Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I've exhausted any hopes of finding some original wheels to fit my '53 Clipper locally so I've decided to go with the "more plentiful" Buick wheels of the same era up to about 1957. They will be 15X6 as opposed to 15X5.5 however The 1/2" difference in width will not be a factor but the backspacing could be. Does anyone know what the backspacing (also known as offset) is for the orginal wheels that came on the 51 thru 54 Clippers? The difference's between the Buick and Packard wheels are minimal otherwise. Thanks in advance.

just to be picky off set is the distance from the bolt face to the centerline of the wheel (usually expressed in mm)

I dont know what the backspacing for your wheels would be, but I do know that backspacing and offset are different. You can google each and find out how to measure. Easy to do if you have a spare wheel.

If you want to keep the same feel and loads in the steering and wheel bearings do not change the "offset". This will not affect the track width or steering. If you keep the offset the same and increase the rim width by 1/2" the back spacing will increase by 1/4". This will affect only the clearance between the wheel/tire and the other components such as suspension parts or fenders. The increase of 1/4" per side on the rim width will increase the sidewall width of the tire by 1/8", assuming the tire tread width did not change.

If you want to get a reference book with illustrations please see a copy of my book "How to Make Your Car Handle."

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I didn't google it before I posted but should have before I obviously confused the two as being the same. No...I don't have an original spare wheel to measure which is why I'm kind of in the dark. The original wheels were lost sometime after one of the PO's died so I have nothing to compare to. There are many makes and models of vehicles that have used the 5x5 bolt pattern that the Clipper used but do not have the large 3 3/8" center hole to accomodate the large hub on the Packard. 40's and 50's Buicks did and Specials and Supers came with the 6" wide rims while the Roadmasters rolled on 6 1/2"'s. I suspect that they are very close and have to be an improvement over the deep dish Blazer wheels currently on the car...the sidewalls of the current P235/75 R-15's only clear the fender skirts by about 1/2" to 3/4" so I feel like the original wheels would have been designed to sit in further thus allowing more room between the tire and fender skirt.

Maybe someone on this site can measure their spare tire/wheel and give you the measurements for comparison to the Buick wheel you are considering. I'm my opinion its the best avenue.

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That works, would someone mind popping their trunk and measuring the backspacing and offset on their '51 thru '54 spare tire wheel?

Offset - Distance from the wheel center-line (CL) to the wheel mating surface - greater positive offset moves the tires inward (narrower track)
Backspace - Distance from the inside lip of the wheel to the wheel mating surface

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I have a spare set of wheels in the garage - I'll measure them this evening.

on the wheels on my 51 200:

overall rim width 6-1/2"
rim width - 5-1/2"
nominal wheel diameter - 15"
Pilot diameter - 3-1/2"
bolt circle dia (center of bolt hole to furtherest one)
3-1/2"
offset 4-1/2"

There are four "dimples" around the bolt holes to hold the hubcap on. I presently have four wheels off another car on the 51 that have metal clips around the rim to hold the hubcap. The stock dogfood dish hubcabs won't fit on these wheels, but the ones from a 50 senior series will. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need photos.

Weird that the site I borrowed the information from verbally calls for measuring the backspace from the inside lip of the wheel but depict it in the drawing as being measured from the outside edge...Oh well.

David I believe your 200 wheels are what all the junior cars came with as far as size goes and perhaps the only difference is in the type of hubcaps that were offered during those years. Anyway, thanks for measuring but maybe a less confusing way for a moron like me to understand would be to kindly ask that you lay a wheel down on the floor or table backside up and lay a straight edge across the center of the wheel from outer lip to outer lip, then measure from the bottom of the straight edge to the wheel mating surface. If you can provide that measurement then when I go to the bone yard to check on the Buick wheels, I'll measure them the same way and hopefully the only difference will be the 1/2" additional width of the Buick wheels vs. the Packard...just don't tell any purists what I'm up to...