77 and wheel backspacing

[NC-Fordguy]

Going to pick up a 77 sometime this week. The truck has wheel spacers with 15in wheels and spacers don't fit in my world.

I've search the forum on this topic there seems to be much debate.

So I'm planning on getting some 15in wheels with the proper backspacing to clear any knuckle, clip-on wheel weights or any future tie rod modifications.

Obviously 2.5 in backspacing seems to work. What about 3.0 or 3.5 backspacing?

 

[Glass Pony]

I'm not a fan of spacers either.
3.5 bs seems to be most you can go with but some wheels are thicker. (steel vs aluminum).
I am running 3-5/16" bs on aluminum wheels and clip on weights with no issues.
I know my sig says 74 but I have a 76-77 Dana 44 under it.

 

[76YETI]

My 76 has 15 x 10 aluminum wheels with 3.65 backspacing and I had to move he weights inward to clear, but they fit. No other rubbing issues.

 

[Apogee]

I run 15x10 wheels with 3.5" BS without any issues, but I also have converted to the inverted-T steering. TRE's are close to the wheel weights, but not so close that they take them off.

 

[blazinchuck]

hey ed, if i remember they were 3.750 BS, i couldnt get the 2.5" in the wheel i wanted, so i got those wheels and 1.25" bolt on spacers. a customer of mine was able to get the right back space but his wheels werent the round hole, they were the d shape holes. hth,chuck

 

[blazinchuck]

oh yeah, fyi, i had these wheels on before without the spacers , no interference

 

[NC-Fordguy]

oh yeah, fyi, i had these wheels on before without the spacers , no interference

Any issues with clip on weights?

I have a 76/77 axles that's going in the current 70 project. The wife bought me some wheels years back with 3.68 backspace and during mock up I could see wheel weights would be an issue so balancing beads were the fix.

I do wonder as with so many things Bronco, perhaps there's variances in the knuckles as well.

 

[jrwyant]

My '77 had 15x8 alloy wheels with 3.75" backspace. Only stick-on wheel weights would work, and it was tight, maybe just over an eighth of an inch to the tie-rod ends. Despite those tight tolerances I never had any rubbing (in the front)...