Wheels / Tires: American Racing Salt Flat Mag wheels on a Lark

[go-studebaker]

Guys,
American Racing make a mag wheel that looks like a kidney bean style Halibrand called Salt Flat.

See

http://www.americanracing.com/wheels/VN470/VN4711

They make one in 15" x 6" wide with 0 offset.

My experience with Larks is that unless they are unreasonably high in the front end they will tyre scrub on the front fenders when you are on any lock and go over a hump.

Have any of you guys used these 6" wheels on a Lark and what are your thoughts ? I know they make it close on the rear fenders.

Also can you put the American Racing spinners into them ?

With a 0 offset and 6" wide will they work on a Studebaker ?

I seem to recall a picture of Matt Burnett's friend 63 GT with a set of these on his car.

I am also toying with the idea of putting an Avanti side mounted blower under the hood so there is going to be a lot more weight in the front end so do I need different springs and AC spacers ?

Regards
Greg Diffen

[Bordeaux Daytona]

I seem to recall a picture of Matt Burnett's friend 63 GT with a set of these on his car.

If I'm not mistaken those were from PS Engineering
Website here.....http://www.psvintagewheels.com/products.html

[PackardV8]

The good news is Halibrand will make essentially that same wheel in any diameter and offset you choose. On my custom Hawk, I had them make up a set of 8"x16". There are many more performance 16" tires than 15", just not as many of either as there used to be.

jack vines

[StudeRich]

So doesn't that actually mean that a 6 Inch Wheel that has 0 Offset, would have 3 Inches Backspace, or from the mounting surface to the Inboard edge of the Rim?
That should not be much different than a Stock Stude. Wheel Backspace, right?

Someone please correct me if I have confused this.

[candbstudebakers]

So doesn't that actually mean that a 6 Inch Wheel that has 0 Offset, would have 3 Inches Backspace, or from the mounting surface to the Inboard edge of the Rim?
That should not be much different than a Stock Stude. Wheel Backspace, right?

Someone please correct me if I have confused this.

Rich you are confusing me but then so is Greg.

[junior]

So doesn't that actually mean that a 6 Inch Wheel that has 0 Offset, would have 3 Inches Backspace, or from the mounting surface to the Inboard edge of the Rim?
That should not be much different than a Stock Stude. Wheel Backspace, right?

Someone please correct me if I have confused this.

Closely related but not the same. If a 6 inch wheel has zero offset, the backspacing will be slightly more than half the width of the wheel because backspacing includes the thickness of the wheel rim where the tire bead seats. So for example, the 6 inch wheel with zero offset will have something like 3.25 inches of backspacing. Do a google search `difference between wheel offset and backspacing` and you will discover many graphic illustrations and youtube vids. cheers, junior

[Dick Steinkamp]

My experience with Larks is that unless they are unreasonably high in the front end they will tyre scrub on the front fenders when you are on any lock and go over a hump.

Here's my 63 with cut coils in front...



Stock disc brake wheels, however. 205 75 15's. No scrubbing.

Fronts are a little tricky. Wider than stock with too LITTLE backspacing will scrub. Too MUCH backspacing will interfere with the tie rod ends. I think the only way to tell for sure is to experiment with your best guess on wheel width, backspacing, tire height and tire cross section.

[SN-60]

Good looking Lark!

[Mike Van Veghten]

A friend has the American version on his 64 Avanti.
They fit well ("under" the fender) and look good. The car is just "slighty" lower than the stock height.
And being..as we all know, the basic suspension is the same on all 53 to 65 Studebakers, they should fit your Lark also...as long as the body width at that point is simillar.

Mike

[StudeDave57]

Greg~ contact my Vice President Brian Curtis (a.k.a. 'Chocolate Turkey' here on the Forum).
He's got a set of those that he has used on BOTH his '63 (?) GT Hawk, and his '66 Daytona.
I do not believe either car is 'stock' in the ride height department.

[Milaca]

I went to the American Racing wheel website and selected 1963 Studebaker Lark from the drop-down list, and it selected a 16x7 wheel with 0 offset. It selected the same wheel size for a 1963 Avanti. I would prefer a 15" wheel but perhaps it wont fit? Do they know what they are talking about??

[StudeRich]

Just from the info we have here in Post #6 you can see that the Backspace is way too much and the wheel width is also a Problem.

They will be hitting the Tie Rods, and then the 16 Inch wheels will require too low a profile Tire to look correct on a '60's Car, unless maybe you want it to look like something it is not, a Modern Car.

[BobWaitz]

Not to hijack the thread but what makes these wheels "Salt Flat" material? While they are attractive, I'd expect them to be completely smooth or have tabs on them to accept Moon disks.

[PackardV8]

Just from the info we have here in Post #6 you can see that the Backspace is way too much and the wheel width is also a Problem.

They will be hitting the Tie Rods, and then the 16 Inch wheels will require too low a profile Tire to look correct on a '60's Car, unless maybe you want it to look like something it is not, a Modern Car.

Yes, Rich, but that's a personal opinion and not an absolute. Once one makes the decision to leave 6.70x15 and 4.5" steel wheels, it's a slippery slope. Having been there in the day, you and I know there aren't many aftermarket wheels and tires which would be period-correct for an early '60s car.

The sense of how wide a tire/too short a sidewall is strictly personal. You draw the line at 15", but are you staying with 80-series sidewalls? Not much in the way of performance tires to choose from there. But there were wide 70-series and even 60-series bias plies which became available in the late '60s which aren't appropriate on Studes, but many of us driving Studes in that day went to them as soon as we could afford to. Just me; I can't abide '60s cars with 20" wheels and no-sidewall tires, but one of the most affluent and influential old car guys here in Spokane thinks dubs are just fine.

Personally, on a modified car, and that's anything which doesn't have steel/6.70s, I think the 16" wheels with 245/50x16 look OK. Because of the width, they have a 175mm tall sidewall, enough not to give a funkmasterflash vibe.

Your opinions and results may vary.

jack vines