[6T5 Cat]

I just installed a set of Torque Thrust II wheels with custom back spacing and new rear springs 1-1/2 inch taller than stock from Coil spring Specalities on my 65 Cat. The tires on front are Firestone Indy 500 Firehawks, 225/70/15 on 15x7 wheels with 4-1/4 back space. The rears are 275/60/15 on 15x8 wheels with 5-1/4 back space. I have 3/4 in between the rear tire and the fender. I had to roll the inside fender lip and move the lower shock mount inboard about an inch. A 5-1/2 back space would have worked better, but they can't make an 8" with 5-1/2 back space in this wheel. I'll be installing 4 wheel disc on it next week, hence the nasty brake drums, and also a TKO 600 in another couple of weeks. I want to get all of the mods done to the car before I pull it apart for a frame-off restoration.

I thought I would share this information since there's always a lot of inquires about tire fitment on the 65 and 66 fullsize cars.
Bob

[66bonne]

Bob - Man O Man - those wheels and tires are really cool. Where did you get the wheels with the custom offset ? Are you running the taller rear springs to make sure you have enough clearance ?
I have 1" lowered rear springs [got them from Coil Spring Specialties as well] and wonder if I could get more tire under there with the custom offset without rubbing on the fender. Very cool Bob, great job.
I'm sure all of us would also like to hear about your disc brake conversion.
Inquiring minds want to know, Thanks, Jim

[6T5 Cat]

Hey Jim,

I got the wheels from Wheels For Less, here's their wed address:
http://www.wheelsforless.com/vintage_wheels.htm Go to the vintage wheel page of their site and scroll down to the custon offset wheels.
They deal directly with ARE. ARE builds the wheels, so what I can't figure out is why ARE doesn't advertise the custom offset wheels. I think the fronts were $212 and the rears were $227 each, that includes the center caps, lug nuts and chrome valve stems.

Through a lot of measuring, I figured 1-1/2 lift puts the fender lip even with the widest part of the tire, so any body-lean from cornering will either move the body up or down to a narrower part of the tire where there's more clearance. I also ordered the springs with 15% more stiffness to keep it from wallowing around like a fat hog.

I'm going to start on the brake conversion at the same time I install my posi rear, hopefully this coming week. I'll take plenty of pix of the brake setup and work, maybe it'll help some other Darksiders out in the future. Bob

[6T5 Cat]

Hi Jeff, they're not my favorite wheel either, I like the look of the original TT wheels like you have and the wheels Jim (66bonne) has, but they're not available in 15" with the offset I needed, so I settled for the TTIIs. But, they're not a bad looking wheel, I can live with them. Now, if my car was the same color as your car I would really be pleased. Bob

[66bonne]

Bob - thanks for the info on the wheels, I'll take a look at them.
I'm sure there will be lots of fellow Darksiders that would be interested in your disc brake conversion. Please keep us posted with info and pix.
Looking good.

[6T5 Cat]

Both of my cars are low mileage, one-owner originals, the cat has 22,140 miles on it and the 63 le mans has 40,000 on it. The 63 will be getting a dual quad 421, if I keep it (I've always favored the fullsize cars). The Cat is getting a new e-head 461 stroker that I built.

[mike nixon]

6t5, that's a good looking cat, nice color on what looks to be a solid car.it sounds like it'll be fun when it's done.

as a side note / question, did you call american racing regarding the offset directly? i talked with one of thier reps this past summer about some of their vintage wheel reproductions. i was told they'd make most of them in custom offsets in 1/2" increments as long as they fit their parameters. just curious as the dealers i talked to said what i wanted wasn't available.

mike

[6T5 Cat]

Mike, thanks, it is very solid with no rust except for surface rust on the frame. I'll pull the frame and blast it, etc. The paint job sucks., I hate the color. It's not a match to the original burgudy at all. The 81 year old owner had his grandson paint it about two years ago. In the sunlight, it looks brownish red, but at dusk or under lights it looks like what's in the picture. I will be taking it down to bare metal and going with a new color that will look like it does in the picture.

I did everything thru Wheels For Less website. They list all of the ARE wheels that are available in custom back spacing. The torque Thrust Ds weren't available in 15 inch with custom backspacing.
Bob

[Gary Logan]

Thanks for the pictures and info. I have been debating tire sizes and spring heights so this post is quite helpful. I am going to go with some 15x7 Rally II's and either 245/60R15 or 255/60R15 tires on the 65 2+2. I would like to go the same size on all four corners. If you can stuff the 275's in there then I should have no problems going an inch narrower on the rims and tires. I do love the stance of your setup.

[6T5 Cat]

The back space of the wheel is crutial. I bought 4 of the 225/70/15s on 7 inch rims with 4-1/4 backspace so I could have the same size all around if I want to do so. They would not fit on the rear without rolling the inside lip because they extend out 3/4 inch more than the stock 6 inch wheels. On my car with the stock 6 inch wheels I only had 3/4 inch clearance with the old G78 14s. So, proceed with caution and measure well before you buy anything. It about drove me nuts trying to determine the correct measurements. Bob