O.K.....I'm getting nervous. I read all these replies for the wheel size topic and there are various ideas on rear wheel backspacing. I have a 69 with drums, going to disks some day. I have ordered a set of 17X8's with 4.5" backspacing on the rear. I plan on running 255/45's on the rear as well. I know the 4.5" backspacing is correct for the front as everyone seems to be in agreement on this. The deal is that the wheels are special order and will take a couple of weeks. I can still change my order...I think? The way I understand backspacing is that the 4.5" dimension is from the face of the wheel to the back hence backspacing. I figure that if I did need more I can always use a back spacer. You can always add to the backspacing with the spacer but if you order the wheel with to much your up the crick. Either give me some piece of mind or let me know if I should make the phone call.

Thank you!

If you can change them I'd go with 5" backspacing, and I'm sure they will fit. I'm thinking with an 8" wheel, this may make the wheel to close to the fender, if your car is lowered. You can never add backspacing to a wheel with spacers, spacers decrease backspacing. If you're runnnig an 8" wheel in the front, I'd go with 5" bs there for sure. BS in a mesurment of the wheel mounting surface to the backside edge of the rim. So if you have 4" bs, and ad a 1/2" spacer, you will only have 3.5" bs. So you have it the other way around.

I wouldn't worry about it. I have 17x9.5 wheels on the back with 5" b.s. and 255/45/17 bfg's and they don't touch. (67)

How high is your car though? Do you have any pics? With only 5" bs, that wheel must stick out pretty far. I put a 9.5 with 5.5 bs wheel on my car with a 275/40 17 and my car has Hotchkis springs, so the tire is about 1.5" from the fender. . If it hits a hard bump, the tire will hit the fender. That's the price you pay for wide tires I guess.