ok I just picked up my 66 with its new 295-50-15 on the back. the tires rub on the wheel well just a bit. I know I have a couple of options on makeing clearence, I just wondered what would be the best.

1. new spring to raise the rear higher?
right now the car has te origial springs and air shocks right now inflated all the way. when I jack up the rear of the car. the tires dont hang any farther than when the tires were on the ground. does that mean springs wont get it much higher?
what springs should I buy to get the best clearence? wagon springs?

2. grinding away the inside of the quater panel to make clearence? this seems like the best Idea to me. im just worried that it wont clear completly and I would have cut all the stock metal for no reason.

3.does rolling the quarter lip with a bat crack away all the paint? it seems like it would.

im sorry for the length of this post. but my car is my daily driver and it doesnt drive right now=)
anyone else have any other Ideas on how to gain clearence?(geting smaller tires is out of the question, they look awsome=))

thanx
Justin
66-454-th350

I saw a '65 with 295's. They were awsome! I think i'll stick with 275's max. This '65 had a major portion of the fender lip cut or ground away, especially closer to the front and back (about 9:00 and 3:00 on the tire). I would say that there wasn't enough top hold any moulding (he had none). It was close on the inside as well.

All methods have been used successfully. I don't care for "jacking" the rear to clear the tires, I prefer function over form sometimes. If you use the bat method you WILL distort the quarterpanel! You can make some perpendicular slices in the lip (about every 6" or so)and lightly fold the lip in using a plastic hammer. Make sure to "back" the quarter with something (fabricate a wooden dolly and then wrap it in cloth) that will hold the lip, but won't scratch the paint. Hate to see you cut up a nice car but, you gotta do what ya gotta do!

Aaargh, what a drag. I wrestled with this for too long before I decided to play it safe with 275/60 Drag Radials. Glad I did because with 4 3/4 backspace on my '67 ( 7" wheels ) that's all that'll fit. Two ways to go.

1.) the cheap method. By a set of airbags for your springs. $63 at Summit. Will a few inches of rise get you out of trouble?

2.) If you have clearance on the inside of the well, go to a wheel with a deeper backspace. You'll probably need 5" on a 8" wheel.

If you decide to trim the lip, have someone who knows body work and has the experience do it right.

my wheel is a 15x10 with a 4 1/4 backspacing
all clearences are perfect, except the quater lip. Im going to cut it myself today, I dont have the time or mooney to let a profesional do it. and after seeing just how big a 295 is. I dont think I could go back to a 275, would probably just be wishing I would have stayed with the 295 the whole time.
thanx for your help.
Justin

Justin
Wrong wheels, you need 5" or 5 1/2" backspacing with 15x10. Do us all a favor and measure the clearance between the frame and tire sidewall on both sides and report. I'm still on the fence on backspacing and you can help demistify the question.

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Fred Aldrich
Web Site: www.GeoCities.com/~69_chevelle (http://www.GeoCities.com/~69_chevelle)

justin
can you return those wheels?
hey maybe the contact area is very small, slite trimming of inner lip may fix you up.
67rat member#199

wheels and tires are bouht and paid for.
the backspacing seems right because I only have about a half inch of clearence from the bottom shock mount.
so far ive cut away the inner lip and that made alot of clearence
also I used an old bumber jack to move the quater lip just a bit farther out.
everything fits great now.....EXCEPT....
I have too much wheel travel. around town the tires are great but when I come up my drivewayit puts the car at a weired angle and the criverside tire goes compleatly into the wheel well.

so my question is, my rear springs are original. if I install new springs will this make the wheel travel less into the well?
does anyone know if I can use a set of wagon springs?
thanx for all of your help
Justin

Justin: What brand of tires did you buy? I have a 1970 Chevelle SS with 15 x 10 wheels with 5.0 inch backspacing on the rear of my car. I was thinking about the 295-50-15 tires for my car also. Are they 28.0 tall tires?

justin
i would install some air bags,just put enough air in them to stiffin it a bit,you can also slightly tune the suspetion with these. or you could park in the street,but then some buttmunch would probaly mess with your pride n joy.
67rat member#199

I agree with Fred on this one. 4.25" backspace is barely enough for a 8" wide wheel,,much less a 10". Strohm has 17x10 wheels w/5.5" backspace on his 67 Chevelle so these wheels should fit a 66,too. Otherwise, you're looking at hacking up your car to make those wrong wheels fit. Not good.
P.S. According to BFG's tire sizing guide, a 295-50x15 tire is 26.7" tall,,not 28".

on a 15 inch rim the backspacing has a problem with the lower shock mount.
with a 17 inch rim the backspacing can go was back because it totally clears the shock.
I already had a set of 14in crager ss. I diddnt want to buy four new rims, so I just went one inch bigger in the back and only bought two.
anyway. right now im taking a break from putting in new rear springs. after this everything should have great clearences with a slightly higher than stock stance.
I love the 17in rim look but my car is a daily driver. so I dont want to have to worry about $1200 of rims and tires. not to mention that tall of a rim with those narrow tires the ride comfort is drastically reduced and you feel the paint in the sidewalk as you drive over it.
but thats just my .02
thanx for all of your help.
by the way DUANE OCHS the tires are cooper cobra and I dont know the hight for sure. I can mesure it for you if you need it. these tires are great there only $85 a piece for the 295's and they have a really agresive looking tread pattern
thanx again
Justin