mySAVIOReigns

Long post, sorry :-\

I finally got my engine swap 100% complete. Not 98% like it had been done for months, but 100%. The Duraspark II conversion was done, and the ballast resistor was eliminated. Started it up and it ran great. I decided I would drive it in a little circle around the parking lot (apartment) and pull it back into the parking spot. Drove it around, went to pull back in, and the brakes were gone. After a minute of dragging my foot on the ground, I got it to stop, before going over a 4 foot dropoff. Thank goodness the car is safe, and so am I.

So rather than asking a ton of questions up front, I’m gonna start off with an easy one, and keep this thread going. I plan on putting my disk brakes on the front. Doing so will make the front 5-lug and the rear 4-lug. If I measure the wheel from rim-rim, and it comes out to be like 15.25”. This I assume is a 15” wheel, right? And the width I measured was 8”, so 15x8.

Is there a tire that will work (well) on both a 15x8 and a 15x7? The future wheels I’m going with are 15x7, that’s why I ask.

Norm Peterson

Wheel size is measured to the bead seating areas, which are on the inside at the base of the flanges. For alloy wheels, the nominal wheel width is about one inch less than a measurement made from outside to outside at the wheel flanges (for steelies it's more like 1/2" - 3/4" less). Likewise, the diameter is somewhat less than a measurement made to the outermost wheel diameter at the tips of the flange. Most flange profiles are more than 1/4" tall (slightly over 1/2", IIRC), and you have two of those plus the wheel nominal size making up the outside diameter measurement that I think you're trying to describe.

Yes, there are tire sizes that will fit on either a 7" or an 8" rim (225/60 is a possibility, but not the only legitimate one). But let's first find out if you have two different wheel widths and even need to consider this. Be prepared to spend a little time with dodgestang's charts as far as being comfortable that any particular tire (and wheel) will fit your car.


Norm

kalli

check on your tires. that says 205/75R14 then you have 14" rims
if it says 195/60R15 then you have 15" 9
you get the idea. the 3rd number is wheel diameter.
i'm not sure if you measure wheel dia from outer edge to outer edge or shoulder to shoulder.
So checking onj the tyre is a safe way when you don't have markings on the wheel

if you have 4lug in the rear then my guess is you have 14" and you won't fit disc brakes in there (need 15"). There is a rather expensive kit for those 4lug tires, but let's see what you have first. is it a V8 or a 6cyl ?

mySAVIOReigns

ooooooooooookie dokie, here goes.

these are just bare wheels, no tires on them. I have (basically) 3 sets of wheels. 4 on the car, with tires, all are 14" stockers. 4 are the Aluminum ones (the ones in question), and 4 for the future (all are 15x7, 5 lugs).

Now, in the future, after I have done the rearend swap and the front disk brake swap, I'll put the 5-lugs on there. But for now, I'm putting 4 lugs on the back, and 5 lugs on the front.

JamesW sold me a set of wheels a year ago or so that are two 4-lug and two 5-lug, which match, so no one can tell.

Disk brakes, which will be going on because of the above-mentioned brake problem, are 5-lug, and will go on the front only.

baddog671

225/60 or 50/15 BFGoodrich g-Force

kalli

225/60 should generallyu be possible on 6-8 inch. but i think 8" is stretching it
you can always check with the online pages of tyre dealers or here as example:
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...p;autoview=sku

but the problem here is steering. If you don't have powersteering I would not recommend 225 at front. I have 195 and for me that tops the awkward mark while parking ... and no I'm not a wussie ;-)

mySAVIOReigns

Alright, thanks for the tips. After hearing what Norm said, and doing some research online, I believe the Aluminum wheels are actually 14", and they just have the lip that makes them appear 15". American Racing doesn't seem to make that style in 15" with 4 lugs. They are 14x7s.

So back to square 1...Or maybe not. The stockers on the car are 14” 195s. Therefore, I think, I bet I could take those off, put them on the 14x7s, and voila! No need to buy new tires. (Oh, and the tires on the stock wheels are in great shape btw). Would a 195 fit on a 7" wide wheel?

Now this brings me to point 2. The brake lines.

I will be putting the diskbrakeswap.com kit on there, and I'd like to replace all the lines. Which pre-bent kit should I buy? Obvioiusly not a 66, manual drum, 1 cylinder. I already have the dual MC, distribution block, and proportioning valve.

Maybe a 66 GT or something?

Norm Peterson

Yes to 195's on 7".

In most cases a 7" rim width represents the maximum "approved" rim width for 195-width tires and is therefore OK. Years ago on a different Ford car I ran 195/70's on 7" wide wheels. You might notice a very mildly "stretched" appearance, and slightly less than a "normal" amount of protection offered to the wheel by sidewall bulge, but if you don't tend to hit/scuff/scrape stuff you'll be fine. Might get spoiled by slightly snappier steering response.


Norm

mySAVIOReigns

Well dang....looked at my tires I already had and turns out they are 185s, not 195s. I doubt these will work. Back to square 1, again[&:]

Norm Peterson

It's probably half an inch 'above spec' and is starting to be a little 'stretched'. But it can be made to work in most cases assuming that the combination isn't a 'bust' on either appearance or rim protection. Never mind how I might happen to know about being out of spec on the wide end . . .