I assume your1992 V8 4x4 also came with the stock sized 15"x6" rims. If so,
all 1991-1996 15"x6" steel and aluminum rims have a backspacing of 5 1/8".
If you have checked out clearance under your Dakota, you have noticed that
in the rear there are very little possible obstructions, however in the
front you have to deal with the upper/lower control arms and with ball joint
clearance, etc. The 15"x7" aluminum rims used on 1997-2000 Dakotas/Durangos
have a backspacing of 5 1/8"; so these appear to be a 100% bolt on. The
97-00 are 1" wider, but this wont harm a thing. The 15"x8" rims used on
1997-2000 Dakotas/Durangos have a backspacing of 5 1/2. Even though the rim
would be 2" wider than the stock 1992 rim, now it is 1/4" deeper into the
wheel well. This may not sound like alot, but up front in our IFS 4WD
trucks, space is limited.
Check a look at these links, where GenII trucks owners are using GenIII
rims:
Chris Hannon's Gen II Dak with 15x8 rims
http://www.kansas.net/~cannon/pics.html
Brett Forehand's GenII Dak with 15x7 rims
http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/boomerst/brett4hand/
If your heart is set on getting and using 15"x8" rims, my suggestion would
be to look at aftermarket rims. This way, you can find a 15x8 rim, with a
backpacing that will work best for your truck. If going upto a 15"x8" rims,
or even a 15"x7" for that matter, try finding a rim with a smaller
backspacing. For instance, I have a 15"x7" American Racing Chrome Nugget
time for a spare. The backspacing on this rim is 4 3/4", so it pushes the
tire/rim out about 1/4"-3/8", rather than having a deeper backspacing like
the Dodge 15x8 rims. It looks great and honestly I wish I have all of my
truck's rims in this backspacing. Hope this has helped, but I would go
aftermarket first.
Kyle
93 Dakota 4x4 V6
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