1947 Dodge WC Wheel & Tire fittment

[47DodgeWC]

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum and a new owner to a 1947 Dodge WC. I want to get some new steelies on it but am unsure if they will fit and not rub. They are 15x6 with a 4" back spacing. From what I've measure and added some for tires they should fit. Has anyone else put wheels on and know what may fit. I'm trying to keep the cost low so the wheels I found are cheap steelies from Speedway Motors and will be good for now so I can drive it. Please help!

[Young Ed]

You should post this in the truck area. Maybe a mod will move it over. Anyway the tricky part on these is the LF where the pitman arm and drag link are. I've got stock wheels with radials and I had to extend the steering stop for lefts to keep the tire from rubbing on the pitman arm. 

[BobK]

I used 15x7 Mopar cop car wheels with 235 radials and drove 1000's of miles with no trouble. I also had 15" Mopar rally wheels on the front for a while. Stock front end.

[st63]

The two main things to consider on a wheel switch are backspace and offset...and getting them right is a fine line if you're going to keep the original steering and suspension components.  What's the original backspace for the stock wheels?  4" seems like it would be deeper than original. Increasing it risks having the wider wheels and tires rub on the suspension components.  Decreasing it too far puts the wheels too far outboard, and makes steering a real pain in the ass, especially with wider tires.  For offset, you really don't want to move it more than about a quarter inch in either direction, as it will put stress on your wheel bearings and spindles.  On my old pickup, I only went up a half inch in rim width, and changed the offset by a quarter inch.  I kept the same backspace.   That allowed me to run a modern radial, but not so wide as to affect steering or handling. I wouldn't go more than an inch wider than your original rim. 

Edited January 28, 2017 by st63