Cant see why wheels wont fit El Camino

[volman78]

I cant see why these wheels wont fit my 78 El Camino...They are 14x7 SS wheels.

The front ones hit the tire rod end and the back ones are so close Im sure with the tires on they will rub

I measured the backspace of them if I did it right and they are 4 1/2 inch

 

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

because they're 14"s?

bigger diameter wheels clear fine since in seen 4.5" BS on bigger wheels fit just fine.

 

[joe_padavano]

I cant see why these wheels wont fit my 78 El Camino...They are 14x7 SS wheels.

The front ones hit the tire rod end and the back ones are so close Im sure with the tires on they will rub

I measured the backspace of them if I did it right and they are 4 1/2 inch

Because width and backspacing (or offset) alone do not tell the whole story. As you have unfortunately found out, the contour of the backside of the wheel can be different.

Are these repros or originals from the 1960s? GM made a bunch of these SS (aka Magnum 500) wheels in the mid 1960s with a backside contour that only fit drum brakes. They won't even clear the calipers on stock A-body 10.75" disks. The design was changed in 1970 when disk brakes became more common and the 14x7 wheels were offered with factory disks. It sounds like you may have the drum-only versions.