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Thread: Rear wheel clearance

  1. #31
    Registered Member El 56's Avatar
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    Gentleman, as promised here are my findings (on my car of course).
    with a 255/60/15 BFG Radial T/A tire on a 15x8 rim with 4.25" backspacing my car has about 1/2 on the unrolled fenders and about 3/4" on the leaf springs. Video below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4jLZMyEBCw

    So if I had 4.5" Backspacing on my rims I'd be looking at 3/4" at the fenders and 1/2 at the leaf springs. A 275/60/15 tire that i wanted is about an inch wider. That would make it pretty close. I don't know if I could say a 275 tire would fit "my car" without rubbing, which I did not want (rubbing issues). It may fit , it may not. But these are my findings if anyone is interested. Thank you all who replied. El 56.

  2. #32
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    Good video El 56, and things move around under load. I'll never forget watching a video of Rusty Wallace's car in a NASCAR race years ago,with a camera mounted behind the RF tire, and it looked like the sidewall moved sideways a ton in the corners. I'm going for 255/45-18 tires front and rear which have the same section width with a wider tread.
    Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 01-22-2018 at 04:46 PM.

  3. #33
    Registered Member El 56's Avatar
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    I had a 235/60/15 tire under the rear of my 63 Nova and there was about 1/4” clearance of room at the leaf springs and after driving the car around, the tire had a lot of abrasion were it was touching the leaf. Not enough to damage the tire real bad but enough to make you mad that your new tires were not new anymore 😂😂

  4. #34
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    I am kind of surprised that you have so little clearance. By your numbers you can't get away with a 275 even if you change the backspacing to the more favorable backspace you mentioned.

    I've never worked on a 56 but have worked on 55 and 57, and the 275s worked on both. That's puzzling because there's no good reason a 56 should be different.

  5. #35
    Registered Member El 56's Avatar
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    Yes, that is why I recommend everyone measure first on their car.

  6. #36
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    Just a little note about why clearance is needed since some think just not touching is good, around hard turns the tire flexes sideways and I had tires that would obviously rub on the springs at times although standing still it had 1/4" clearance. The shackle around the front half of the spring is where it would rub, so I cut off just the part of the shackle that wrapped around the tire side and left it do it's job on the inboard side.
    Tony

    1955 Bel Air Sport Coupe

  7. #37
    Registered Member NickP's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 55 Tony View Post
    Just a little note about why clearance is needed since some think just not touching is good, around hard turns the tire flexes sideways and I had tires that would obviously rub on the springs at times although standing still it had 1/4" clearance. The shackle around the front half of the spring is where it would rub, so I cut off just the part of the shackle that wrapped around the tire side and left it do it's job on the inboard side.
    I'm thinking you mean spring slipper rather than shackle. Item "C".


    http://www.tampaspringco.com/parts/leafsprings.html
    Last edited by NickP; 01-23-2018 at 12:11 PM.

  8. #38
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    Terminology. I call it a clamp.

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick_L View Post
    Terminology. I call it a clamp.
    That is how I have referred to them in past, when I think slipper in spring lingo I think the 3 leaf example above or F .

  10. #40
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    Yes I meant the slipper, but I like the word "shackle" better. Not sure about "clamp", that makes me think of the actual clamps I made before getting Caltracs.
    Tony

    1955 Bel Air Sport Coupe

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