Wheel shopping, need some advice

19stang66

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Apr 16, 2003
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I know this has been asked before a million times, but I can't find any previous forums with what i'm looking for. What's the biggest tire/wheel combo I can go with on a 1966 Coupe without rolling the fenders. Also how much backspacing do I need. I am not familiar with how backspacing works. I have 5 lugs and drums all around. If you need any more info just ask. Thanks for the help
 
Also, what are some good, cheap, high treadwear tires for a classic stang. What are you guys running? What do you think about Kumho Ecsta Supra's? I don't know what size tire I am getting yet, but I am looking at 17x8 rims. Any advice?
 
Alright, I have another question. Is it better to go 245/40WR17 on all 4 tires or do 245/40WR17 in back and 235/40WR17 in front? If you had all 4 the same size, wouldn't it save you some money when having to rotate your tires, since you could just switch the front and rear tires around? If I get all 4 of the same tires, I will probably get Sumitomo HTR Z II 245/40WR17 from www.tirerack.com. Total w/shipping is $407.42. Is this a good deal or are there cheaper places to buy from? Someone please reply this time. Thank you.
 
As far as the largest wheels that can fit on a 66 coupe is an 18" wheel without rolling the fenders. Keep in mind that it would probably be a good idea do do it and it isn't all the expensive to get done by a GOOD body/hot rod shop.
One of the guys that I met at my local cruise in Kannapolis NC(about 800-900 cars) had 18's on the front and 19's on the back. I think the offset was 4 3/4 same as the 17's but I'm not sure. And his tire sizes I don't remember the tread width but the sidewall aspect ratio was 30. I would guess 245's on the tread width.
Now that I think of it I think theres a M&F's mag which had a 65 fastback which had some 18's on it. Let me know and I'll look it up for you if you're interested.
17's are a good safe way to go with a large wheel. That is if you don't want to run a rubberband tire which puts your rim in danger of being damaged from a pot hole. 17's you can run a 245/40/17 but that will make your front tires harder to turn with manual steering. Something to think about when getting tires. If your thinking about running different tire sizes front to back the only thing that would make me hesitate would be that I drive the car a lot. Me, I only take my car out once or twice a month so my tires will last forever before I need to rotate them.
If you're looking to be different go with the 18's or maybe the 18-19's combo. However, if you are looking for safe then go with the 17's and maybe make the rear a fatty or something like that to be different.
If you have any questions PM me and I'll be glad to help if I can.
 
I have 17X7/17X8's with 205/40/17's and 274/40/17's.I had 7" wheels all round and 245 on the rear,but wanted wider,the 8"and 275's fit just good,but the car sits low so it rubs a littl.I also cut the lib back to leave about 1/4 incch and rolled it.I also have Kumho 712's,and they are kinda hard,i should have the drag radials for the rear.I want to try 18's or 19's, or even crazier 18's and 20's for the heck of it.
 
Assuming the wheels are ford bullit wheels or repro's theyre 17x8 5.72" bs... id just order the wheels, mock em up and determine what spacing u like best.

the higher the BS the more tucked in the wheel is, so u can always keep spacing it out(decreasing the bs) with these wheels to get the right look & fitment

im running 215s up front and 275 nitto Drag radials out back on my 65. my lips r rolled on all 4 corners but i dont see them to be nessesary. Im running a 9" with 4 whl disc so i cant tell u a exact setup but according to the chart above, for a 65-66 with 4 whl drum ud need 1" all the way around to match the 4.75" of bs with the bullit wheels.

but like i said just mock em up. Use cheapo $10 spacers to get the right fit and stance figured out, then order the correct adapters. After doing this, for me, the 1.25" adapters seemed best for up front front and a 7/16 or 1/2" spacer out back. A 245 would have plenty of room, but I had to use a BFH on the inner fendwell in the rear for the 275s...
 
yea those along with many others on ebay will work...some claim to be hubcentric but they all look to be the same to me. if your concerned about their quality/durability then you could look into some MM ones or other reputable source...

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/spacers.asp

im only running these wheels temporarily, so i dont mind running the cheaper ones. Personally the whole concept doesnt sit too well with me for permanent use and/or track time, but im sure there are plenty of ppl who do so with no problems just my opinion
 
Here is a tip.

Your wheels will look so much nicer if you have quality disc brakes on them. If you can't afford discs, don't get any open spoke wheels that "show off" your drums.

Seriously, it makes the wheels look great.

IMGP0486.webp
 

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