63 Dodge Dart, now let me see;)

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Maybe I missed it, but can not your wheels be store bought (not custom) in a slightly more back space? Same width wheel with a little more BS? Sorta like what Geo. above shows with a 7 inch wheel and 4 or 4.25 BS?
 
I believe mine is 3.25", I'll pull the other wheel in a few minutes to double check, Wow, you're really looking out for me :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou:


What are the specs on your Rear Torq Thrust II wheels?
15x7, 4.5 Bolt Pattern, 3" - 3.25" Back Space? Just Guessing...


Here are 3.76 Back Spacing wheels from Summit Racing that I believe will take care of things:

View attachment 1716473494

VN515 Torq-Thrust II
Part Number: ARE-VN5155765
In Stock, Free Shipping



Search Words:
15x7 Torq Thrust II 3.75 back space 5x4.5


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That's a great question, I was/am relying on the Tire store for answers and he surely may not know everything. I'll be back, fixin to pull the other rear wheel off.;)

Maybe I missed it, but can not your wheels be store bought (not custom) in a slightly more back space? Same width wheel with a little more BS? Sorta like what Geo. above shows with a 7 inch wheel and 4 or 4.25 BS?
 

measuring from the mating surface to the most outer lip of the rim is 3 3/4
Just got a call from the Tire store~ he's ordering a wheel from American racing with 4.5" back spacing~ , plus 8" width vs my 7"

56 1/2 for the rear axle, flange to flange (flange meaning where the drum mates to.
 
You now have 3.75 back space with 7" width rim.

Going to 4.5" backspace will give 0.75" (3/4") more back space with a 7" wide rim. This will pull the wheel in 3/4" to gain more clearance at the wheel opening.

Now if you go to 8" wide rim with 4.5" BS you may only be moving the wheel away from the wheel opening by 1/4".

Going from 7" rim to 8" rim you are splitting the extra inch to 1/2" outside and 1/2" inside, only moving the outer wheel face in by 1/4" by using 8" x 4.5 BS rim.

This is where it gets complicated as to what the Front Spacing is by increasing the rim width to 8".

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Looks like you have plenty of room on the inside tire face to the leaf spring to do the increase to 4.5" back spacing.

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Amazingly complicated!
So you're say I should stick with the 7" wheel? If available
 
I believe these are the same wheel specs as you have now:

15x7 Torq Thrust II, 3.75 back space, 5x4.5 bolt pattern.

Part Number:
ARE-VN5155765

Don't see any 4.5" back space available for these 7" wheels. Just the 3.75 back space.

Yes Complicated

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Still looking to see what I can find out there.

The 8" width on Summit go to the 4 3/4 GM bolt pattern with the 4.5 BS.

Hang tight... still looking.


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Your Dart has even tighter rear wheel clearance than the '67 - '69 Darts and those are pretty tight.

Here is a '67 Dart with 14 x 7 slots. With the 8 3/4 rear end. And the short big block leaf on the original leaf stacks.

20200712-020702.jpg


Sold it to a guy I know and he had a slight rub when he put people in the back seat.

So as a precaution he put on the Monroe Max load leveler shocks for a safety barrier from rubbing. That took care of the rubbing issue, and still retained the nice ride.

Really doesn't take much air, like 25 psi or less.


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And like said other day by someone, usually the rear axle is not perfectly centered. Same wheel and tires on rear, one side might rub a little and other not.
I would still have a muscle guy hit the wheel housing good with a big hammer.
 
Like being between a rock and a hard place.

15x7 Torq Thrust II, 3.75 back space, 5x4.5 bolt pattern.

Part Number:
ARE-VN5155765

Don't see any 4.5" back space available for these 7" wheels. Just the 3.75 back space.

Or the 8" width 4.5 bolt pattern.

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For all the cost, agrivation, and tight wheel house tolerances, I would just go with the Monroe Matic load levelers.

Basically to hold it in position to keep from bottoming out, not raise the car.

A little careful tweek on that inner outer wheelhouse in the rub zone cold work wonders too.

Check your air pressure in your tires too, should be like 32 psi... not 45 - 50 > that makes a difference too.

Screenshot_20251031-120128_Gallery.jpg


Yes this '69 Satellite had the back in the day Delco load levelers (same as the Monroe Max) from the 1970s of the original owners. Still held air just fine, no line leaks, upper shock cross member not showing any signs of stress after 55 years.


