oem wheel width?

[RICH MUISE]

Just for comparison, what was the wheel width of the oem wheels? I'm getting ready to order a trial wheel, and I'm trying to figure out if 6" width for the front is adequate, or if I'm better off with the 7's. More accurate would be...I'm wondering which would make for better handling...a 6 or 7" wheel.
Also, I don't have an unmounted oem  wheel to check, but if I'm correct in measuring inside the wheel where the tire mounts, the oem's are somewhere around 5-5 1/4??...as close as I can eyeball it with a tire on.

[lalessi1]

Rich,
This HAMB thread has the info you're looking for.... 14 x 5" on sedans, 14 x 5.5 on Rancheros and Wagons. Both have .62(5?)" positive offset.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/anyone-know-the-factory-offset-on-a-57-ford-14-wheel-from-back-lip-to-mount-surface.567481/

I have been told 15 x 7" wheels with 4.25 backspace will hit the SWT swaybar at full lock.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks Lynn...Think I'm gonna go with 6" width for the front. I'm going to try these...the 6" has a 3.5 backspacing, and the 7 has a 4.25 btw,
http://www.jegs.com/i/Rocket-Wheels/968/R31-566535/10002/-1?parentProductId=1299609

[RICH MUISE]

odd...??....I was just on the site linked above and noticed the 8" wheels list the backspace at 3.75. That's less than the backspace on a 7"! seems odd to me, but I just verified that info, and it's correct. Not that I'm going with 8" on the front, but just wanted to make sure the 7" listed backspace was correct. I'm just going to order 1 wheel for now and use that for seeing what I need on the back as well as making sure I like them...free shipping, but I don't want to pay for return shipping on 2 wheels if I don't like them. Still haven't decided 100% on a 6" or 7" for the front.

[JPotter57]

The 4.25 is correct on the 7 inch wheel, Rich.   Most off the shelf 8 inch wheels will have a BS that is useless on our cars unless your axle housing is narrowed. 

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks James. I ordered a 15 x 7 Rocket polished Igniter wheel for the front this morning. I'll use it to get a reference for the fit on the back with alot of calculating...I'm planning/hoping on the 8's for the back, and my housing will be narrowed. If it fits, and I like it, I'll order the second one right away. James, what is the interference on the "most 8" wheels being useless...I'm assuming since you references a narrowed housing, the interference is with the inner fender and not the springs?? If I'm figuring this correctly, with the 8" wheel being an inch wider than the 7", and a 1/2" smaller backspace, the wheel/tire will end up being 1 1/2 closer to the fender than a 7"...easy to see why they may not work, even with a 3/4 per side narrowed housing. I guess I'll be finding out for sure before too long.
Lynn....interference with the 7" rims hitting the aftermarket sway bar at full lock should be easily remedied with wheel spacers....which may/may not require longer studs. Looking at Utube videos last night, apparently this is a common problem with smaller aftermarket wheels and many suspensions.

[SkylinerRon]

A good cheap wheel for set-up is a mopar cop car 15x7.

Ron.

[RICH MUISE]

Rich,
This HAMB thread has the info you're looking for.... 14 x 5" on sedans, 14 x 5.5 on Rancheros and Wagons. Both have .62(5?)" positive offset.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/anyone-know-the-factory-offset-on-a-57-ford-14-wheel-from-back-lip-to-mount-surface.567481/

I have been told 15 x 7" wheels with 4.25 backspace will hit the SWT swaybar at full lock.

I got the Rocket igniter in this afternoon, and I can pretty much confirm what you were told, Lynn. At full lock (R&P), I put a straightedge on the backside of the wheel and measured out to the intersection with the swaybar. It's only 3 1/4", so surely any tire other than the  low profile tires rubber band tires are gonna hit. I will verify that though tommorrow when I can go look at tires. Tommorrow also, I'll check the wheel on the back. It looks like this is gonna end up being 6's on the front and 7's on the back. That's ok with me though, that 7" is a surprisingly wide wheel (for a non racing guy of course)!!
BTW, in case you missed it in the technical diagrams board...a link to a really sweet tire conversion site...
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.do

[RICH MUISE]

I picked up a tire for the 7" igniter this morning. I chose a 235/70/15 and I'm real happy with it. The 235/70 translates toa  9.25 width, 6.48 height 27.9 diameter. I have 3/8 clearance to the fender inner lip at the backside/top of the opening. No problem mounting the wheel, although I do not have shocks on it at this time. I may reconsider having the differential narrowed and changing to disc brakes. It's not a super wide tire, but adequate for me.

[RICH MUISE]

LOL...well, the light finally came on. Am I the last one on the planet to figure out what the modern tire size designations meant?? I'm looking at the conversion chart I linked to earlier, and trying to figure out why heights varied when two tires being compared both had the 70 number in the middle. It finally dawned on me it's a percentage(70%) of the tire width, and that tire width is given in centimeters, so 255 tire would be just a tad over 10" (255 divided by 25.4=10.04), and a 255/50 would have a height of 5.02. Who the heck needed a conversion chart except me??

[lalessi1]

As long as the light still comes on, we are doing OK!

[Ford Blue blood]

I worry when it is dim...........

[Wirenut]

Rich, I'm a chart guy too. I had no clue either. Your car looks great, the tire and wheel combo really makes it look tough, great job on all of your creativity.

[RICH MUISE]

well,#@$!!!!*!! I found out late friday my second 7" igniter wheel for the back is on backorder. They said Sept.1, which wouldn't have been too bad, but I called Rocket direct this morning to confirm that. The shipment on it's way (from China, unfortunatly) does not include the size I need, so he is "guessing a minimum of a few months. I called all the stocking distributors and none in stock anywhere, so now what to do?? I unfortunatly had the tire mounted one one, and the two 6" are on their way. I can wait a few months if I have to, but I'll be a ball of nerves waiting to find out for sure that it is still going to be available at some point. Damn!!
Also annoying..paypal money tied up for months.
I'm thinking about other options...ordering a grey centered wheel, if available, and spending hours sanding and polishing.....(the paint is over the as cast.)
The coulda, woulda, shoulda's...should have checked availability of two directly with Rocket before I placed the order for one. My best laid plans of checking the first one for fitment and ordering the second really quick was a waste. The Rocket guy said in fact I did get the last one they had, so if I had ordered two instead of trying to save a few bucks return shipment if they didn't work ended up costing me...typical.
Edit..I just talked with the Rocket guy again..the wheels are in fact already on order, they just didn't make it in the first batch shipped out, so he is hoping it will be in fact less than a few months. They do have "lots" of the correct size grey centered in stock if I decide to go that route.

[lalessi1]

Rich, I found one on eBay for what its worth....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/15X7-ROCKET-RACING-IGNITER-GASSER-WHEEL-5X4-5-POLISHED-/130487654653?hash=item1e61ab98fd&vxp=mtr