Rear wheel clearance query for '67

[67FBGT]

Have been trying to find an answer to this for some time, hoping for forum advice.
Am looking at sets of new alloy rims, one set option I've found is a mix of 15 x 7" with 4.25"BackSpace for fronts and 15 x 8" with 4.5"BS for rears.
Will a 15 x 8" rim on a '67 with perhaps a 225 tyre (I'd like a wider stance at the back) have clearance issues at the rear wheel arch lip?
I ask because the existing old 14 x 7" alloy rim with 4"BS puts the 205 tyre out fairly close to the lip, so not sure whether an extra 1" (split as 1/2" more inwards and 1/2" more outwards) will cause an issue or not?
I'm not terribly keen to roll the lips and all that as the car is painted and also has wheel arch trims.

[Aussiecv8]

I run 17 x 235 front 17 x 245 at the back (about the same back spacing as yours). They do bottom out on speed bumps etc.  I have pushed the guard lip up but not rolled them and it doesn't cut into the tyre.  But you do hear it when it hits though.

You can get the lip rolled without damaging the paint, but will make it harder to keep the arch trim. 

Tony

[67FBGT]

Thanks for the feedback Aussiecv8, sounds like 245 is the absolute limit! I'm thinking around 225 so should be OK. I can trim the wheelarch trim back a little if necessary, as it projects inwards past the wheelarch sheet metal. 
I presume your 245 at back is on a 7" rim if it has a 4" backspace?

[Aussiecv8]

Running 4.5" BS on 8" rim.  Agree, not sure I would want to go any wider than a 245.

[BAC]

Thanks for the feedback Aussiecv8, sounds like 245 is the absolute limit!

What profile are you thinking of using?  I only ask as if you are going with 15" rims, anything taller than a 55 profile in a 245 width is going to result in a quite tall tyre height.  Just something to keep in mind...

[67FBGT]

Hi Brian, thanks yes I'm mindful of tyre heights, am still researching tyre availability at present. Plain black round things is fine by me, not fussed with raised white letters as my car has quite enough bling already for my personal tastes.

[67FBGT]

Another question - is there any advantage in having a 7" front / 8" rear combo over a set of 4 x 7"? Not sure why vendors offer that. The tyre would probably still be the same size and look the same presumably.....

[Dwayne]

8" wide rims let you run wider tyres up back if you have the room, I can fit a 275/50r15 on mine.

[67FBGT]

275/50R15? - wow, impressive, you must have got the backspace and offset very well sorted. That will have an impressive musclecar stance.

On my car the existing 14"x7" rim with 4" backspace and 205 tyre has about 8mm clearance at the guard lip.
Checking with an online calculator, a 225/60 tyre on a 15"x8" rim with (typically) a 4.5" BS will give a width increase of 10mm both inwards and also outwards.
I could trim back the wheel arch trim piece which projects inwards a little and gain a few mm at best. But it will be of marginal help.
So I'm curious to know how people go about fitting say a 235 let alone your 275 without guard surgery, lip rolling etc. Or custom rims.

[Dwayne]

Mine is mini-tubbed to the chassis rails and I've got Hane narrow leaf springs 

[67FBGT]

Dwayne, I get the impression you work within the Aus wheel industry?
Q. Why is it that there are very few 16" wheels available for our old Mustangs? I'd have thought 16" would be a good compromise between the old skool 14" and the so-modern 18" which are not to everyone's taste. As it is, if I'm to fork out for new rims I'm probably forced to choose between 15" and 17". A step up to 17" is a size too far to my tastes as I don't want my car to be a hard-riding roller skate, but then a minor step up to 15" hardly seems worth it!
My old AU Falcon has stock 16", and there's good range of tyres available. But for Mustangs there only seem to be the Minilites in 16".
What are the old Mustangs with 17" wheels like to drive?

[Dwayne]

Dwayne, I get the impression you work within the Aus wheel industry?

I did until yesterday 🤣

There simply isn't enough demand in Australia to justify offering the old "pre-au" offsets. There are some still playing in this niche market, but not many can fill the followup shipping containers.

Transam racing, performance wheels and wheel-pro's brands (US Mags etc) are about it unless you buy online from the US.

As for 16's, buyers usually fall into the 15" or 17"+ buckets so hard to justify paying for extra moulds if you will still get the sales.

[67FBGT]

I did until yesterday 🤣

Oh, sorry to hear. I noticed your helpful input on the forum though, not just me but many others.

I've never driven a Mustang with wheels bigger than 15", so I have no idea what 17" tires ride like on the old primitive suspensions.

All those 'Showster' wheels on eBay, they seem to be the most numerous, where do they come from?

[Dwayne]

It was my choice to move, so all good 

[Dwayne]

All those 'Showster' wheels on eBay, they seem to be the most numerous, where do they come from?

From China, just like all the others.