11" wide rims on rear 67/68/

[Coleman]

Gotta have 11" wide rims on the rear!  Hear are a couple of DFW cars that have them:  Red car has 18" and black car 17".  Do not know who owns, both are for sale on ebay.

I have a TCI rear end kit installed. (no leaf springs)

[Horseplay]

Are you asking will they fit? I don't know the specifics for that year but it will require modifications. At minimum you will have to do a little cutting/pounding of the inside front corner of the wheel housing. Also, depending on the location of the link arms you may not gain all that much room over leaf springs. I have never played with that exact set-up so my comments are just in general. I can tell you on a 65/66 to get that wide you need to do a full on mini-tub which includes modifying/in-setting the rear frame rails to fit something that wide. I don't think 67/68 had that much more room from the factory.

[Fast68back]

Does that red car have Camaro taillights?

[AzPete]

Does that red car have Camaro taillights?

They might be Maverick or Torino lights.

[Coleman]

Hi Rick!

Not sure, but I'd guess Maverick. 

I was hoping someone on here had 11" wide rims to offer some advice.

[Horseplay]

Looking a the pics it looks like the link arms are mounted pretty far out, close to where the stock leaf would go. No way to fit something that wide in that case. The Heidts set-up is very similar although what some have done is move the link mounting point to the inside of the frame rail. That also means cutting the brackets off the housing and moving them in as well. That change also necessitates a different length shock/spring.

[Fast68back]

Hey Jerry! I would check the E car boards, I swear there is a car or two in there running 11's. I think Jason at Classic recreations built the car IIRC. Start a build thread on your FB!

[Coleman]

Trying to find a pic of the area where the rear control arm attaches.  Its hard without a lift!

[Coleman]

OK!  67 Build Thread coming up.  

[ko67]

Hey Jerry! I would check the E car boards, I swear there is a car or two in there running 11's. I think Jason at Classic recreations built the car IIRC. Start a build thread on your FB!

I have seen both of those cars in person, and I think Jason did build them. The black one is cool Flat black with gloss black paint stripes. Very nice.

[1497]

Grubbs Motorsports in Garland did the black car...  pictured above.

[Fast68back]

Jason did a flat black E car as well. IIRC it was for one of the Dallas Cowgirls...

[daveSanborn]

Agreed that Jason @ Classic Recreation... or possibly Rich @ MustangstoFear... may have more experience with this, but here's what I can tell you as I spent 2 years on the Eleanor forums and this was a much discussed topic.

I assume you'll want to run a 335+ series tire?  If you're going to go big, you might as well go REALLY big!  A 315 series can be installed with less headache, but they aren't as wide as you have pictured so I'll focus on 335+.

For that width you're going to need to do at least two things:

1.  Fender flares.  Ones that extend the OE fenderflare an inch.  There's a few ways to accomplish this.

    a.  Bond FG flares onto the existing quarter panels.
    b.  Screw/bolt FG flares onto the existing quarter panels.
    c.  DIY modification of the quarter panels to "reform" the existing smaller flare outward to create a larger flare.

2.  Your inner wheelwells will need to be relocated inward a full 1" on each side.  With your interior removed, this actually looks and is kinda easy to do.  Seperate the existing inner wheelwell from the car, cutout/remove 1" of your floor/transition pan and rear seat support structure and then weld a new 1" strip in between the outer and inner wheelwell.  A 335 series may actually require a little bit more that 1" per side.... and this is where it get's real ugly.... anything more than 1" per side will necessitate the narrowing of the rear seat/fold-down assembly.... AND none of your original rear FG interior pieces will fit properly without some extent of modification.

Lastly, a 335+ will likely require some modification to your existing rearend/suspension.

Now, if you want to avoid the larger headaches of a 335+ tire and just go with a narrower 315, which is still pretty darn agressive looking IMO, the fender flares and the 1" inner wheelwell relocation will work with no other mods.

[mustangstofear]

9 inch up to 9 1/2 is your max without modifying the wheelwell. Rich.
 

[Coleman]

Agreed that Jason @ Classic Recreation... or possibly Rich @ MustangstoFear... may have more experience with this, but here's what I can tell you as I spent 2 years on the Eleanor forums and this was a much discussed topic.

I assume you'll want to run a 335+ series tire?  If you're going to go big, you might as well go REALLY big!  A 315 series can be installed with less headache, but they aren't as wide as you have pictured so I'll focus on 335+.

For that width you're going to need to do at least two things:

1.  Fender flares.  Ones that extend the OE fenderflare an inch.  There's a few ways to accomplish this.

    a.  Bond FG flares onto the existing quarter panels.
    b.  Screw/bolt FG flares onto the existing quarter panels.
    c.  DIY modification of the quarter panels to "reform" the existing smaller flare outward to create a larger flare.

