Subsea69
03-22-2015, 06:25 PM
Hey guys,
I may not be putting this in the correct place but I'm not quite ready for a project thread. I've been reading this forum for a
couple years and would appreciate your advice. I am working on a 1953 Studebaker. When I first started the car in 2004 I
was only worried about larger wheels on the rear. I really like the look of protouring cars and my current weekend car is a ZL1.
Originally I ran 16x9.5 wheels with 285-60s on the rear and 15x6 with 215-65s on the front. The car has ridetech shockwaves
on all corners with a very modified MII front stub anda 3 link rear suspension of my design. The car drove great but was destroyed
in a tornado last April, but I'm hoping the chassis is OK. If not I will look to an aftermarket replacement. Now I have found a
replacement body and want to make some changes. I have drawn the chassis in 3D and it looks like I can fit a 315-35-20 on a 12"
wheel at the rear with a frame notch. I have drawn a 245-45-18 on the front on a 7.5 wheel. I would like to go larger on the
front but don't want to reduce my steering angles too much. The wheelbase is 120.5". How much angle would be recommended?
Should I even want larger front tires for this car? I doubt I will ever put the car in an autocross event and just want it to drive and
perform well. I appreciate your input. I will do a project thread one the build is started, just planning stages now.
Here's some pics of what I have. This is the car at ride height.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110492&stc=1
This is one of my favorite pics of the car lowered onto the stops before I raised the front 5/8".
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110495&stc=1
Last spring I had Ben Hermance start on rendering concepts and this is my favorite so far. Since I will be starting with a new
body, coupe instead of a hard top, I may go ahead with other body mods this go round.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110501&stc=1
This is the car on April 29, 2014. It was stored inside dad's barn in my enclosed trailer. And EF4 with 195 mph winds got it all.
The debris on the ground are parts of the enclosed trailer.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110499&stc=1
And here's a picture of my chassis model. It's fairly flimsy by modern standards but a cage really made the car stiff. I can take
pics of blown-up details if anyone is interested. The back edge of the 245s dont hit the frame rail until about 32 degrees but the
front endge makes contact at 27 degrees. I can do some reshaping on the front to get more but wider tires will reduce the angle
again.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110502&stc=1
And finally here's the new car. I'm currently building a house and have promised not to spend money on the car until that
project is complete.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110503&stc=1
Thanks,
Dwayne Watkins
I may not be putting this in the correct place but I'm not quite ready for a project thread. I've been reading this forum for a
couple years and would appreciate your advice. I am working on a 1953 Studebaker. When I first started the car in 2004 I
was only worried about larger wheels on the rear. I really like the look of protouring cars and my current weekend car is a ZL1.
Originally I ran 16x9.5 wheels with 285-60s on the rear and 15x6 with 215-65s on the front. The car has ridetech shockwaves
on all corners with a very modified MII front stub anda 3 link rear suspension of my design. The car drove great but was destroyed
in a tornado last April, but I'm hoping the chassis is OK. If not I will look to an aftermarket replacement. Now I have found a
replacement body and want to make some changes. I have drawn the chassis in 3D and it looks like I can fit a 315-35-20 on a 12"
wheel at the rear with a frame notch. I have drawn a 245-45-18 on the front on a 7.5 wheel. I would like to go larger on the
front but don't want to reduce my steering angles too much. The wheelbase is 120.5". How much angle would be recommended?
Should I even want larger front tires for this car? I doubt I will ever put the car in an autocross event and just want it to drive and
perform well. I appreciate your input. I will do a project thread one the build is started, just planning stages now.
Here's some pics of what I have. This is the car at ride height.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110492&stc=1
This is one of my favorite pics of the car lowered onto the stops before I raised the front 5/8".
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110495&stc=1
Last spring I had Ben Hermance start on rendering concepts and this is my favorite so far. Since I will be starting with a new
body, coupe instead of a hard top, I may go ahead with other body mods this go round.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110501&stc=1
This is the car on April 29, 2014. It was stored inside dad's barn in my enclosed trailer. And EF4 with 195 mph winds got it all.
The debris on the ground are parts of the enclosed trailer.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110499&stc=1
And here's a picture of my chassis model. It's fairly flimsy by modern standards but a cage really made the car stiff. I can take
pics of blown-up details if anyone is interested. The back edge of the 245s dont hit the frame rail until about 32 degrees but the
front endge makes contact at 27 degrees. I can do some reshaping on the front to get more but wider tires will reduce the angle
again.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110502&stc=1
And finally here's the new car. I'm currently building a house and have promised not to spend money on the car until that
project is complete.
https://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=110503&stc=1
Thanks,
Dwayne Watkins