91 Formula > Stock rims. Pulled the stock rims out yesterday and put new tires on them, getting ready for winter and putting the cragars up till spring. Brought my stockers home to switch out the cragars on the bird. Major rubbing, Grinding on the front strut tower and a little on the tie rod end. Ground my rims good. Took of the balancing weights ond left shavings in my drive!>>> Did the WS6 come with bigger rear rims and I had the wrong tires installed on the wrong rims?? >>>Did all 4rims on the WS6/Formula come in the same stock size?

 

the 16x8 ws6 wheels have different backspacing front and rear.

it says on the inside of the wheel wich is which.

fronts fit on the rears but the rears rub up front

 

Yup! meatal rim shavings in my drive and balancing weights Damnit! I would think the guys at "Belle tire" would of known better. Bought "fatties" for what I thought was the back and can't reverse the order and put them on the front.... >>Thank you!<< Gonna have to swap it all back the right way next week! What a pain in my A$$! Is there a back spacing plate I can EASILY get to rectify this with out remounting all 4tires/rims?

 

#1...Go back to the tire store & tell them they owe you 2 new rims. They are clearly marked FRONT & REAR on the back & they obviousll put the rears on the front (fronts fit rear, but rears don't fit the front (without spacers).

#2....You can run spacers up front for the rear wheels to fit. I BELIEVE the factory rear aluminum drum brake, slip on spacers will allow the rears to fit the front. I've been told that, but never verifyied it personally.

#3...Belle Tire needs to replace the 2 rims that THEY damaged, swap the tires all for FRE. Had they paid attention, no problem would have occured.

 

yup... Pissed

 

You are correct! Clear as day, just checked! Now I know. Belle tire should of known better..... That is thier job, RIGHT?

 

so just wondering when you rotate your tires you have to have them pulled off the rims and re mounted huh? its gettin closer to that time for me grrrrrr

 

Well, you can "rotate" left to right by simply swapping the wheels/tires at home, but not front to back. That requires dismounting, remounting & rebalancing the tires. Also another reason people like to run 4 front wheels, on all 4 corners. Makes rotating them much easier & cheaper, plus front wheels on the back just plain LOOK better. More of a wide, aggressive stance.

 

Just make sure you do not have "directional tires" then you do have to dismount and etc to rotate.

 

just to add, I have a 90 ws6 and the rims are thicker in front than the back. Is that the correct fitting?

 

The overall size is the same. Both are 8" wide. Just different backspacing.

Fronts will fit the rear, but rears won't fit the front, because the wheels will hit the brake calipers.

 

Axle specific wheels. They are 16 x8 have FRONT & REAR casting identification. So you will not be able to rotate the tires unless they are unmounted and rebalanced. One of GM's better ideas.

 

I always wondered WHY is there different spacing between the front and back 3rd Gen wheels?

 

It has to do with tracking....

The resulting narrower wheel width track in the rear, helps to cause the rear to track better & "follow" the front of the car.

 

So the thinner rim goes on the back and the thicker rim goes on the front, right?

 

They are both 8". Neither is thicker or thinner.

But if your asking about the depth/dish of the wheels? The deeper depth on the outside, goes on the front.

The backs of the wheels are cast with FRONT & REAR on them, so you can't get them mixed up, as long as you look.

 

Where exactly can I find that?

 

On the back of one of the "spokes". Look and ye shall see.

The deeper dish goes on the front of a 3rd gen.

 

thanks

 

Thanks, now for the other $64.00 question, why don't the 4th Gen cars use the different offset wheels?

 

A theory but......

GM probably realized how dumb it was to have to produce 2 different wheels, when they could just incorporate the different track widths into the manufacturing of the rear end width & the front hub sizes, to achieve the same result.

 

my front tires rub ,the PO told me that they had put the rear tires on the front rims and the front tires on the back rims , is thispossible, what were the stock tire size , forthe 88 trans am "not the rim size"

 

Do you have 15" or 16" rims?

What size are your tires? I've run 245/50R16s & 255/50R16s up front, both on stock front wheels, and neither rubbed.

 

i just measured them ,all four almost measure 17'' so im assuminf they are 16's

 

What is the tire size, printed on the tire sidewall?

 

the fronts are 245/50ZR16 by CARAT and the rears are P22560R16 by Goodyear they are the Regatta model

 

Your fronts are 245s & the rears are 225s? That is messed up, having skinnier tires on the rear.

245s are the stock width, so they shouldn't be rubbing.

 

so , i should have 245's all around ?

 

That would be the stock width.

 

what would cause my front tires to rubb my inner fender plastic?