I just put some Hoosier Pro Street Tires on my 1970 Cutlass Supreme. The rears are 31X12.5-15 and look awesome but I know when I get my car running their going to rub. I bought them from jegs and since I already mounted them they wont let me return them. The fender to the tire is just a fingers length apart.What is my best bet, I'm definitely on a budget but need them to fit! Any advice would help. Thanks

 

What wheels are they mounted on? Could be incorrect backspacing.

 

I can think of four options that might work;
Change the wheels for some with different back spacing (so long as the tires don't rub on the inside.....).
Flare out the fenders.
Jack up the suspension to get extra clearance.
Replace the tires with one that fit.

I can't help wondering why you bought the tires without first checking if they would fit?.

Roger.

 

You could trim some of the inner lip of the wheel well off. There may be an inch or so you could trim and still retain the molding.

 

Just do a couple of good burnouts. That'll rub off the extra and then they'll fit.

 

Yup. In the old days, you'd just take a Sawz-All to it, then use some Bondo to create a new arch.

Or you could put those tires up for sale, recoup some of your loss, and buy a smaller pair.

- Eric

 

Well I didnt mean to get that drastic, just the inner lip that usually has more metal than necessary. Yeah I remember those days...wide deep dish wheels and air shocks to keep the tires from rubbing!

 

Yeah, that's kind of what I meant - before these cars were "old," people (especially racers and guys who wanted to install huge tires) used to just hack the bejeezus out of them, then scrap 'em when they'd had their fun (usually after a "close encounter" with a telephone pole or a tree).

- Eric

 

Monroe air shocks and shackles! That's how we did 'er in the street freak days

 

Shackles?

 

Shackles. The dumb way to lift your car, put extensions in the leaf springs where they attach at the back end

 

But Cutliï don't have leaf springs.

- Eric

 

I wasn't being serious, just reminiscing on the way it was

 

Yup. All the Novas and MoPars had the lift shackles.

The GM guys just went to the junkyard and bought station wagon springs.

- Eric

 

My wagon has coils

 

So did my Javelin. And the Monroes. I chewed the outer edge off the tires when the back end settled down after the air line let go lol.
Not too smart in those days.............

 

Ha ha. My wife had one of those back in the day.

I think she got dragged out of more than one ditch in it.
Back then, you could run it off the road, get dragged back on, and be on your way again before you even started to sober up.

- Eric

 

Aw right ya think you can make it home with out hitting anything else ?

Good now get going!

 

1. Check if there is room for the tire on inside frame to tire.
2.If there is enough room to move the tire inward back spacing is the way to go.
3. If you have maxed out your back spacing you can mark the inner wheel well lip and grind about a half inch extra clearance until you hit the screws that hold the trim on.
I always marked the inner lip with a felt pen and ground to the mark. A small sliding square works well to keep the line even when laying out the grinding line.
I also liked to protect the molding with masking tape.
4.Sell the tires for a smaller set

Good luck