Modern tire F3 wheel backspacing
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5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2026
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Modern tire F3 wheel backspacing
I have decided to have my original widowmaker 17" rim centers welded to new hoops to use the original hubcaps and modern tires. Keeping the original Timken rear end and 4 speed spur gear trans, to maximize potential road speed I plan on using 255 80 17 tires. I'm also planning on keeping the solid front axle. Originality is my goal, besides brakes, which I am going with 4 wheel disc. There are options for wheel widths, I'm having a difficult time accurately measuring offset and back spacing for the moderm wheel widths. Thinking that narrower would be better I was planning on a 6.5" wheel. Does anybody know what backspacing is required to prevent rubbing with a 255 80 17 tire? Thanks in advance.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,188
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From: Burbank, WA
If I may, I'd like to bring up a couple of points you may have overlooked in your plan. A 255 section tire is over 10" wide and will be a tight squeeze on a 6.5" rim. It will also be hard to steer with manual steering. A 235 80x17 tire will fit your rim better, look better and closer to stock since it won't be so fat, and have a far lesser chance of rubbing. The slight difference in overall height and revs per mile would be worth the tradeoff of better overall operation. Your original rims are 5.5" wide, so splitting the difference for the 6.5" hoops would probably be fine. That's my 2c.
Last edited by 52 Merc; Yesterday at 11:08 AM.
4wd Low
Joined: May 2026
Posts: 12
Likes: 3
I have decided to have my original widowmaker 17" rim centers welded to new hoops to use the original hubcaps and modern tires. Keeping the original Timken rear end and 4 speed spur gear trans, to maximize potential road speed I plan on using 255 80 17 tires. I'm also planning on keeping the solid front axle. Originality is my goal, besides brakes, which I am going with 4 wheel disc. There are options for wheel widths, I'm having a difficult time accurately measuring offset and back spacing for the moderm wheel widths. Thinking that narrower would be better I was planning on a 6.5" wheel. Does anybody know what backspacing is required to prevent rubbing with a 255 80 17 tire? Thanks in advance.
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5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2026
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
I haven't received them yet, I'm using Rustic Disc Brakes. They have kits for front and back as well as the other parts needed. I thought long and hard on doing my own build up of a disc conversion but decided to go this way.
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