Largest Tire & Wheel For '72-'76 Torino

What is the biggest tire that will fit in the back of my ’72-’76 Torino? I’ve seen this question asked on several forums Including Fordmuscle. Since I am going to be installing 15” tires and wheels on the back of my ’73 Torino Sport, I decided to answer this question for myself and to help others. My first choice was going to be 15 x 8 Magnum 500’s with a 295-50-15 tire. A couple of questions to resident FM Torino guru Jon Mikelonis revealed that a 10” wide wheel was possible. The backspace on the 10” wheel would be 5” according to Jon. He even suggested that 5 ½” would be even better. I wanted to know exactly as I was itching to order some wheels. I make some quick measurements and found that the 5 ½” backspace would clear, but it was going to be close. I needed to mock up an actual tire and wheel. A little rummaging through my wheel pile turned up an old Firestone 15 x 10 Nascar wheel that was given to me by Richard Petty at P.I.R. when I was 12 years old. It was the right width, but was a 6” backspace, ½” more that I needed. A ½” spacer would put me right a 5 ½”, so it would work. I was also going to try another combination that I have used on Street Rods and pick up trucks for years. That combination is a 285-70-15 tire on an 8”- 8 ½” wide wheel. It is a monster tire and wheel combo that has a different look from the 295-50. The wheels were a pair of Minilites that were 8 ½” wide, with a 4 ¾” backspace.

I tried the 295-50 combo first, expecting to have to put a spacer to allow it to clear the frame. Much to my surprise, the 295-50 with the 6” backspace wheel cleared everything perfectly!!!! I was worried that the 5 ½” backspace wheel would be tight, and the 6” cleared great. The area that I was worried about was the frame rail clearance between the tire sidewall at the front of the tire. The was ¾” of clearance between the frame and the sidewall. The outside wheel lip had ½” between the sidewall at the stock ride height.

Here are the vital stats on the whole combo:
295-50-15 Mastercraft radial tire.
-Tread width-10”
-Section width-12 ¼”
-Height-27”
-Wheel width-10”
-Backspace-6”
-Frame rail clearance-3/4"
-Wheel lip clearance-1/2” *
*At stock ride height.
Side view of the 295-50


Back view.


Frame rail clearance.


This is a view from the undeside.



Next on the list was a 285-70-15 Bf Goodrich tire on a 15 x 8 Minilite wheel with 4 ¾” backspace. This tire has a totally different look because the tire is so tall. This combo cleared perfectly also with ¾” between the sidweall and the frame, and 1” between the outer wheel lip and the sidewall

Here are the vitals on this combination:
-285-70-15 Bf Goodrich radial tire
-Tread width-9”
-Section width-11 ¾”
-Height-30”
-Wheel width- 8 ½”
-Backspace-6”
-Frame rail clearance-3/4”
-Wheel lip clearance-1”


285-70-15 side view.


Rear view.


Frame rail clearance.


Underside.


Conclusion:

Both combinations fit well with plenty of clearance. The 295-50 tire will look way better with the Magnum 500 wheel, as the stock car wheel looks too bland. I may try a 255-70-15 tire on the 10" wheel with the 6" backspacing as a taller tire(though not as tall as the 285-70) might look even better than the 295-50. A little measuring told me that there was no way the 285-70-15 would fit the car with a 10" wheel.
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I've run 15x8 with 275/60 on the back of my 72' and it looked real good. They have good height and width. Kind of a compromise between your 295/50 and the 285/70. Currently I'm running 17x8 with 275/50/17 on the back with 255/50/17 on the front. They fill everything out real well with plenty of clearance. These cars look great with fat meats out back!

Well, there is a black 72 GTS locally that I have seen, and they are running a 305/50/15 out back, and man it fills up the wheel well.




Up front, it has a slightly narrower tire, a 295/50/15.

I have a picture in one of my albums, of a '72 GT Montego running mopar police steelies, 15x8" with 295/50/15s all around, simply killer. I also recall in high school a kid running an Elite with the same setup, black stock car rims, and bfg's.

My only issues with running such a wide tire out front, was on my '84 F150, I had 10" rims on BFG 295/50/15's, and the thing had a habit of grabbing the ruts in the road at times.

I believe the 305-50-15 and 315-50-15 have been discontinued as I have not been able to buy any for the last several years. You can still get a 305-50-16, but I figured most people would want to stick with 15" wheels, The 305-50-16 is a monster.

I am assuming the '72 Torino would be similiar to a '72 Country Squire wagon wheel well? I would also like to put some fat rubber on the rear with some Magnum 500s. I was thinking of a 295/60R15 would look good under that land yacht of mine and some 235/60R15s up front to finish it out.

I put an attachment of my Torino with 275/50/17's. I've got some others with the 15's...sometimes I hate computers.