2.  Your inner wheelwells will need to be relocated inward a full 1" on each side.  With your interior removed, this actually looks and is kinda easy to do.  Seperate the existing inner wheelwell from the car, cutout/remove 1" of your floor/transition pan and rear seat support structure and then weld a new 1" strip in between the outer and inner wheelwell.  A 335 series may actually require a little bit more that 1" per side.... and this is where it get's real ugly.... anything more than 1" per side will necessitate the narrowing of the rear seat/fold-down assembly.... AND none of your original rear FG interior pieces will fit properly without some extent of modification.

Lastly, a 335+ will likely require some modification to your existing rearend/suspension.

Now, if you want to avoid the larger headaches of a 335+ tire and just go with a narrower 315, which is still pretty darn agressive looking IMO, the fender flares and the 1" inner wheelwell relocation will work with no other mods.

Yikes!  After further review......this project may be getting the 9 1/2".  I don't want to retire broke!  This info is exactly what I needed to hear.  Thanks, Dave.

[Coleman]

9 inch up to 9 1/2 is your max without modifying the wheelwell. Rich.
 

anyways...what backspace would one suggest for the 9 1/2" width rear rim?

[mustangstofear]

Front 4.75 rear 5.5 Rich.

[Coleman]

Front 4.75 rear 5.5 Rich.

OK!

Ordering wheels.  I am gonna get the Vintage Wheel Works 45's with the flat centers:

18x8x4.75" for the front and 18x9.5x5.5 rears

Now the tires.....suggestions please!

[Fast68back]

I'm running 5 7/8 rear BS on my 9.5". Not that huge of a difference, you should be fine

[ClassicRecreations]

OK!

Ordering wheels.  I am gonna get the Vintage Wheel Works 45's with the flat centers:

18x8x4.75" for the front and 18x9.5x5.5 rears

Now the tires.....suggestions please!

I would go 6" back on a 9.5 if it were me. Then 5.5" back on a 9. I did build both of those cars above (black and Red) we use a 17x11 with a 7.25 backspacing. We now narrow the rear and give the wheel more lip.

[Coleman]

I would go 6" back on a 9.5 if it were me. Then 5.5" back on a 9. I did build both of those cars above (black and Red) we use a 17x11 with a 7.25 backspacing. We now narrow the rear and give the wheel more lip.

First off, the cars you built are sharp!  I love the stance, esp the tire size on the rear.

Did you have to "mini tub" or add fender flares with the 7.25 bs?

I am using the prefabbed rear from TCI that is slightly narrower than stock and does not use rear springs, I was hoping to stuff the 11" rims and tires under there. (I will post the exact width from face of disc rotor to face of disc rotor) I have already rolled my quarter panel wheel openings.

I did order my wheels, but was told they would allow returns if I do not mount tires.

Thanks for the information!

[daveSanborn]

I would go 6" back on a 9.5 if it were me.

I dunno about that.... both Rick and I used 9.5" wide with 5.5-5.875" BS and in both cases a 275/40 tire contacts the front lower inboard corner of the inner wheelwell to an extent that a BFH needs to be used to reshape that area of the inner fenderwell to prevent the interference.  A full 6" BS wheel would only pull the wheel in further.... creating even more of an interference.

Is CR widening the rear fenderwells when using an 11" wide wheel?  Personally, I can't see how an 11" could ever fit in a stock wheelwell.  What about when using a 9.5 wheel with 6" BS?

[mustangstofear]

A 9.5 is your max providing you are using a 4 link, if you keep the leaf springs 9 is pushing it but keep the 5.5 backspace. Guys always try to go to big and have tire rub. Rich.

[ClassicRecreations]

First off, the cars you built are sharp!  I love the stance, esp the tire size on the rear.

Did you have to "mini tub" or add fender flares with the 7.25 bs?

I am using the prefabbed rear from TCI that is slightly narrower than stock and does not use rear springs, I was hoping to stuff the 11" rims and tires under there. (I will post the exact width from face of disc rotor to face of disc rotor) I have already rolled my quarter panel wheel openings.

I did order my wheels, but was told they would allow returns if I do not mount tires.

Thanks for the information!

Thank you :ecit
We do use a 4 link made by TCP and use an offset front bushing used for years on street rods. This pulls the lower arm in enough to have no tire rub. The control arms are also adjustable so we move the wheel back and then adjust the pinion with the uppers.
The red car is very close! Almost scary close because it has no flares other than a metal very small flare we made for it.

[daveSanborn]

A 9.5 is your max providing you are using a 4 link

Rich,

We used a 17x9.5 w/5.5BS wheel and 275/40/17 tire on my son's '68.... and he has a traditional leaf spring suspension.  There is NO tire rub under any conditions.