Folks Of Interest Quick wheel bs question

Does anybody have the backspacing measurements from a '55 Chevy 15" wheel? Not interested in offset or any of that mess, only backspacing. Thanks

 

no, but I could get one in a few minutes, if you can wait.

 

looks like 3-3/4"

 

12 minutes, impressive...

 

Thanks man I appreciate it. You dont happen to know any 15x5 Chevy steel wheels with 3" of bs do you?

 

I sold my Belair and picked up a '49 Ford coupe. I'm putting an s10 axle and t5 in it so I have to be careful of the wheel size

 

SPECIFICATIONS
SKU OEPR155SG300
Brand SpecialtyWheel
Bolt Pattern 5x4.75
Finish Primed
Wheel Size 15x5
Backspacing 3.00
Vehicle Application OE Style

From Coker Tire.

 

Hell yeah I completely forgot about Coker. Thanks man I appreciate that. Any factory wheels that may be a little less expensive? If there aren't any I'll just go with them

 

A little late to the came. Pulled "stock" spare that's a 15x5 and it's 3 1/4" exactly at the inside of the rims lip.

 

That's how I have always measured wheels, where the bead contacts the wheel but now some wheel manufacturers measure at the widest part of the rim, the part that the weights went on.

 

That likely would be the same wheel spec that @squirrel measured and reported. Including the rim lip in the measurement of ‘backspacing’ is standard practice so far as I know. That is because that is the full rim width. Now, rim width, for tire mounting purposes is measured inside the flanges.

Ray

 

yeah, I measured back spacing, from the wheel mounting surface to the very edge of the wheel.

I doubt there's a stock wheel with 3" back spacing, but I could be wrong.

 

That's what suck's about it. If one is building a tight set up they best be on your toes about what to order.

 

What’s Hollander say?

 

Yeah I figure it has to include the lip. Summit has a "smoothie" wheel with dual bolt pattern and 3" bs for $75 ea. They'll be behind a set of Foxcraft skirts so even though they don't look so hot they wont be seen anyway. I'm hoping they (whichever company that makes them and provides the specs) measure theirs to the outer edge.

 

The stated wheel width (eg: 15 x 5) is measured from inside the tire bead mounting surfaces. Always has been.
The total outer width of the rim is nominally 1" wider than the stated size (half an inch per side). A 5" wheel will actually measure up at six inches total overall.
Backspace is measured from the inner most rim edge to the inside of the wheel mounting surface.
It can be a bit of a trap if you are unaware.

Now, who wants to dive down the rabbit hole that is "offset"..............

 

Not trying to be disagreeable or anything but I just Googled the correct way to measure wheelback spacing and went to images. Literally every single picture had a straight edge across the wheel on the outer edge

 

I agree with what you said but some wheel manufacturers are using the outer most part of the wheel for width and back spacing. And that's a problem when you only have an inch or less on both sides to work with. The last time I switched from Center Lines to Weld Wheels the Center Lines measured as you said and the Weld Wheels were just opposite. The Welds were a half inch farther out. Same size same offset.

 

We'll leave offset to the import crowd

 

Straight edge across the inner-most edge and measure outwards to the wheel mounting surface.

All the big guys in the business have been using backspace and offset in the US for quite a while. Check out Speedway, Summit Racing, Jegs, and Wheel Vintiques (just to name a few). Offset is simply another way to measure and define backspace.

 

it's just that offset makes us have to think too hard...and I never know if positive or negative offset means the wheel sticks out more.

Backspace is pretty easy to understand.

 

Yeah, I caught the innermost edge thing after I posted mine lol

 

3 3/4

 

Gentlemen, I humbly recommend that we all step away from the "circle of confusion" and let this guy solve his own problem. Steel wheels back in the day were riveted together so it is an easy process to drill the rivets out, bolt the wheel on the axle then move the hoop either in or out on the wheel center as needed for clearance (this also lets you know if the hoop is too wide or too narrow). Once the wheel hoop is centered in the opening, the rim and hoop can be tack-welded together, removed from the car and finish welded, job done.

 

How do you get the wheel square, How do I change my Ford bolt pattern to a Chevy bolt patternand then does it then need to be balanced before mounting the tire? Or better than all of that, I could buy a Chevy wheel with the backspacing that I need since I need new wheels anyway, hence the reason for this post

 

What are the regulations relating to wheel spacers in your area. If they are acceptable, it may be the answer.
https://www.summitracing.com/search...ending&keyword=wheel+spacers&kr=wheel+spacers

 

I initially thought about 1" spacer/adapters with the Ford wheels. The issue with that is I want to run the s10 axle because it's an inch narrower on each side. That'll make it easier to get the wheel on and off. If I space it out with spacers I'll be in the same position I'm in now.

 

The only way the wheel will be easier to remove is if there is more space between the wheel and the skirt, regardless of where the wheel mounting surface is. You still have to be able to clear the wheel studs.........

 

Correct. They'll be in an inch further with the s10 axle compared to the factory axle. That'll give me an inch more clearance which will be more than enough room

 

But if you go from 3.75" backspace to 3" backspace, you move the outside of the wheel/tire out 3/4 of an inch.
That would mean you have only gained 1/4" more space between tire and skirt........
New axle moves it in 1"........... New backspace moves it back out 3/4".