Wheels / Tires: Wheel upgrade issues

[LeoH]

Well. I can't say I'm shocked, but for those who are considering upgrading their rims to newer tires and wheels, I can say, if you have a 1960 wagon, you're going to have a problem. I bought a set of the widely approved 90s Crown Victoria rims and have 205/75/15 tires mounted on them and, though close, they do fit under the front fenders, but based on how I felt the previous 195/75/15s fit in my wheel wells, I was right, they do not clear the outer fender on the rear wheels.
I guess I'm going to have to have someone help flare out the rear fender wells. Crap.
I'm really surprised no one else has commented that this has happened to them. I know wagons aren't as common, but they're not rare and someone else has to have upgraded their rims. I would have thought. The first photo is the wheel fit when it's off the ground, the second one with the wheel on the ground.

[RadioRoy]

Rather than flaring the rear wheel wells, perhaps there are other wheels you could get with a greater offset?

Also, are both sides the same? Sometimes the rear axle assembly is slightly offset from one side to another.

Do the front tires clear the tie rod ends on extreme turns? That's where my clearance issues show themselves.

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

"Upgrade". The most overused word on this forum!
Hey! Your wheels are too wide! What are they - 8 inch?
Get some 5-1/2" older Dodge wheels, which should be findable in good shape in California.
I just bought a '61 Lark hardtop, which has similarly shaped rear wheel openings, and the 5-1/2" Dodge wheels installed by the previous owner fit just fine. Not even maybe close but more than adequate clearance.

[LeoH]

No, they're 6.5 inch, the standard width on the Crown Vic rims which, again, are touted as the rim to go to.
Frankly, on the original rims, the 4.5", I wouldn't have been able to fit chains on my 195 tires that were on those rims, much less any 5". 195/75/15s.

[LeoH]

Rather than flaring the rear wheel wells, perhaps there are other wheels you could get with a greater offset?

Also, are both sides the same? Sometimes the rear axle assembly is slightly offset from one side to another.

Do the front tires clear the tie rod ends on extreme turns? That's where my clearance issues show themselves.

No, the fronts are fine, it's the rears. The front is close enough, I had to have a small crinkle straightened out to straighten out the inner curve at the bottom of the front fender...that rubbed on the one side, but once we straightened it back to original, the fronts clear fine. http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...xle/wheel.html

[bensherb]

Those 6.5" Crown Vic wheels fit great on a Hawk, evidently too wide for a Lark. Dean,(Voxnut), put new wheels on his '61 Lark wagon. I know he bought them new but don't recall from who or the size, he did not mention having any clearance problems with them though. Perhaps he'll chime in, or you might message him.

[LeoH]

Thanks for that, I'll follow up if I don't hear from him.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Interesting how Leo bounces back and forth calling a wheel, both a "rim" AND...a "wheel"..!
You trying to cover all your bases with the various names people put on wheels ?

With the "rim" being only part...of the whole..!

Looks like the rim offset is a bit off to fit that wheel well. Looks good, too bad there isn't just a tad more clearance.

Mike

[48skyliner]

I don't know why people make such a fuss over something so simple as stretching out the fender by an inch or maybe a bit more. I had serious interference on the rear and slight interference on the front of my 48 Champion, and it took me a total of about an hour to fix it. I carved a piece of wood to fit the shape of the fender, to lay inside the fender rim. I used a soft piece of a 2x4 about 8 inches long. I carefully tapered the ends so they did not touch the metal-otherwise you might have a small crease or bulge at the ends. I jacked against the wood with a small hydraulic Portopower used for bodywork, but I certainly could do it with a common scissor jack. Carving the wood might take some time if you don't have wood working tools, but it will take less time than chasing down another set of wheels. You can easily roll under the flanged edge in the appropriate place to get more clearance.

[doofus]

Wagons dont have a flanged edge on rear. there is an inner fender to deal with. i have wide rims on 56 that arte close, as long as no fat back seat pass i'm ok. will try to measure offset today,among other things. wheels were a scrounged item,drilled for dual bolt pattern.Luck Doofus

[mbstude]

I don't know why people make such a fuss over something so simple as stretching out the fender by an inch or maybe a bit more. I had serious interference on the rear and slight interference on the front of my 48 Champion, and it took me a total of about an hour to fix it. I carved a piece of wood to fit the shape of the fender, to lay inside the fender rim. I used a soft piece of a 2x4 about 8 inches long. I carefully tapered the ends so they did not touch the metal-otherwise you might have a small crease or bulge at the ends. I jacked against the wood with a small hydraulic Portopower used for bodywork, but I certainly could do it with a common scissor jack. Carving the wood might take some time if you don't have wood working tools, but it will take less time than chasing down another set of wheels. You can easily roll under the flanged edge in the appropriate place to get more clearance.

Wagons have less fender clearance than almost any other Stude, except maybe the 47-52's like you have. I found that out when I had this '57. I bought 15x6 wheels and 205/75R tires. The rears wouldn't go on. A scissor jack sideways against the frame rail, and a short 2x4 against the inside of the rear quarter panel was what I came up with. It worked fine.

[jackb]

try thinking new springs up front & out back.... 205's will go on out back fine if you jack up by the frame rail vs. the R/A.

[52-fan]

You also have the option of wheels from someplace like Wheel Vintiques. They are not terribly expensive and you can get the width and offset you need.

[LeoH]

Wagons dont have a flanged edge on rear. there is an inner fender to deal with. i have wide rims on 56 that arte close, as long as no fat back seat pass i'm ok. will try to measure offset today,among other things. wheels were a scrounged item,drilled for dual bolt pattern.Luck Doofus

Thanks Doofus.

[LeoH]

Wagons have less fender clearance than almost any other Stude, except maybe the 47-52's like you have. I found that out when I had this '57. I bought 15x6 wheels and 205/75R tires. The rears wouldn't go on. A scissor jack sideways against the frame rail, and a short 2x4 against the inside of the rear quarter panel was what I came up with. It worked fine.

Thanks for the real world experience. Is that car after you did the massaging? It looks fine, if so.