Wheels / Tires: Aftermarket wheels

[64V-K7]

Anyone know the diameter of the "hub" on a stock rim for 64 GT Hawk. The hub being the hole in the center of the RIM where the axle nut protrudes.

[StudeRich]

I get 2 3/4 Inches with a ruler not a Caliper, that should be close enough to tell it from a 3 1/8" one.

[bensherb]

The stock Stude hub portion that protrudes through the wheel is quite small, pretty much any wheel should fit over it. I used Ford wheels on my GT, their center bore is 2.7". I added a ring to fit the wheels to both front and rear hubs to make the wheels fit "hubcentricly" so load is carried on the hub and not only the lug bolts.

[64V-K7]

Thanks all..

[the shoe]

If I can add to this topic... I have a '62 GT Hawk and want to install new wheels. Currently I'm running 17x7 American Racing Torque Thrust wheels w/ 3.5" offset (so the hub is right in the middle of the wheel). I'm looking to go to smoothie steel wheels, either 18x8 or 20x8 with a 4.75 offset from the inside of the wheel.

Does anyone KNOW if they will fit? With how tight the 17x7's are I just want to be sure before I drop that kind of money. With the 4.75" offset, the outside of the 8" wide wheels will actually be .25" further to the inside of the car. But that means that I need 1.25" of additional clearance on the inside of the wheel wells and I'm not sure it will be there.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[tsenecal]

4.75" seems like it would be to much. It sounds like you have already done some rough measurements.I would think most custom wheel shops would put your car on a lift, and slide a 4.75 onto the hub, before you commit to the purchase. Also the sidewall on the tire might hang out a bit further than the wheel.

[Jerry Forrester]

w/ 3.5" offset (so the hub is right in the middle of the wheel). I'm looking to go to smoothie steel wheels, either 18x8 or 20x8 with a 4.75 offset from the inside of the wheel.

You have 'off set' and 'back space' confused. 'Off set' is the distance the center of the wheel is from the mounting service. 'Back space' is the distance from the mounting surface to the back edge of the wheel. I knew what you was talking about, but it's best to use the correct nomenclature when asking questions and making statements. Good luck on your wheel choices.

[bensherb]

You might get away with it only because you are talking about an 18 or 20 inch wheel. The 18 will be tight. At 3.75" backspace my 17 x 8s hit the zerk fitting for the upper pivot, and have very little clearance of the sway bar. I removed the zerks, but due to the adjustment for alignment, the left upper control arm is still very close to the wheel at full lock. You also need to consider the outside diameter of the tire wheel assembly. For an 18" anything larger than a 235-50-18 will hit the fender when turning. For a 20"you'll be limited to a 225-40-20. Anything much over 27" OD will be a problem. My tires are 27 3/16" diameter and they just clear. Keep in mind too, the 18" tires will cost around $225 each, and the 20" about $375 each out the door. A bit rich for a CASO like me. My 17's were $75 each, including the wheels.

One more thing: Just bolting the wheels on with the wheels off the ground, even with the suspension loaded, to check for turn clearance will not give you a very good representation of the actual clearance you have. Things move to reduce clearance as the suspension moves and the tires move on the wheels too. 1/4" clearance is not enough, you need at least 1/2" and it will still be very tight at full lock. Surprisingly, you turn to full lock a lot more than you think.

[the shoe]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback and sorry for the offset / backspace confusion. Looks like I need to find a shop that will test fit... no help from America's Tire there!