After a very long time now I finally got my 1968 442 back on the road. The car runs and drives well and has been fun to drive around the local area. It has gotten a lot of attention from the locals that have been bugging me about when we would be driving it since we have owned it. I built the car for my wife, and the first time she drove it she came back with a big smile and said she had a great time, but the brakes stink. I agree that after driving modern cars with modern braking systems that drum brakes do stink. So now she is interested in a disk brake conversion.

That being said, I need tires for the car. Understanding that a disk brake conversion is on the horizon, I think now is a good time to also replace my wheels with some that will fit the disk brakes. I know what wheels I like, but have no idea what the specifics are of what I need. Wheels and tires are one subject I really know nothing about. I think I would like to put 16x8 wheels all the way around, but am thinking 15x8 also depending on the price and wheel style. What I need help with is what my lug spacing and back spacing is. Also, what tire size would be appropriate with either of those choices. Thank you in advance for any information.

Chris

 

15x7 or 8ish wheels with standard offset will allow clearance for any stock style disc brake setup and the tire of your choice. We have had many discussions on wheels and tires for your particular model. Do a search on wheels and tires, there's a lot of info on options.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-15-tires.html

 

15x7 in the front and 15x8.5 is what I'm running in the back, plenty of clearance......

 

The lug bolt circle is 5 x 4.75". Backspacing is a function of the wheel width. Offset is independent of width. Wheel vendors specify backspacing because it is much easier to measure, but it's not as useful a dimension. Get wheels with as close to zero offset as possible.

 

Thank you Joe. That is exactly what I needed to know.

Chris