So we go to put on the www tires on freshly mounted and balanced, now that the car has been able to drive around the block we figure she is worthy of the new tires and stock '58 Cadillac wheels. For some reason the rear tires do not fit. They are the right size 235/75/15, but they balloon up too far into the rear wheel well to fit. The front tires fit but the rear do not. The woman at the tire company has a '57 Cadillac, which has the same frame and majority of the body as the '58 Cadillac (my car), and she says she's had them on the car. It doesn't look like the rear end on the car is anything but stock, and I haven't done anything to it. So why don't the tires fit? Anyone else have this problem? Do I have to put the car on a lift and free the rear end up as much as possible, or do you think my coils were shortened at some point? We're perplexed, and I hope someone has a simple answer for me....
From your comment "they ballon up too far INTO the wheelwell" it sounds like the coils have given out and weakened over time, or they were changed. Front wheel wells are laways larger due to the turning wheel (left to right) along with engineering consideration of going thru an "up/down cycle" when turned. Though the tires might read 235/75/15, did you measure them to find out if they are dimensionally the same as original specifications ? Are the rims you have on the car the same as originals, in regards to backspace and rim width ?
double check the rim specs. do the tires bottom out on the wheel well, or do they rub on the inner fender?
They rub on the upper inner fender. The tires are radials so they're actually a bit smaller than the original bias plys. The rims are stock rims off of a '59, but '58/59 shared wheels and wheel covers. I'm really starting to think someone must have done something to the coils at some point.
got some pics to post? guess time to get the sawzall and make 'em fit. ya know what happens when you assume something.
235-75-15s are quite a bit wider than the stock 8.00 or 8.20-15s that your car originally came with. Unless your car has factory air, it originally came with, stock, 8.00-15s. The equivalent size in a modern tire would be 210-85-15, and that size does not nor ever did exist. So your 235s are right at 1" wider than the stock tires (Section width that is; I'd imagine that the width of the tread on the bias plies is barely 175mm). An 8.00-15 has an overall diameter of 29.08" (Per Coker's website) and a 235-75-15 has an overall diameter of 28.8-28.9" so the radials are actually shorter than the stock tires, but they are wider, by about an inch. My guess is that it's the width that's causing the rubbing, plus on a radial the tread is nearly as wide as the section width where on a bias ply the tread is much narrower than the section width.
I have a 58 Cadi and have 235/75/15's with no issues. I am still working on it but had no trouble fitting them on the stock rims and mounting them on the car.
This is what everyone else has said and that's why I'm so confused as to why these don't fit and it doesn't appear that anything has been done to the rear end. This car is one giant conundrum...
How wide are the wheels you have and are you sure they are the stock backspaced correct wheels ? Sounds like the tires are on too narrow of a wheel and backspacing is wrong.Got any pictures?
Kimber, Do you have a factory shop manual? There should be frame alignment and ride height specs. It's also possible that at some point in the past that your car was was wrecked at some point and the frame alignment is off. And how is the rear end? Maybe it's got an incorrect replacement rear end? I have seen this before too.
Yes, I have a manual, I'm going to take a look at that and see if it gives me any major hints. Only the front end appears to have had some damage, but I guess there could've been something along the way to mess up the rear end. I guess I need to really get into the rear end. I was hoping I could go with it as is for awhile, but I may have to tear apart the rear end too, before the car is truly road worthy. I'll see if I can get a better picture, the one I have doesn't really do the issue justice
I was thinking the same thing. I will pull a straight edge on my rims and get the mesurement on the front spacing for you this afternoon. You may have rims with a diferent backspacing.
It should be the same. I know the wheels came off of a '59 and nothing told me that it was different between the two years, but it's worth double checking.
Sorry I do not know what I was thinking. I went out to the shop and checked the rim. front face of the rim is 3 inches deep, and clearance to the outside wheel well is 2.75. Came in to post and the light bulb came on. Your issue is inside wheel well clearance. I am in for the night now but I will check the spare rim and check to see how much clearance there is between the inner tire and the wheel well.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
I think that's gotta be the issue. I have seen a bunch of lowered Caddys of that basic vintage and they all seemed to be running the correct (big ass) tires. Is it rubbing all the time or only on bumps or...?
The Jalopy Journal
