once and for all wheel question

[Foreman72]

alright so i need to settle this for my personal benefit...i have been trying to figure out what size wheels will fit on my 72...so...i would like 2 put Cragar SS wheels on my car...15x10 in the back and 15x8 in the front...i am open to various tire sizes but i was thinking 295/50 in back and 245/60 in front...will this combo work with stock suspension? i am not looking to have the biggest possible combo just the meanest...any thoughts would be most helpful

[mikepmcs]

I'd be scared of the rub possibility with the front combo choice.  But then again I have a 2nd gen.  I run 15x7 with bfg 235's up front and my car sits low, no issues. Prior to me giving him my wheels and tires, Jim Shine had the 15x8 with 245's and his car rubbed and he actually had to trim the fenders. 

[Foreman72]

I'd be scared of the rub possibility with the front combo choice.  But then again I have a 2nd gen.  I run 15x7 with bfg 235's up front and my car sits low, no issues. Prior to me giving him my wheels and tires, Jim Shine had the 15x8 with 245's and his car rubbed and he actually had to trim the fenders. 

i see...tire size is very negotiable...

[uud looz]

I have that exact setup on my 72 and I can say that with my stock suspension (no air in the rear shocks) the rear tires clear the fenders (barely) with the car sitting still but I wouldnt dare to drive it that way. And by clear the fenders I mean the wheel well lip is just barely above tire.

[terrible one]

You will have to have a lot of backspacing on the 15x10 Cragars for them to work. You'll have to have the wheels custom made with the backspacing you want, because from what I've seen the 15x10's aren't offered in as extreme of a backspacing as you need. A cheaper route would probably be to find a size and backspacing off the shelf like a 15x8.5 and run it with your 295 or maybe a bit slimmer tire. You'll still have the mean look but won't have to pay for the one-off Cragars.

[Foreman72]

I have that exact setup on my 72 and I can say that with my stock suspension (no air in the rear shocks) the rear tires clear the fenders (barely) with the car sitting still but I wouldnt dare to drive it that way. And by clear the fenders I mean the wheel well lip is just barely above tire.

so do you drive you charger than?

You will have to have a lot of backspacing on the 15x10 Cragars for them to work. You'll have to have the wheels custom made with the backspacing you want, because from what I've seen the 15x10's aren't offered in as extreme of a backspacing as you need. A cheaper route would probably be to find a size and backspacing off the shelf like a 15x8.5 and run it with your 295 or maybe a bit slimmer tire. You'll still have the mean look but won't have to pay for the one-off Cragars.

yeah i'll definitely  look into that...yeah i knew i'd have 2 get a set of cragars drop shipped if i wanted 10's with 5" backspacing...so i'll check that out...i think regardless of rubbing issues i'll go with the smaller rims because of the expense...thanks terrible...

[mikesbbody]

I have 245/60/15 on the front with no rub issues and 275/60/15's on the back from memory, the sizes are 7's (front) and 8's rear this is on my 72 Charger

[Foreman72]

I have 245/60/15 on the front with no rub issues and 275/60/15's on the back from memory, the sizes are 7's (front) and 8's rear this is on my 72 Charger

what kinda wheels..got any pics by any chance...

[mikesbbody]

Hi Foreman, they are weld pro stars Ill see what i can find if the pics are too big can I email them to you?

[Foreman72]

Hi Foreman, they are weld pro stars Ill see what i can find if the pics are too big can I email them to you?

sure thing...i'd love 2 see them

[uud looz]

I have that exact setup on my 72 and I can say that with my stock suspension (no air in the rear shocks) the rear tires clear the fenders (barely) with the car sitting still but I wouldnt dare to drive it that way. And by clear the fenders I mean the wheel well lip is just barely above tire.

so do you drive you charger than?

Yea I drive it, (I just keep air in the shocks)

[Foreman72]

uud if u look @ mt sig pic, my wheels are actually yours photoshopped on 

hope u don't mind...i just fell in love w ur setup...but i guess i'm gonna have 2 get a 1" lift in the back...and maybe a relo kit...or air shocks...

do the wheels sit outside the fenders much?

[uud looz]

Heck no I dont mind, Here's a shot from the back. They dont really stick out that much

[mikesbbody]

Hi Foreman, they are weld pro stars Ill see what i can find if the pics are too big can I email them to you?

sure thing...i'd love 2 see them

Done  I sent them to your email address 

[Foreman72]

Hi Foreman, they are weld pro stars Ill see what i can find if the pics are too big can I email them to you?

sure thing...i'd love 2 see them

Done  I sent them to your email address 

i'll check them out

[Foreman72]

I have that exact setup on my 72 and I can say that with my stock suspension (no air in the rear shocks) the rear tires clear the fenders (barely) with the car sitting still but I wouldnt dare to drive it that way. And by clear the fenders I mean the wheel well lip is just barely above tire.

so did you get your wheels custom made then?

[bull]

Here's my wheel/tire philosophy as it pertains to Chargers, if anyone cares:

First off, if you talk to TK73 I think he'd tell you there's all the room in the world under the front of a 3rd gen Charger. IIRC he might have 275s on the front of his car. I don't know the exact size, all I know is they're really big.

