Halibrand wheels for Dale’s front end?

[Forrest39]

I am finally getting around to installing a Dale’s front end on my personalized Tiger. Unfortunately, my PSE 15x6” halibrand style wheels do not clear the 11.75” Wilwood brakes. Can anyone with a Dale’s front end with 11.75” brakes point me at a source for 15” Halibrand style wheels?

Thanks for any advice!

-Kevin

 

[Forrest39]

I guess I should ask the question differently…
Can anyone with a Dale’s front end with 15x6” wheels and 11.75” brakes tell me what wheel offset you have that fits the car well but still clears the brake calipers?
Thank you!
-Kevin

 

[CLIFF_MK1]

Kevin, The Tiger front end is wide which makes it difficult to get a wheel with enough back space (offset) to fit inside the wheel well. You can get a wheel that clears the 11.75 brakes but unless you have the correct back space the wheel sticks out the fender well. The size of the wheel determines if it fits over the 11.75 brakes not the back space (offset). There is a way (tool) you can measure the necessary backspace once the front end is installed. Then you have to find a wheel company that makes a wheel that fits. Make sure a 15in wheel fits over the brake.

I had a similar issue with Dale's Front End and need for an appropriate wheel. With my measurement, I needed a 5inch backspace (backspace can be converted to offset-don't remember mine). This is quite a lot for a 15in or 16 in wheel. You can search around. What I ended up doing was going with a 16in x 7 wheel, 5x4.5 with 5 inch backspace. I got my wheels at Image Wheels in England. When you order they can make whatever size you need. Good luck, Cliff

 

[Forrest39]

Thanks Cliff!
I appreciate all of the info. I also heard from Jon B who also has a Dale’s front end. He went with 15x7 minilites with a +20mm offset.
I think I’m in the ballpark. I see that VTO has Libre and Silverstone repops. I will look into those to see if I can find a decent fit.
Cheers! -Kevin

 

[Forrest39]

Update to my wheel debacle...
I ordered two silverstone wheels from VTO. 15x6 with a -19mm offset. While the backspace was correct, the necked down area of the barrel contacted with the brake caliper. I now have $400 worth of paperweight...
I then looked into the 15" LAT 70 wheel that VTO sells. It's a 15x7 with a -20mm offset. I conferred with Dale who told me that the minilite that he specs out is the same dimension. I stopped by Sunbeam Specialties (who sells the polished version of the same wheel from VTO), and they were kind enough to let me borrow one wheel for a fit check. It fits, but just barely. The balance weights need to go on the land immediately adjacent the back side of the face. I pickled up a full set of wheels from SS and mounted 205/50-15 Falken RT660's for the front and 225/45-15 for the rear. For whatever reason, that tire is a Tirerack.com only tire - my local tire shop could not get them.
I was able to mount the fronts but in heavy rain I gave up on the rears. I'll get pictures at some point and post them.
Cheers, -Kevin

 

[woody6]

Sorry that I didn't see your post earlier. The 15" LAT 70 tribute? wheels (some are sensitive about terminology here) do just fit, as you have discovered. These are the pics I sent to Dale in 2020.

--Woody

 

[michael-king]

Sorry that I didn't see your post earlier. The 15" LAT 70 tribute? wheels (some are sensitive about terminology here) do just fit, as you have discovered. These are the pics I sent to Dale in 2020.

--Woody


View attachment 19047

That is a close tolerance 😮

 

[woody6]

That is a close tolerance 😮

It is close, probably less than the thickness of a couple of coins, but not so much to be a problem. If I remember, my wheel weights are in the middle, behind the spokes and on the smaller diameter dropped-center section of the wheel, and they do not interfere with the calipers.

--Woody