Front wheels on the back?
#1
Front wheels on the back?
I've had a hard time finding pictures on here of cars with front wheels on the back. There was a black IROC on here that said he switched his front and rear wheels around, but they werent very good pictures and I couldnt realy tell much.
Obviously, the rears have a different offset... so I was wondering what it looks like when you have front wheels on the back, does it just look awkward or does it not look that bad at all? Any pictures?
I ask because I've got 2 pairs of front wheels...
And they're 16s... I think the 15's have a different offset or something, dont they?
Obviously, the rears have a different offset... so I was wondering what it looks like when you have front wheels on the back, does it just look awkward or does it not look that bad at all? Any pictures?
I ask because I've got 2 pairs of front wheels...
And they're 16s... I think the 15's have a different offset or something, dont they?
Last edited by InfernalVortex; 08-27-2007 at 08:13 PM.
#2
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Car: 91 Z28, 89 Formula, 85 IROC Z28
Engine: 305 TPI, 305 TBI, 305 TPI
Transmission: 5 Speed, 5 Speed, 700R4
Re: Front wheels on the back?
I can't say that I know much, but I do own an '89 Formula with 16 inch wheels, an '85 IROC Z28 with 16 inch wheels, and my son owns an '89 Camaro RS with 15inch wheels.
Basically the 15 inch wheels are the same all around, no offset differences on the 15" wheels.
The 16" wheels are all front/rear specific with different offsets. I think the Front have less backspacing than the rear, but I don't think it's much. From looking at the "dish" on the Formula wheels, I would say less than 1/2 inch differnece. The Camaro wheels have no "dish" at all, so it's hard to tell without measuring which I have not done.
How the offset/backspacing compares between the 15" and 16" I have no idea, but the 15" are a 7" wide rim and the 16" are an 8" wide rim.
Also, what the Front's look like on the rear, I don't know. If the Fronts have less backspacing, then it would seem that putting fronts on the rear would just make them stick out 1/2 inch more which could be ok.
Sorry I don't have any pics to show.
Basically the 15 inch wheels are the same all around, no offset differences on the 15" wheels.
The 16" wheels are all front/rear specific with different offsets. I think the Front have less backspacing than the rear, but I don't think it's much. From looking at the "dish" on the Formula wheels, I would say less than 1/2 inch differnece. The Camaro wheels have no "dish" at all, so it's hard to tell without measuring which I have not done.
How the offset/backspacing compares between the 15" and 16" I have no idea, but the 15" are a 7" wide rim and the 16" are an 8" wide rim.
Also, what the Front's look like on the rear, I don't know. If the Fronts have less backspacing, then it would seem that putting fronts on the rear would just make them stick out 1/2 inch more which could be ok.
Sorry I don't have any pics to show.
Last edited by ruiterman; 08-27-2007 at 10:10 PM.
#3
Re: Front wheels on the back?
Doesn't it depend on which rear end you have as well? Some rears had 1/2" spacers with the 16" rims
#4
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Car: 91 Z28, 89 Formula, 85 IROC Z28
Engine: 305 TPI, 305 TBI, 305 TPI
Transmission: 5 Speed, 5 Speed, 700R4
Re: Front wheels on the back?
I guess I have never heard or seen spacers on the rear end. I have 3 3rd gens in my fleet and didn't see any spacers (not like that means any thing). I also took the rear 16" wheels from my '85 IROC that are marked "rear" and put them on the rear of my sons '89 RS. They seemed to fit the same on both cars. The '89 RS has the 15" Rims stock.
Other than that, someone else will need to confirm this spacer thing. What I think you are saying is that if there is a spacer, you could possibly remove it and get the wheel back to normal.
I also read that maybe the drum brake rear ends are a bit wider than the disk brake versions? Then spacers would make sense. I only have drum brake versions.
Other than that, I have no clue....maybe I don't have a clue about that either....
Other than that, someone else will need to confirm this spacer thing. What I think you are saying is that if there is a spacer, you could possibly remove it and get the wheel back to normal.
I also read that maybe the drum brake rear ends are a bit wider than the disk brake versions? Then spacers would make sense. I only have drum brake versions.
Other than that, I have no clue....maybe I don't have a clue about that either....
Last edited by ruiterman; 08-27-2007 at 11:12 PM.
#5
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Car: '86 Trans Am and '03 S-10
Engine: 355ci and 4.3l
Transmission: 700R4 and NV3500
Axle/Gears: 7.625/3.42 Auburn and 8.5/3.08 Gov-
Re: Front wheels on the back?