Second, I like the idea of keeping the overall diameter of the front/rear tires about the same. So in the case of BFG 295/50/15s on the back I like to find something for the front that's very similar in overall diameter like 245/60/15 which are 1/10th of an inch smaller than 295/50s. I don't know if this really matters but there's something in me that wants them turning at the same rpms in a straight line and looking the same. http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/specs/radial-t-a/12.html

Third, I don't like the look of 15x10 wheels. There is always too much wheel sticking out past the center on pretty much every type of 15x10 I've seen and it has to be that way because of the width/offset ratio. For example the 15x10 repro Magnum 500s look horrible in IMO because the offset range is limited and so more (at least half) of the wheel has to go outward. Plus, 295s fit fine on an 8 inch rim and fall within the manufacturers recommended wheel size for the 295 tire width, therefore 8 inch rims look much better because there's not an extra 1-2" of wheel sticking out past center yet you can still manipulate the offset to give yourself a specific stance and look.

That is all.

Here's a pic of my 295 Coopers on 15x8 Magnums followed by a pic of some 295 Redlines on 15x10 Magnums. See how much wheel is sticking out past the center hub on the 10s?

[Mr.Woolery]

I'm SO glad to see this thread as I've been thinking about this very question.  I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get Magnum 500's for my '71.  I love how this '72 setup looks, the stance is just about perfect for me.  I just wish I knew the sizing of the wheels and tires of this setup:

[defiance]

Why limit yourself to stock suspension?  Spring relo kits are cheap & pretty easy.  The *only* non-bolt-in part is the spring mounts on the axle, and I had my dad weld my new one on (before I had a welder); took him 20 minutes total. 

With a relo kit I'm running 315/35/zr17's in the rear with no problems.  Now that they're on there, I'd recommend getting a little higher sidewall (something like a 45-50 range?) if you can find it ... 315/35-r17 was the only size in that range I could find affordably (112/ea).  My wheels are 10.5 x 17 with 6.75" backspacing (+28mm offset), but I use a 1/4" spacer (1/2" would be a little better, just need longer studs).  Which, btw, just happens to be a very common wheel size offered for 94-04 mustang cobras, so no need to custom order wheel sizes.  I paid $150 each for my wheels.  Any wider than that, though, would require tubbing (my tires are about as close to the inner wheel well as they are to the springs now). 

Without a relo kit, based on my measurements, I'd be nervous with more than 285...  Some are running 295, but I wouldn't

[Foreman72]

thanks guys...who sells the relo kits? i'm also looking at a 1" lift in the rear...so not totally stock but i would rather avoid air shocks...

[charger2fast4u]

mopar performance carries the relocating mounts i was just looking at them today. also if your wanting a 1'' lift why not buy a set of ss leaf springs from them to? if yours are the original springs they are probably getting worn out and a new set will raise it up. just my thoughts

[defiance]

I got mine from dr diff.  It included replacement front mounts with multiple mounting points for the main front spring bolt (so they could be of use in lowering or raising as well..), as well as offset rear shackles.  Total offset is 1-1/4" per side.  http://www.doctordiff.com/?page_id=41.  Cost is $185.  Only thing it doesn't include is the actual rear end spring perches.  If you're careful you might be able to use your old ones, but I wouldn't.  Summit sells them for $10 a pair anyway.
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2D720025&N=700+4294841030+4294851722+115&autoview=sku

[Foreman72]

mopar performance carries the relocating mounts i was just looking at them today. also if your wanting a 1'' lift why not buy a set of ss leaf springs from them to? if yours are the original springs they are probably getting worn out and a new set will raise it up. just my thoughts

i was gonna get the big block ones...the HD ones...but would the ss ones be overkill? i've heard that the mopar springs aren't super but i'm nt down for paying 500 for leaf springs...the mopar ones are cheaper...but idk...


but as far as wheels, i'm thinking 295/50/15s in back with 15x8 w 4" backspacing and 245/60/15s up front with 15x7 with 3" of backspacing...will that look good with a 1" lift?

see i'm just limited by the fact that cragar wheels don't come in 15x10 with 5" of backspacing...i'd have to get 2 of them made and that would be crazy expensive...

[terrible one]

One vote for going for the Cragars in an 8 or 8.5 with the 295s instead of getting your head busted for the 15x10's. 

[defiance]

That tire has a section width of around 12.1".  For comparison, my 315 has a section width of 12.6.  4" backspace on an 8" is -12 offset, where mine's a +28, adjusted to about +15 with the spacer.  That puts me at 6.9" actual tire backspace.  With your section width of 12.1 and a -12 offset, your actual tire bs is around 5.5".  I'm about 1" from my spring, so you'd be 2.4" from the offset spring, which is offset 1-1/4", so right just over an inch from the stock spring location.  So you should be fine on the back side...

I'd be worried about the front though...  My tire extends 5.7" from the front of the hub, where yours would be about an inch further out.  Clearance with the fender is a bit harder to measure.  1" further out might be ok, but .... I dunno.  I think you'd be better off with 4.5" backspacing  (0 offset)...   On the other hand, you'll probably be adding a good bit of fender clearance with the 1" lift.