Back space help please!!

no, it won't, because were the wheel mounts to the car is in a different spot on the wheel. one mounts at the centerline of the wheel, the other is 1/2" inboard

drawing poorly in ascii the cross section:

8" wheel, 0 offset

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
TT TT
TT TT
WT TW
WWWWWWWWW
W
W
W
W
W
WWWWWWWWW
WT TW
TT TT
TT TT
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

7" wheel, negative offset

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
TT TT
TT TT
WT TW
WWWWWWWW
W
W
W
W
W
WWWWWWWW
WT TW
TT TT
TT TT
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

aligning the wheel mount face (where it attaches to the car), you see the outer sidewall of the tire is pushed out farther, even with the same "frontspace".


look at it this way. a 255 tire is 10" wide. on a 4.5" backspace, 8" wheel (0 offset), 5" of the tire is to the inside of the wheel mount face, 5" to the outside. on a 3.5" backspace, 7" wheel (-1/2" offset), 4.5" of the tire is to the inside of the wheel mount space, BUT 5.5" IS TO THE OUTSIDE

this is why looking at offset, rather than backspacing makes figuring out tire fitment so much easier from a wheelwell positioning standpoint..... a 5" wide 0 offset wheel will put the tire in the same spot as a 7" 0 offset wheel as a 10" 0 offset wheel, but the backspacing on those 3 widths are 3", 4" and 5.5" respectively.
The outer surface of the wheel will be in the same location. If you subtract an inch of backspace, you move the wheel out an inch. Then remove an inch of width (going from 8" to 7") on the outside (to keep the bs at 3.5"), won't the outside surface land at the original spot?

The tire will just be centered slightly outward. If the OP is tight on space with the current combo, making the switch may cause rubbing on the outer wheel arch. He's gonna have to make that call.