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I'm looking to change my 20x9 4.5" backspace to 18x8 4.5 bs front and 18x9.5 5.25" bs rears. I have stock trailing arms and curious if I will have an issue with the rears. I lowered the car a bit hence why I'm doing 8" in the front...No parking brake cables to worry about.
rims here:U.S. Mags Rambler U111 Gunmetal with Machined Lip Wheels
I run 18 x 9.5 x 5.25 all around with 265/40/18 tires on the front and 285/40/18 on the rear. I'm running a 3/8" spacer on the front, tires sit in the fender better and it brings the scrub radius closer to stock. I have aftermarket offset trailing arms on this car, but had the same size tires and wheels on my 80 with stock F41 suspension and it cleared everywhere without issues. I did have the parking brake bracket moved.
My 75 Vert is lowered with one inch shorter 550 lb springs with 1/2 coil cut off. My rear spring is a 360 lb that I shortened each end 1 inch on. I have a Van Steel 5/8" narrow sway bar on the rear, the stock one was very close on my 80. Good clearance everywhere on the 75. The closest point is the 78 Pace Car front spoiler when the front wheel is cranked to the right on the driver side and left on the passenger side.
Two different cars with different suspension setups, one totally stock F41 and one nothing is stock on. Does that mean that it will work on your car, probably, won't guarantee it though. The front 18 x 8 x 4.5 will fit, but would be better with a 4" backspace.
I have the same wheels but they are the all chrome finish with 275's on the rear and stock TA's. No issues on mine and I have removed the rear parking brake cable bracket.
I looked at my front/rear today and looks like I will have to do 8" up front since I sit lower/tucked and noticed some rubbing on the frame. I need to put air struts and/or a better spring setup eventually up there since it's still the original coils. The rears I think I will do the 9.5" and see how that works with my stock leaf spring. If anything, I'll order a new one if needed.
My fronts with a 4.5" BS are of course inboard an additional 1/2". The tires, 245's, have touched the frame but only on a full turning to lock which only happens when parking in a tight space. So it's not an issue, for me anyway.
Mine are 18x9.5 4.75BS All around on a stock 78 with the VB&P street & slalom kit including rear sway bar. No clearance problems anywhere. With 275 40R 18".
anything that gets you near 4.75"BS Works all around, including the rear parking brake bracket without modifications.
Ordered some 1/2" spacer for the front.... to get me down to 4"bs
I am totally against 'spacers' because they overload the studs, and have to be hub centric machined for the car on one side, and wheel on the other.....
a wheel ADAPTOR takes 10 lug nutz to get to the rotor.....5 for the wheel, and another interleaved 5 nutz to get to the rotor,.....trick is 1/2 inch is not enough aluminum to do that.....
Just mocked up the new rims and the 18x9.5 hit my rear leaf spring. I need the spring to be about .75" shorter on both sides to clear and give some fuzz room for travel. Not sure if folks upgraded their spring or not. The 18x8 fit fine in the rear so I might just run those all around. 18x8x4.5\" bs
measure the total length of the spring. Then We can compare to other springs
48.25" end to end. 45.25"+/- centers of bolts.... There is 1.5" from end of spring to center of bolt. And I can't cut the spring ends down too much . either. Maybe my bolts are too long also. Looks like the other pics the leaf is in the rim, mine is right at the lip....
The end of my spring is just slightly in the rim. It can't interfere with the rim because the spring can't go down any farther. It is restricted by the the bottom bushing on the spring bolt. If I were to lower my rear using the spring bolt, the spring end would lower and would eventually bottom out on the wheel rim. As for now, my setup is fine. I also have clearance with the sway bar ends.
I think my bolts are too long, will have to double check later. It also seems like the VBP spring have less of an arch to them than the steel spring before tension, I could be wrong, but could be due to the shorter bolts. I should just order a new spring anyways since the leaf is original and might be time to upgrade for a better ride...I do have air shocks in the back too.
09-16-2018, 07:55 PM
18"x9.5" wheel fitment triple check
I'm looking forward to seeing pics of those wheels on your car.
