Wheels-Tires Basset Rims

danimaltheanima

New Member
Dec 3, 2003
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Has ne one used ne of the Basset steel rims they offer? I'd like to use a set of there black ones. I'm confused on what rim and tire to get. I obviously want the widest tire I can fit under the front and back but after reading the wheel and tire combo thread I'm sooo confused I don't know where to begin. Its damn hard to find rims and tires for these cars. All I'm looking for rite now is 15" black steel stock car type rims with the 4 lug bolt pattern and some tire sizes of the fattest tire I can fit on them front and back. Why is that so hard to find lol?
 
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Barret makes a 15x8 4 lug 4.25 pattern in 4.75 backspacing. Just wondering if this is going to be ideal for the rear. I havn't cut the fender lip. Its still stock. Wondering what would be a good size for the front. I have stock parts up front currently. NE insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
The widest (reasonable) tires you will find for that wheel will be 225-50 or 225-60. I think that there are also 265 width tires in this diameter, but they are mostly drag tires.

The 225-60R15 tires are the factory Mustang GT size, so there are several suppliers. The 225-50R15 size is getting a little tougher to find, but may be a better choice for a MII as it limits the tire height to about 23.5 inches. This height will be lots easier to get into your wheel well.

A 15x7 wheel with 0 offset and 3.75" backspacing would fit better on your car, but Alcino Alvarez used the 15x8 Bassets just fine: 1976 Ford Mustang Cobra II | Popular Hot Rodding Magazine Article at Automotive.com.

You will probably notice that he used 5-lug wheels, so you'll want to see if you can foind our what offset and backspacing his wheels were.

The 50 series tire corresponds to a "Plus 2" tire-wheel upgrade (over the 70 series factory tire on the 13" factory wheel).
 
It doesn't look like he has a fender lip ne more either on his car. I wonder what size tire he had on those 15x8's he has on there. I'd like to know what he had up front to. I'm prob gonna get the tubular uppers so I can go a lil bigger. I gotta get at least a 255 in back. So ne advise on what I gotta do to make that happen with these basset wheels i'd love to here. I don't know of ne other black stock car rim I'd want to use. At least I havn't found one yet with what ever correct offset and backspacing I need. I don't want to sink a whole lot of money into rims til I do the 5 lug conversion and get new axles etc. I am going to put drag radials on this thing though cuz I can't seem to get traction ne where I go. This MII has 450hp with steel heads, 3500 TCI Street Avenger converter and auburn locker in back with the 380 gears. Only runs on 110 octane. Its a wicked car. At the shop gettin painted now so I need to figure out a way to grab some ground and make it look sweet as hell yuh know what I'm sayin.
 
Sorry I went to the site and seen the tire sizes on there. I jumped the gun lol. Thats awsome. I'm prob gonna do a 2" drop in the front eventually and drop the back. i already have KYB shocks and zero gravity bushings all the way around. I actually built this car from the shell up from scratch. The entire car is brand new. You MII guys will flip **** when its done in another few months. This thing belongs in a magazine. I did the hood and front end kustom. Its sweet. Brought the fiberglass front click out a lil more to make it look like a shelby and did and added some metal in the hood to make it a cowl induction, side scoops, louvers, spoiler, t-tops. 2 5/8 8 point cage, subframe connectors, traction bars etc. The list can go on. Its a wicked car. And this is the place to be for questions obviously. You guys f'in rock thats all I'm sayin. You have helped me throughout this project like you wouldn't believe. I've gotten parts and info from you guys on here. Project got put on hold for a long while but now its full tilt and bout done. Thanks again.
 
His fit fine cuz he made custom fender flares. I don't understand how 225/50/15 was the widest he could fit in back with fender flares. I've heard of guys putting 17 inch rims on theres II's with 245's on them and I think all they did was take out some fender lip. I don't know what do get now. Why is this soooo difficult!
 
I think that the lowering makes the difference in how wide a tire and wheel package you can fit in the rear. I also don't know how much of the inner wheelhouse he removed when he mounted the flare.

I recommend going through the sticky theread on wheel/tire sizes here and make a list of those that are using a siimilar wheel/tire to what you want and what modifications they had on their car.

I would hate to tell you it would work and have you spend a bucket of money and it not work.

You might also look for one of these to measure your clearance:
Percy's 01201 Percy's WheelRite Wheel Fitment Tool
 
The reason I have the rear flares was that I used to have 275/50/15 tires in the back and flaring allowed me to lower the car with that width and offset I had at the time. Then I discovered that sticky tires do better then big tires. Sticky tires that are DOT legal in 15 inch rim only go up to 225 unless you want drag radials which I didn't since I'm more of an autox/roadrace guy. Bassett wheels is the lighest/cheapest wheels that gave me the custom backspacing I needed so my now narrower tires would fit and look right on my car.
 
The reason I have the rear flares was that I used to have 275/50/15 tires in the back and flaring allowed me to lower the car with that width and offset I had at the time. Then I discovered that sticky tires do better then big tires. Sticky tires that are DOT legal in 15 inch rim only go up to 225 unless you want drag radials which I didn't since I'm more of an autox/roadrace guy. Bassett wheels is the lighest/cheapest wheels that gave me the custom backspacing I needed so my now narrower tires would fit and look right on my car.
 
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What was the offset on the front 15x8 bassett rims. 15x8 4.5 offset should fit fine on back with a 26x10.5 tire. I bought a Percy Wheelrite. If I cut the inner lip of the wheel well it looks like I could fit a 26x11 no prob. I havnt installed my tubular uppers in front yet so havnt bothered puttin the Percy wheelrite up there yet. Id like to have an idea what the offset should be up front though. I want a nice wide tire. 15x7 is the ticket I just need to know backspace. With the 5/8 narrower uppers I could prob put the same offset as in the rear im guessing?
 
Dan, I would go ahead and use that Wheelrite and assume that your spindle will be sitting another 5/8" deeper with the narrower uppers. Then see where everything ends up. The 15" wheels with a zero inch offset and 3 inch backspacing should fit fine and have no issues with the factory calipers or tubular uppers. Your fitment issues will probably be with the tire, and only then above 60 series and 225 width.

The Basset 15"x7" wheels on their website have a real limited set of backspacings: 1", 2", 3", 3.625". You don't get the 4" or 4.5" backspacing until you get to 15x8 wheels. http://www.bassettwheel.com/dhole_lightweight.html

What are your plans for the car...dragracing, roadracing, dirt track, street-strip? The use really dictates the front tire that you use.

Also what are your plans for the front discs? Upgrade to 11"? Change to 5 lug? This can change your wheel choice also. Some calipers on an 11" disc may contact the inside of a 15" wheel (although most won't). If you use the later '70's Granada discs, you will be pushing the wheel outward about 5/8".