Thanks. Will contact them. Sometimes a phone call is quicker. If you haven't guessed I am a part time landlord.  Most people get the joke.

Slum  (I love your handle )

Heres the link to the wheel guys.

http://www.trudesignwheel.net/contact_info.html

Took some trial and error (mostly error) to get what I wanted.

I really wanted to use 15 wheels but the slicks just were not being manufactured till the end of October so the 14s are a compromise that I can live with.

Hope this helps,

Oldmics

oldmics

Where did you get the 14" wheels you used with the M&H slicks? Specifics to order them. Just what I am looking for to use on my '57 Bird when I get it done and go racing again.

It's hell to get old, it's an Eastwood tool, not Summit. Watch the video with the heat gun.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Thanks to everyone for all the tips. Most certainly going to be checking out the roller tool for fender lips. I was considering trying to cut some of the lip off, but feared messing up the paint .

Thanks again,

Mike56

1956 Customline

Interesting how this old thread gets resurected just as I am finalising the race tire setup for my T Bird.

I end up using a 14 wheel to fit a 7" wide M & H slick. Wanted a 15 inch wheel but the desired M & H tire is not currently availiable.

Wheel is 7" wide with a 4 9/16 backspace and the remaining 3 7/16 on the front side.Remember a 7" wide rim is still 8" wide on the O.D. measurements.

Gets me the 28" tall tire that I wanted and no body hacking necessary.Heres a link to the gumshoes.

http://www.mandhdragtires.com/racing-tires-drag-slicks/800-850-14-vintage-drag-slick.html

Oldmics

I have a Panhard bar to keep axle in line when using the 235's, but car is '59 not '56.



I now turned my spring leave's long sides to forward if that gonna reduce the twisting.

And I try go with nylon bushings, cause you cannot hear the noises over rear locker and loud pipes.

Those hard bushings can help to reduce the rear axle side movements also.



Traction bars and other stuff dont work or dont fit with lowered rear and the air shocks.


Hyvinkää, FI

I guess I really should have said "centered the body on the rear axle". My car has a triangulated 4 bar coil over, and it was centered on the frame, at least prior to a final 4 way alignment.



We put the car on my buddy's 4 post lift, and loosened all the body bolts. 14 or 16 as I recall. We spent a lot of time looking for interference, pinched lines, etc. but since most is frame mounted, nothing was a problem. The fuel line is an exception, as the tank is body mounted.my fuel line routing had enough give in the bends to work.



Using a lot of odd 2x4's we picked the body just off the frame with two jacks under the doors, and one on the rear center. More 2x4's under one sill, and a bottle jack sideways to the frame, and the body easily slid 3/16", all I needed. The bolts still cleared the holes and went back in, but it was just barely in the trunk and rear.



We had some furniture moving pads (as seen on TV) to let the jacks slide,and went very slow and watched everything on any visible movement. I'd rather rounded up 4 other friends and just lifted, but that wasn't possible that weekend.



As an aside, Summit sells a roller tool for fender lips, and cheap knockoffs are available. We used one of those on the front on buddy's 56 scrub, and it worked so slick we couldn't believe it. More clearance, and no shaved rubber if it rubs.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Miker,

Good Idea on the wheels. As far as centering the body, How did you go about that? Im from Wisconsin so just about ready to park it for winter, this would be a good time for the project.

Thanks Mike1956

1956 Customline

Some years ago Wheelsmith built me a set of 7" rims with 5" backspace, on stock 55 centers, so I could use ford dog dish hubcaps. They weren't free, but a lot less money than alloys. And sneaky, which appealed to me. I don't know about the full size cars, but centering the body on the frame wasn't that tough on my Tbird, and was necessary to fit 235/50 15's on the back, with 7 inch rims, 4.5 backspacing (all that was available on those wheels).



It's thewheelsmith.net, I think, the .com is bicycle wheels.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