why the hell....

caindo · Wrench Necoa #: 1681 Joined: Oct 23, 2003 Posts: 44

why the hell are my dunlop 275 60 15s rubbing the frame? i had 295 55 16s on my 73 with hella room to clear now the 78 cant even fit 275s? what gives....

theelcaminofactory · Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 4:32 am Post subject:

Your problem is probably not your tires, but the backspacing of your wheels.
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ElkyPete · Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:38 pm Post subject:

Where are the tires rubbing?

My "Opinion" is that any more than 4" of backspacing, total, will put the tires too close to the frame in the rear and too close to the stops and linkage in the front.

I did notice on my 80's frame the stops on the front, Left and right, were worn pretty badly. I guess the last owner's) made a lot of hard turns. I welded on an additional bead all along the stop to give it back the 1/4" it needed and looked like was originally there. Without that extra 1/4" my tires "sidewalls" would have rubbed on tight corners.

I have P255-50ZR16 on my 5th gen Elky and they don't rub. You're are narrower than mine are.

My wheels have 4" of backspacing and are 16 X 8" (3.75" backspacing with a .25" offset for a total of 4")

I am no expert here so like I said its my "Opinion" that 4" is the most.
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72Sprint · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

The 73 has a larger body/frame, and should have an easier time fitting larger tires. Also, since you're using different rims, the backspacing could be an issue. Lastly, you're using a 60 series tire on the 78, and the sidewall "bulge" is a little more pronounced than on the 55 series. The tread width may be less, but the width of the tire at its widest point is the critical measurement.