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What kind of bites is they (tire store) can't mount the tire onto the new rim(which I can understand), but they'll allow me to have the rim to mount cautiously and do a visual. My feeble thinking it has to be better than what I currently have, right? So, just buy the darned wheels and still do the inner fender "adjustment". I did find a sway bar that would fit. that may help too? My leafs are right at 32's apart (inside leaf to inside leaf), this particular company has a bar that's 25" eyelet to eyelet.
unfortunately doesn't have a picture

Edward Ricker <ed@heidts.com>​

11:38 AM (2 hours ago)
to me
cleardot.gif
My name is Ed, and I received your message regarding a narrow rear swaybar for your 63 Dart. We have a universal type rear swaybar that may be a good fit for this.

Universal Rear Sway Bar - Chassis Engineering

It measures 25" from end eyelet to eyelet, the swaybar itself mounts to the axle housing with u-bolts, and includes end link tabs to be welded onto the car. Please let me know if you have any questions!
 
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Well, it's going to have to be a Muscle woman in my case:lol:

And like said other day by someone, usually the rear axle is not perfectly centered. Same wheel and tires on rear, one side might rub a little and other not.
I would still have a muscle guy hit the wheel housing good with a big hammer.
 
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Think you mentioned this:

Upon further inspection looks like you have too much tire for that 7" wide rim. Pushing out beyond the width of the rim, rubbing on your inner wheel house.

20251031_161835.jpg


Guessing they are the BF Goodrich Radial T/As 235 60/15 with a diameter of 26".

Website shows 9" wide tread face on the 7" rim.

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Next narrower tread face tire in the BF Goodrich T/A line is:

225 60/15
Diameter of 25.63"

In stock at Jegg's or others that handle BF Goodrich T/As can get them.

20251031_171329.jpg


Should easily solve your tire rub fitment issues.


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Wow, when the fella at the tire store calls me to come get the test rim, I'll ask him about your recommendation. I'm just thinking they may not want to take these tires I have back, the scoring on the tire isn't terribly visible, but I can still ask, I probably have about 3 miles on them. All n all, I wouldn't mind a new set of rims/wheels, then I could sell these old wheels for a few bucks. I only paid 20 bucks a wheel :lol:
 
Wow, when the fella at the tire store calls me to come get the test rim, I'll ask him about your recommendation. I'm just thinking they may not want to take these tires I have back, the scoring on the tire isn't terribly visible, but I can still ask, I probably have about 3 miles on them. All n all, I wouldn't mind a new set of rims/wheels, then I could sell these old wheels for a few bucks. I only paid 20 bucks a wheel :lol:

OK

It's all in the price of getting it right and salvaging out what is left behind.

I once paid $500.00 for a B Body automatic steering column. Was crazy money for it but I needed that particular one. The value of the car far exceeded the cost of that part, so it all came out in the wash 2 years later when I decided to sell the car.


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Note:
Those Torq Thrust II aluminum wheels are some of the lightest wheels made, adding to the performance value of your lowly powered Slant 6 Engine.

Less rotating mass to spin up, and better breaking quality when they are spinning down, easier to stop.

It's really not about what you paid for those wheels, it's about what those wheels can do for you and your car package that brings the true value.

Getting a good buy on them is just icing on the cake.

Cragars are pretty but compared to the Torq Thrust II wheels they are heavy boat anchors that rob performance from your car.

Knowing what you Got...
Thumbs Up!


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if the current 7" rim has 3 3/4" backspace and the 8" rim has 4 1/2" backspace then as above the inner edge would move inwards 3/4". the issue is it will also move the outer edge 1/4" out (totalling the 1" extra width of the 8" rim) making the rubbing worse. without looking back i remember someone suggestion you have a little machined off the mounting face of the 7" rims you have. 1/4" would probably sort the issue for you. then if needed a size smaller tyre also.
neil.
 
Wow, that’s making even more sense now. I’m not bound to the new rim money wise, but I’ll have it just to play with seeing comparison. I just got my old rim and tire back disassembled. I can put the tire 3/4 over from the original line and perhaps see how it sits .
I don’t have a machine shop that I know would remove say 5/16, thinking from a liability standpoint.

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is it currently a 255/60/15 tyre on the 7" rim? a drop to a 245 should work or a 235 definately would. i'm sure you have another car/project the 255's could go onto. or px them to the tyre shop at a discount?
neil.
 
I’d have to recheck on the current size, I wouldn’t have any use for these current tires. Probably be Monday when I can go talk with Tire Link again. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings to take a hit on the tires.
 
Let us know your current tire size. This guessing makes it real hard to work the sizes for what you need to clear.

Thank You


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