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One of the most
important improvement we
do to our classic
Fords
is upgrade the wheels
and tires. Not only do
wheel and tire sizes
usually increase, but we
can also take advantage
of technology that is
ever evolving.
Replacing a steel wheel
with one made of
aluminum reduces
unsprung weight, and
that's always a good
thing. Another plus is
that an aluminum wheel
can be a thing of
beauty, while a
stamped-steel rim is
rarely so.
When it comes to tires,
few would argue that a
bias-ply or bias-belted
tire is better than a
modern radial. The only
exception we can think
of is for concours-show
usage. Modern radial
tire technology just
keeps getting better and
better, and this is
something many classic
Ford enthusiasts should
take advantage of.
The first issue in any
wheel and tire upgrade
is determining whether
the desired combination
will fit your
car.
You'll want to fill the
wheelhouse completely
while having no part of
the tire protruding from
the car and no
interference during
steering or suspension
travel. Remember also
that once you mount a
tire to a wheel, you've
bought both. At that
point, no company will
refund your money if the
combination you've
selected doesn't fit
your car.
We'll examine some
popular wheel and tire
upgrades, and talk about
some of the different
aspects of size that you
need to be aware of
before you shop for a
new set of rolling
stock. To begin, you'll
need to determine the
fitment parameters of
your car. First, you
must measure the
backspacing on the wheel
you want and the
wheelhouse depth on the
car you have.
The easiest
way to
measure
backspace is
to put the
wheel face
down on the
ground. Lay
a straight
edge across
the rim of
the wheel.
Using a
ruler or
tape
measure,
determine
the distance
from the
straight
edge to the
face of the
flange
mounting
pad. This
measurement
is the wheel
backspace.
On this
American
Racing rim,
the
backspacing
is 331/44
inches. The
offset is
the distance
from the
face of the
mounting
flange to
the true
centerline
of the
wheel.
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The
wheelhouse
depth must
be carefully
measured in
order to
determine
what width
wheel can be
accommodated.
Be sure to
allow at
least 11/42
inch on
either side
of the wheel
for tire
sidewall
protrusion
in your
calculations.
Take the
measurement
from the
inner
wheelhouse
to the
inside edge
of the
fender lip.
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Early in the
decision
process,
look at the
potential
for
brake-caliper
interference
if your car
has disc
brakes.
Templates
are
available
from brake
manufacturers
to help
determine if
your brakes
will work
with the
wheels you
want. They
may also
have a list
of workable
combinations,
although
it's
difficult to
keep track
of every
possible
combination.
Even with
the
templates
and a
manufacturer's
list of
applications,
the best way
to be
certain a
wheel will
clear the
brake
calipers is
to test the
fit before
you buy the
wheels or
mount any
tires. If
necessary,
purchase one
wheel for
the test.
Most wheel
shops will
refund your
money if the
wheel is
returned
undamaged
and has
never had a
tire
mounted. We
test fitted
this wheel
at all four
corners
before any
tires were
mounted.
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With the
wheel seated
on the axle
flange,
check for
adequate
clearance on
the inside
edge of the
rim.
Remember
that the
car's body
will tend to
roll into
the top of
the tire's
inner
sidewall
during
turns.
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Another
clearance
checkpoint
is this
rear-suspension
snubber
mounting.
The outer
edge may
need to be
folded
inward or
cut off
entirely.
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