Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

[Kent K.]

On my 1969 435, the initial owner installed Ansen Sprint mag wheels with tire sizes 265/50R15 on front and 295/50R15 on rear. My three questions are:
1. What widths are the Ansen wheels?
2. What backset is required?
3. What is the dimension of the bolt pattern?

Although they look meaty, they will be replaced with stock wheels.

Thanks for you help, Kent #6201

[William C.]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

To fit, the bolt pattern would have to be 4 3/4 X 5, but as to width and backspace, that was a variable that only can be determined by measurement of the wheel, unless you have apart number and an old catalog.

[Kent K.]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Bill, thanks for the bolt pattern info. All I have is the owners registration card with wheel serial numbers and installation instructions that seem to be typical for all Ansen multi-fit wheels. I searched through the receipts for purchase record; either not there or missed it. Also, tried to search the web for relationship between serial nos. and sizes/backsets but Ansen was bought by Whittaker Corp. and the records are probably gone. Just checked with the original owner for his memory of their sizes ... he also suffers from NCRS. What is the normal backset for 1969 Corvette wheels? Could the wheel widths be determined by tire sizes?
Kent #6201

[William C.]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

width by tire size is at best only approximate as most of the 70 series tries will "fit" on anything from a 6 to 10 inch wheel. if you measured thru the spokes to get a dimension from the outside flange to outside flange and subtracted 1/2 inch. you would have a good approximation of width. The same approach would work for backspacing, compare the distance from the inner rim to the mating face of the flange, and adjust about 1/4 inch for the flange and you will be close, not exact, but at least in the ballpark. Many of the ansens were not a true one piece wheel, but a steel rim with an aluminum center wetded to it. if so, you can use a stock c-3 rim for comparision.

[Kent K.]

Many thanks Bill

Guess they will have to be taken off the old beast to measure. But then, they will eventually be taken off anyway.
Kent #6201

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Kent,

-------Had a set Ansen slots on my 69 in 1969. My memory says that they had 6"/15, 7"/15, 8-1/2"/15, 10"/15, 12"/15. If all four of yours appear to have the same inset from the outside edge to the face, they are all the same width. They are more than likely all 8 and a halfs. Not many guys back in the day put narrower wheels on their Corvette than the factorys, and the 10 inch wheels that would have cleared all the stuff on the backside would have stuck out quite a bit. Twelves would have really been boy-racerish, but I used to see it back in the day in "Ft.Liquerdale" with Goodyear Bluestreaks. Just had to watch out for those rainy days as traction in the wet was a bit lacking..........Bill S

[Myron Sleeva]

Local tire shop

Perhaps you can befriend a local tire shop to loan you one of the large calipers they use to measure rim width when a mounted tire is installed on the tire balancer. Failing that, if you brought in a mounted tire, they could do in house. Takes 5 seconds.

[Ken Edmunds]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Bill, I bought my first Corvette in Ft Lauderdale in 74 - a 365hp, TI, Metallic Brake car with a 4:56. It had 10 inch Ansens with N-50x15 on it! They stuck out 4 inches from the fenders. 12.93 at Hollywood Speedway- I ran off the end of the track one day because it was raining at the other end of the track and hydroplaned on those big tires.
Ken

[Kent K.]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Bill ---- They stick out!!! In fact a tire shop mistakenly put the rears on the front. When someone tried to turn, the right front wheel caught fiberglass at the front wheelhousing edge. Just another thing to fix.
Sorry for the poor photo quality ... just ran out and took it w/o flash. Got the shakes.
Regards, Kent #6201

PS Nice to hear from you.

[Kent K.]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Ken --- Did they look like these? These tires have lots of tread remaining. This is a little better photo than the last.
Regards, Kent #6201

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Kent,

------Your wheels are the same size. Im sure they are 8 1/2s. Its the tire size that caused you the problem!!!!........Bill S

[Ken Edmunds]

Re: Ansen Wheel Sizes & Backset?

Yup, except mine stuck out further and had far less tread on Dayton tires due to being 21 years old and boiling the tires at every stop light on 441!