Front Tire Size on a Demon?

[BrianT]

I'm asking this question for a friend who refuses to join FABO and ask it himself. He has a 72 Demon that has been converted to LBP discs on the front and has a P195/65R15 tire on it. The problems are that he doesn't like the offset of his wheels (says that they stick out too far) and that "the front tires look too tiny". He is wanting to run a 26 1/2 to 27 inch tire and he wants it to tuck up in his wheel well and not hit the fender when he turns. He wants to know what others are running (tire size, wheel size/offset) and see pictures of your set ups?

Here is a picture of what it looks like now.

And here is a picture he found on the internet. This is what he wants it to look like.

Once we get the front looking right, we are gonna start on the back wheels also, but that is a different thread. Thanks for any light you can shine on the subject!

 

[Demon 408]

Brian,

A 26" tire with a 3.75 or 4" back space works well.

Two different wheel tire combos in the following pictures. The rear diff is a 1967 B-Body 8 3/4 and the leaf springs are moved in approximately 5/8" with the Mopar offset spring hangers. Front end is a 73" up k-frame with large bolt stock style disc brakes.

Combo 1:
Front Tires: 205/65R15 Falken ZIEX ZE-912
Front Wheels: 15x6 Cragar with 3.375 back space
Rear Tires: Nitto P275/60R15 NT555R Drag Radials
Rear Wheels: 15x8 steel with 5.25 back space

Combo 2:
Front Tires: P215/65R15 BFG Radial T/A
Front Wheels: 15x6 steel with 3.75 back space
Rear Tires: P255/60R15 BFG Radial T/A
Rear Wheels: 15x8 steel with 4.50 back space

 

[sireland67]

Depends on the width of the wheel and the backspace.

I have 215/65/15 on 15 x 7 steel wheels with 4.25" backspace.
Same wheel on the rear with 275/60/15.

My Duster is a 73 with stock front disks and a A body 8.75 rear end.

 

[BrianT]

Brian,

A 26" tire with a 3.75 or 4" back space works well.

Two different wheel tire combos in the following pictures. The rear diff is a 1967 B-Body 8 3/4 and the leaf springs are moved in approximately 5/8" with the Mopar offset spring hangers. Front end is a 73" up k-frame with large bolt stock style disc brakes.

Combo 1:
Front Tires: 205/65R15 Falken ZIEX ZE-912
Front Wheels: 15x6 Cragar with 3.375 back space
Rear Tires: Nitto P275/60R15 NT555R Drag Radials
Rear Wheels: 15x8 steel with 5.25 back space

Combo 2:
Front Tires: P215/65R15 BFG Radial T/A
Front Wheels: 15x6 steel with 3.75 back space
Rear Tires: P255/60R15 BFG Radial T/A
Rear Wheels: 15x8 steel with 4.50 back space

He doesn't want to run a 26" tire, he has 25" tires and he thinks they look too tiny. He really wants to run a 26.5-27" tire.

He is going to come over next weekend and we are going to put one of my front wheels on there just to see if he likes where the wheel sits. Mine are 15x6 with 3.5" backspace. Then we can turn the wheels and measure for clearance and hopefully he can fit a bigger tire in there. We'll also try to measure the wheels that are on there now so that we know what isn't working for him.

BTW I think his car sits fine the way it is, but he can't stand the way it looks?!?

 

[alpha13]

I prefer a bigger tire myself. On stock suspension and front disks. I was able to put a 215/70/14 on the front. I never got any wheel rub from lock to lock. But when the wheel was turned it was only about half an inch from the front corner lip of the fender. So If it were me I wouldn't go any larger on sidewall height. My wheels had 4 1/2 inches of backspace. I'm not sure how it would affect it though with 3.75 inches of backspace.

 

[GEO]

Why doesn't he post the questions himself?


I don't like to answer second hand questions:blob:

 

[jdsduster]

i have 225/70/15 on my duster with no issues

 

[threefortyduster]

Why doesn't he post the questions himself?


I don't like to answer second hand questions:blob:

First sentence. The guy refuses to join and ask himself.

 

[sargentrs]

I have 215/70-14's all around on original stock steel wheels. I don't know what the backspace is.

 

[BrianT]

We did some careful measuring on Saturday and he's decided to go with this 15x 6 wheel that has 3 5/8" back spacing. It is one inch narrower than he's running now (15x7) and has a little less back spacing. We hope that will allow him to run the P215/65R15 (26") that he wants to run.

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[dodge71demon]

On my 69 Valiant I will be using a 16" wheel vintiqes wheel on the front 6" wide with a 4" backspace and a 205/60/16 tire 25.7 dia

 

[roccodart440]

26x7.50's on 15's.

Backspacing was taken from bill Reilly's site. I forget what it is.

 

[GEO]

First sentence. The guy refuses to join and ask himself.

Then he can buy a tape measure and figure it out himself as he doesn't really want our help

 

[j-miller]

His Demon looks good the way it is. Leave it alone.

 

[BrianT]

Why doesn't he post the questions himself?

I don't like to answer second hand questions:blob:

Then he can buy a tape measure and figure it out himself as he doesn't really want our help

Don't worry, you've posted twice in this thread and haven't helped a bit.

Some people find the internet intimidating, probably because they have seen others be bullied or belittled when they ask for help on a simple question. My friend is a long time Mopar guy and is now an A body guy, so I think he deserves our help. If you don't, then move along.

 

[leblanc]

All stock Demons, Dusters and Dart Sports come with a wider front suspension than the rear. I don't think anybody likes it that way but one remedy is to use fat tires on the rear and skinny on the front. All 3 of this type body will accept wide rear tires without modifications to the springs or body. Mine has all stock rear susp. and the widest I could put on was 255/60 15 on 8" rims.

Jean-Guy

 

[toolmanmike]

I don't own one but I would go with a 6" wheel with a 3" or close offset and a 70 series tire. Here's a link to a great tire chart:

http://www.team3wheels.com/tech_specs_tire_chart.html

 

[lead69]

We did some careful measuring on Saturday and he's decided to go with this 15x 6 wheel that has 3 5/8" back spacing. It is one inch narrower than he's running now (15x7) and has a little less back spacing. We hope that will allow him to run the P215/65R15 (26") that he wants to run.

Thanks for your help everyone.

This is the trick to getting the fronts tucked in, I usually like to run a 15x5 with 3.5 backspacing and a 205 70 15 for an aggressive but in the wheel well look.

 

[2 Darts]

IIRC, an LBP disk brake adds 1½" to the front track. I have a 72 LBP disk brake Demon that has 235/60-15 on 15x7 wheels with 4¼" offset. These tires barely clear, but in all honesty, I have the ride height set at the low level of "acceptable" tolerance. The 73 has same wheel specs with 205/60-15 with no clearance problems.

 

[Bulldozer]

His Demon looks good the way it is. Leave it alone.

definitely

 

[BrianT]

His Demon looks good the way it is. Leave it alone.

definitely

I agree also. But, it's his car and he "doesn't like the way the front tires stick out and look too small". It's his car and I don't tell him how to spend his money, I'm just trying to make sure that when he does, the wheels that he buys fit!