Howdy ya'll, I found a set of 17x7in wheels in 5x5in that I like the design on and they fairly cheap. I don't know if they will fit under the front of the car though. I got the backspacing thing figured out with a set of spacers I need anyway for 4 piston calipers that puts the wheels back at 3-3/8in backspacing overall. Think they'll fit?
They'll be tight, at least they would be on my '62, but they should work. Easiest way to tell is going to be crawling around with a tape measure.
Just discovered these things might be 17x8's as the guy measuring them said they are 9in wide on the outside of the lips and I just took that to mean they where 17x7's as that's right in the middle of the size range for the tires on them but Eagle Alloys says they only make the 212 in 17x8 and 17x8.5..... uh oh.
Ya, if they are 9in lip to lip they are a 17x8. Definitely not enough backspacing, plus I don't know if you could cram an 8in rim up front. Oh well. If you looking for a cheap 17in wheel check out American Racing Torqlites. That's what I plan on getting sometime this spring.
Backspacing is 3-3/8in stock and its the max it will tollerate. With a 1-1/8in spacer a 4.5in backspacing wheel will equal out to that. However I am not sure about putting an 8in wide wheel under there.
Like I said, all my fitment assumptions have be based off my '62. I know that I wouldn't be able to fit a 8in rim with stock backspacing on the front, let alone the rear.
What I have recently found out is that the hub diameter seems to be the real problem. At 3-7/16 diameter most wheels won't fit over them. I just ordered a set of 18x8 rear and 18x7 front from Coy's and they will cut to fit.
Front hubs are going to be changed to the later small register hub, rear axle will be from a mid 90's Roadmaster with an Impala SS type disc brake kit on it.
I fixed my hub problem by putting my axles in my lathe at home, and turning the hub to a 45degree angle. Fits my later rally wheels that I got off of a '79 lesabre just fine... I left the hub the original DIA, for about the first 1/8" so the drums could still seat properly.
I had the same problem with my 18" wheels,bought them from a so called friend,they were new in the box,now i know why they were in the box. A local machine shop cut them for me,says he does alot of them.Worked great!