Formula and GTA wheels are a 16mm offset. The fronts have a deeper dish. If you put the rear up front they will scrub wht inner fender and sway bar on deep turns. If you had 4 fronts, that would be OK..the rears would stick more in-line with the rear fender top lip
#6
Re: Front wheels on the back?
Anyway, if anyone has a picture I'd like to see how funky it would look, but hopefully it wouldnt look too bad!
I've got 2 polished wheels I plan to put on the front, and I plan to take the wheels that come off and polish those, put tires on 'em, and throw those on the rear, but only if it doesnt look goofy, and Im not sure yet if it doesn't...
#7
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Car: 1983 trans am
Engine: Vortec 350 w/ a comp cam
Transmission: B&Mth350 2800holeshot
Axle/Gears: 10bolt 3.23's
Re: Front wheels on the back?
i heard about the front wheels fitting well on the rear so i tried it. my car original had small less then 1/4" spacers on the stock rear discs. the front wheels stick out mybe a 1/2 to an 1" more depending on tire size nd i would love to havea set of fronts widened for the rear so i could run a stock wheel with a 295 or so tire.
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#9
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Car: Huffy 10 speed ;)
Engine: My legs
Transmission: My wrist
Axle/Gears: Little spokey things
Re: Front wheels on the back?
You can get an extra pair of fronts and put them on the rear, but you can't put the rears on the front, they hit the tie rod ends. Here's a pic of one of my old cars with 4 front wheels on it. I liked it, but it's a pain because you need 4 fronts and 4 rears are useless.
#10
Re: Front wheels on the back?
Wow, that looks great! I think I'm gonna be pleased using 4 fronts, then...
Coincidentally, that car looks exactly like mine, only I've got the 91-92 wheels... I'd rather have IROCs, but hell they look good enough for me, and I have them already.
Coincidentally, that car looks exactly like mine, only I've got the 91-92 wheels... I'd rather have IROCs, but hell they look good enough for me, and I have them already.
#11
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Car: 86 T/A & 88 GTA
Engine: 305 LB9 TPI & 350 LO5 TPI
Transmission: Jasper 4L60 x2
Axle/Gears: 2.77/posi LSD & 2.73/posi LSD
Re: Front wheels on the back?
from what i have read and like everyone else has said... only on the 16" and i have 16's on my trans am and they are stamped front and rear. now i go to the u pull it all the time and i never see any 15's stamped but every set of factory 16's i find are stamped and i don't think the reason could be anything other than looks. but i could be wrong... however since 4th gen rearends will fit our cars as a bolt in and thoughs are wider in length by like 4" total and noone has a problem with them... i think gm was messing with our minds well thats my opinion anyway.
#12
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Car: 89 Trans Am
Engine: 3.1 V6
Re: Front wheels on the back?
GTA 16" crosslaced rims are made in Japan by SSR. Even GM back then knew where the nice rims are made.....*middle finger to cragar*
#13
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Car: 1992 Formula
Engine: 5.7 350
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Re: Front wheels on the back?
If they will not fit, what do i have to do to the car to make it work?
#15
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Car: '88 Firebird Formula 350
Engine: Built 383 TPI
Transmission: Built 700r4
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Re: Front wheels on the back?
I had the late '70s early '80s turbo dish wheels on my '82 and I have used them on my '88. BTW, they have 295s on the rears and there was no rubbing. And my '88 is lowered 2".
I really want to get another pair of fronts too. I may have to go to the junk yard soon.
When I was running the turbo wheels on my '88, I put the Formula wheels on my '73 Nova, and with the fronts in the front, and the rears in the rear, the front tires rubbed on the lip. So I swapped them front to rear and had no problems. They even looked better that way. I won't be doing that to my bird though.
I really want to get another pair of fronts too. I may have to go to the junk yard soon.
When I was running the turbo wheels on my '88, I put the Formula wheels on my '73 Nova, and with the fronts in the front, and the rears in the rear, the front tires rubbed on the lip. So I swapped them front to rear and had no problems. They even looked better that way. I won't be doing that to my bird though.
#16
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Car: 1985 Iroc Z-28
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Re: Front wheels on the back?
I have an 85, and also had an 86 parts car, Both Iroc Z's with drum rears. Both had 16" iroc wheels with wheel spacers on the rear drums. I have a separate set of wheels from the parts car, and carry a spare front rim when I go on a road trip. I always figured I could pull the spacer and use a front rim on the rear if I had tire problems.
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