearance?

Gabriels skyjackers at 120 pounds and you'll be fine
(And styling like its 1973)

(I think that's only 80 pounds in the pic, but you get the idea)

diymirage said:

Gabriels skyjackers at 120 pounds and you'll be fine
(And styling like its 1973)

(I think that's only 80 pounds in the pic, but you get the idea)

View attachment 1715425769

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It's a Dart, not a Duster.

Even if he wanted to blow out his shock mounts, the wheel opening is so much lower he still probably wouldn't clear the tires.

72bluNblu said:

It's a Dart, not a Duster.

Even if he wanted to blow out his shock mounts, the wheel opening is so much lower he still probably wouldn't clear the tires.

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that whole reply was meant to be tongue in cheek
I know not every one likes the 70s look

I used one of these when I began tub work . This tool can eliminate some guess work. Pretty pricey though at $66 - $80.

Google Wheelrite

diymirage said:

that whole reply was meant to be tongue in cheek
I know not every one likes the 70s look

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It currently has the good ol' long hangers and spring helpers (that the previous owner installed because the springs are shot) so its sitting high in the rear as it is. Its funny, I found a mound of paperwork to back up all the work he did, $2200 in new front end parts and hundreds more in other stuff around the car but he skimped on the entire rear. I know this isn't safe so springs come with the new rear when that happens. I found an A-body 8 1/4 out of a 76 slant 6/904 car in my local wrecking yard but they want almost $400 for it (seems high?) and I am fairly sure I have to pick up the drive shaft too. If the springs are good I may see if they will make me a deal for the whole enchilada