73 Challenger wheels

**dplenzig** · 04-16-2005

Does anyone know what size and backspace 17" wheels and tires will fit on a stock 73 Challenger.

Thanks, Daren

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**MrQuick** · 04-16-2005

Hi Darren, I would suggest measuring your car but a good starter point would be 5 1/4" on the rear and 4 3/4" on the front. Max size in my experience was 245' in front and 285 rears.

**High Plains Mopars** · 04-17-2005

Well, I still have 15" but maybe this will help.

Rememebr that the leaf springs on a Challenger are splayed, that is they are wider at the rear than the front so this limits how much spacing can be put under there.

I'm using 15x8 wheels off a Ford Ranger under my Challenger. These have a 5" rear spacing on them. With a 295/50 rear tire, this was too much and caused interference with the rear segment of the leaf spring. A 1/4" spacer brought it all out enough to clear the spring while still providing 2" of clearence to the wheel lip. So I have 4 3/4" rear space on the rear. With 4 1/2 spacing you could probably go 17x9.5 and still fit it all in the stock wheel well. With 5" of rear space you can make it work, but may need to either use offset shackles to pull the springs in or a spacer to provide clearence.

Up front I ran into control arm interferece. Of course this was due to teh 15" size of the wheels and not the rear spacing. A 17" wheel would have cleared the control sufficiently. In my case, again needed a 1/4" spacer to get the room necessary to clear the control arm. A 17x8 with 4.5 to 5" of rear space would fit up front.

**Bigblue73** · 04-18-2005

I'm running 17 x 9 with 5" backspacing on the rear with a 255/45/17 tire, front are 17 x 8 with 4 1/2" backspacing with a 235/45/17 tire. I went with the 255 in back to avoid any rubbing at all. I still have the chrome lip molding on my car, which stick in approx. 1". If your car does have the chrome lips at 275/40/17 will work fine with no trouble.

**Limecuda** · 04-24-2005

Originally Posted by Bigblue73

I'm running 17 x 9 with 5" backspacing on the rear with a 255/45/17 tire, front are 17 x 8 with 4 1/2" backspacing with a 235/45/17 tire. I went with the 255 in back to avoid any rubbing at all. I still have the chrome lip molding on my car, which stick in approx. 1". If your car does have the chrome lips at 275/40/17 will work fine with no trouble.

Got any pics? I have a stock suspension (71 Cuda)and want to run a 17x9.5 on the rear and 17x8 on the front. I am thinking 5" of bs on the rear with 275or285/40s and 4.5" bs on the front with 245/40s. I just want to make sure they fit before I order andthing and get stuck. If nothing else I guess I will have to us a 17x8 on the rear as well.

**Bigblue73** · 04-25-2005

I'm having the wheels mounted this week. I will post some pictures later this week. First thing I would recommend is doing a layout of the brake drum or disc to the leaf spring. Measure using a large 90 degree square or fab together some sheet metal strips perpendicular to each other. A local sheet metal shop should do this for nothing, if not they are crooks. Better yet, I'll make you one if you need it. On your tooling, make a mark 13 1/2 from the 90 degree end, this is your starting point. The 13 1/2" mark is the radius of the tire. I would imagine your tire O.D. won't be more than 27 inches. This also will allow you to take into consideration for the splayed layout of the spings. Keeping in mind that these cars were not welded together on the best tooling, your rear end may be shifted up to 1/2" to one side, so be prepared for some goofy dimensions. Mine was off by a quarter of an inch. From that layout your can determine your rear backspacing. By the way, on my car, the optimum backspacing from a 9 1/2 rim was 5.25 of backspacing. This centered the wheels within the wheel well and allow 7/8" on each side for tire clearance. The 275 wide tires would have 1/2" of clearance to the leaf sping and the stock chrome wheel well molding that I have my car.

Best of luck on your measuring. Let me know if you need some sheet metal fab'd up. All I would need is the shipping cost.

**Bigblue73** · 04-25-2005

Try This

http://img198.echo.cx/img198/4680/10101368va.jpg

**Bigblue73** · 04-25-2005

That worked more to come.....

**Limecuda** · 04-25-2005

Looks good thanks!

David

**Bigblue73** · 05-05-2005

Here's a photo of the rear. The rim are 9 inches wide, I went conservative on the tire with 255/45/17. The sidewalls a straight up. A 275 wide will work with each, just remember the tire diameter is shorter going with 275/40/17.

I hope this helps.

http://img153.echo.cx/my.php?image=challenger11lv.jpg

**Limecuda** · 05-05-2005

How much space left between the tires/wheel and spring? I hate to be pesky but do you have any pics from the rear or downlow from behind to sho clearance? I just want to make sure before I special order the wheels. I have been deliberating on if I need to get the spring relocation kit, but I'd rather not have to do it.
At any rate it looks good on yours.

David

**Bigblue73** · 05-06-2005

Hey David,

I've got about 7/8" of space left to the spring and 3/4" to the lip of my fender. I think I might have played it a little to conservative with the rear tire with a 255. I'm going to lower the rear end a little in the future so I didn't want a rub issue.

http://img214.echo.cx/img214/2289/tire19dn.jpg

**Limecuda** · 05-06-2005

Based on the pics I believe the 9.5s 275/40 should work then without any mods. Hopefully I can get a new set of Budniks ordered before too much longer.

**Bigblue73** · 05-07-2005

Which Budnik wheel are going with? I looked into the "hammer" that they had posted a few months back. Extremely nice!

**Limecuda** · 05-08-2005

Probably something along these lines.

The car is being painted Mitsubishi Sterling Silver Metallic. I intend on highlighting with black stripes possibly a "billboard". I have a brand new set of chrysler rallys but think I need a little "bling".

**Bigblue73** · 05-09-2005

Those wheels will look real nice.

What have you done with your brakes? I've got the 11.75 cop rotors on the front of my Challenger and still have the drums in the rear. I'm planning on putting discs on the rear this winter if all goes well with the Power Tour.

I read an article on swapping a 4 piston Brembo (Viper) caliper on the cop car rotors. Did you see it. It's looks like a viable swap for a minimal amount of cash, with the exception of the Viper calipers.

**Limecuda** · 05-09-2005

I put the 73 up A body disc on the front with 11" drums in the rear. I'd love to go with larger disc, but after checking last week into Viper disc at $1800 I am rethinking. Might sound cheesy but i'd like those red calipers behind those wheels I shown earlier.

**Bigblue73** · 05-10-2005

Bear kits at 1100.00 don't sound all that bad. I re-read the article last night and they a Mercedes rotor from a 55SL and Viper Caliper. Cost was not mentioned.

Good luck on your project.

**dplenzig** · 12-24-2005

Well here's some pics of what we put on my buddies challenger. 17s on the front 18s on the rear, 245s and 295s. He went with TT2s they look good and I haven't seen any around here.

Daren

**MrQuick** · 12-24-2005

looks good Daren, i like TTII's but we are very rare around here. are those 18x10's?

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73 Challenger wheels