Lower ball joint question.

[The Furnace]

Lots of guys like the Cragars. They used to be very popular, and they don't break when you hit a curb, leaving you stranded.
But I run aluminum wheels, they weigh about half of a steel wheel, which a set of 4 totals 50/60 pounds that I don't have to haul around every stinking mile. Plus the aluminums hammer over speed-bumps waaaay better.
I like the look of fat 15s on the front.
I had a set of 245/50-15s on my car for a while on zero off-set 8" steel Rallys. Looked great. Handled and braked great. Was a huge PITA to fit. Wore them out in about 6 weeks,maybe less, on the street. So I retired those heavy wheels. I'm back to my 235/60-14s on 7" ET-IIs.
Stick with .5* negative camber. Max the caster out positive, you get what you get.

Here's a few shots of the back the tires are real close to the leaf springs but no rub marks but I'm definitely checking tire pressure and clearance all the time. The back never rubs even with two people in the car it clears nicely even with very little air in the air shocks.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Back in the day everybody ran big and littles. Sometimes really really bigs in the back.
Since about year 2002, on my 68 Barracuda, she has always run 15s on the back, and except for a short time always has run 14s up front. She has never carried a spare, and I only ever had one flat on this car, and it was just 3 miles from home. That would be in 125,000 plus miles now.
The point is you can only carry one spare. And only the front one will fit in the well. And only if it is close to the stock diameter.
And our cars rarely had rims that matched front to rear. Often Rallys in the front, and some heavy steelies in the back, that we stole off Dad, or the local gas station, and had widened and the spiders moved. The richer boys had Cragars or some other heavy steel wheels. That's all we had. I still have some of those in the basement.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Up against the leaf spring, it ain't close until about 1/8th inch, with the tires aired down to 24psi. That part of the tire only varies with tire pressure. I don't think Coopers can corner hard enough to move that far over at a normal 29 psi. They will slide first.
But beware, not all leafs are installed parallel. So you better check both the rear and front distances to the sidewalls. It looks like you have plenty in that pic.

205/65-15s are about 25.5 tall. That is only .4 inch taller than my 235/60-14 fronts.
IIRC the factory tires were 24.7 tall.

 

[The Furnace]

Up against the leaf spring, it ain't close until about 1/8th inch, with the tires aired down to 24psi. That part of the tire only varies with tire pressure. I don't think Coopers can corner hard enough to move that far over at a normal 29 psi. They will slide first.
But beware, not all leafs are installed parallel. So you better check both the rear and front distances to the sidewalls. It looks like you have plenty in that pic.

205/65-15s are about 25.5 tall. That is only .4 inch taller than my 235/60-14 fronts.
IIRC the factory tires were 24.7 tall.

Interesting maybe I'll do that run the stock wheels upfront with to get that stock offset and just get the size tires you have for the front. I'm getting rid of this 7 1/4 rearend I'm shorting a Ford 8.8 I got from the boneyard right now so it going to be interesting to see if that offset will work back there. So I'll have a 410 gear limited slip with those brand new leaf springs and new shocks not air shocks though I want those gone. My car has frame connectors the weld in ones torque boxes it was solid to start with but I want to build a car that lasts. I'm never selling it so I'm doing what seems right. I really wanted a 373 ring gear but all they had was a 410. I probably got 600 bucks into that all new everything.

 

[AJ/FormS]

4.10s are just what a 904/City Slanty needs! You won't be sorry. You'll be really close to spinning A pair of those tall-boy tires. You said 275/60-15s right? Well as it happens those are about 28 tall and compared to the factory tires they will perform like 3.73s
How do I figure that?
Well 28s will reduce your 4.10s to 4.1x12/14= to a corrected for size 3.51, to a 24" tire
and the factory 25.5 tall tires will reduce a 3.73 to ; 3.73 x 12/12.75=3.51 corrected to 24"

To spin those 28s, your engine will need about 180 ftlbs out the axles, maybe 200 out the crank, so put a TC on your shopping list I guess.

235s are comfortable on 7.5" to 8" rims and the Coopers will last nearly forever if you keep an eye on the pressure and alignment; mine are at 29psi. However, they go hard after the first summer, just like the BFGs; so when you get back into the car, the following spring, keep that in mind; they won't hold in the corners like they used to. But 4-wheel slides are fun too............... right up until you curb it.

 

[The Furnace]

4.10s are just what a 904/City Slanty needs! You won't be sorry. You'll be really close to spinning A pair of those tall-boy tires. You said 275/60-15s right? Well as it happens those are about 28 tall and compared to the factory tires they will perform like 3.73s
How do I figure that?
Well 28s will reduce your 4.10s to 4.1x12/14= to a corrected for size 3.51, to a 24" tire
and the factory 25.5 tall tires will reduce a 3.73 to ; 3.73 x 12/12.75=3.51 corrected to 24"

To spin those 28s, your engine will need about 180 ftlbs out the axles, maybe 200 out the crank, so put a TC on your shopping list I guess.

235s are comfortable on 7.5" to 8" rims and the Coopers will last nearly forever if you keep an eye on the pressure and alignment; mine are at 29psi. However, they go hard after the first summer, just like the BFGs; so when you get back into the car, the following spring, keep that in mind; they won't hold in the corners like they used to. But 4-wheel slides are fun too............... right up until you curb it.

So are the camber bolts supposed be turned equally meaning do I just not worry about it and drive it over to the alignment shop if it's close or is there a starting point that gets em close I painted everything so even if I made a merk it would be gone anyway.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Good questions
The wheels need to stand vertical when pointed straight ahead, and with the full weight on them. And IIRC this will be with the adjusters in about the middle of their swing. Unless you installed Problem-Solver UCA bushings.
After that, both wheels need to be pointing straight ahead, simultaneously. Then you can crank the tie-rod adjusters to put a lil toe-in into the front of the tires. That should get you to the Aignment shop.

If the wheels are not equally vertical, a camber pull will be the result.
If the toe-in isn't close, it will wander a bit.
Unequal casters will create a minor pull in straight ahead driving and high-speed instability. None of these matter much at low-speed, going to the shop, except the camber

 

[The Furnace]

Good questions
The wheels need to stand vertical when pointed straight ahead, and with the full weight on them. And IIRC this will be with the adjusters in about the middle of their swing. Unless you installed Problem-Solver UCA bushings.
After that, both wheels need to be pointing straight ahead, simultaneously. Then you can crank the tie-rod adjusters to put a lil toe-in into the front of the tires. That should get you to the Aignment shop.

If the wheels are not equally vertical, a camber pull will be the result.
If the toe-in isn't close, it will wander a bit.
Unequal casters will create a minor pull in straight ahead driving and high-speed instability. None of these matter much at low-speed, going to the shop, except the camber

so im getting ready to put her back down on the ground I have the shock bolts finger tight, same with the lower control arm shaft nuts and the front strut rod bolts. Just wanna make sure Im doing this right. Once down jounce it and torque all those down to specs?

 

[AJ/FormS]

so im getting ready to put her back down on the ground I have the shock bolts finger tight, same with the lower control arm shaft nuts and the front strut rod bolts. Just wanna make sure Im doing this right. Once down jounce it and torque all those down to specs?

The only bolts that need to stay loose, are the LCA pivot bolts, and only if they are rubber. And after the jouncing you need to roll the car maybe 3 ft or so; could be back and forth. This to relax the pressure on the sidewalls. Well I guess the shock bolts could use the treatment as well,lol

 

[The Furnace]

so im getting ready to put her back down on the ground I have the shock bolts finger tight, same with the lower control arm shaft nuts and the front strut rod bolts. Just wanna make sure Im doing this right. Once down jounce it and torque all those down to specs?

 

[The Furnace]

Torqued, jounced, bounced, rolled and ready to pounce!!! Lol