THAT REQUIRES NO MODIFICATIONS

Yes, I've done a multitude of searches, reviewed many posts that ended in flame wars, opinions etc...all leave me (and others I'm sure) just as confused as before the search.

After all the many years these cars have been on the street, one would think that there would be threads on the board that give definitive 15 and 17" wheel widths/backsets/offsets and tire size combos that actually tuck in nicely without rubbing on either the inner OR outer fenderwells.

I can't count how many threads I've reviewed where pics are shown - and the tire/wheel width looks great......but the person can't remember the backset/offset of his wheels. That's great for him, but it helps no one. If you don't know exactly what size wheels you have, please don't post on this thread!
-This post is about wheel/tire combos that require absolutely NO hammering, cutting or welding either the inner or outer fenderwells. I'm sure your car looks awesome with the big tires, but this post is all about bolt-on-and-go combination.

-This post is exclusively about 15" or 17" wheel combos only. Again, I'm sure your car looks awesome with the 18's,19's or 20's, but save it for a 18,19 or20" wheel thread. This ain't it.

-This post is about the widest 15" or 17" wheel/tire size that will actually FIT on a Thirdgen. Not on your truck, Malibu etc... AND...require no spacers or shims. ALSO -If your tires rub during NORMAL street driving - they don't fit right.

-This post is NOT about whether Convos look better than Draglites...or what tire lasts longer, has more traction etc...

-This post is not about magazine articles that lists the "recommended" wheel tire sizes for our cars. I think most everyone knows they are VERY conservative and bigger wheels/tires will fit under our cars. They've been posted on past threads if you'd like to search.

-This post is NOT about fitting big tires on STOCK wheels -

So please, post up some 15" or 17" rear wheel/tire combinations that work, and consolidate this info in one post! Most of us don't have the money to experiment with combos that don't work!

EDIT: ALSO - Please - no posts that states "this has been beaten to death"...If you feel this has been beaten to death, feel free to post the link that answers all the criteria in this posts, that's a lot more helpful to everyone. The purpose of this post is to consolidate all the info into this one post.

 

Front
17 x 8" 4.5" bs with 255 40 17 or 255 45 17
17 x 9" 5.5" bs with 255 40 17
17 x 9.5" 5.25" bs with 275 40 17
17 x 9.5" 5.5" bs with 275 40 17 (may rub tie rod...may not)


Rear
17 x 9.5" 5.5" bs with 275 40 17
17 x 9.5" 5.85" bs with 275 40 17
17 x 10" 5.5" bs with 285 40 17

Hope this helps

 

To The Project;

Thanks so much for the info.

 

Stock 3rd gen rear end or 4th gen rear end?

While that is a "mod", that only requires tuning some nuts & bolt, which is why I wanted to ask before giving any answer.

 

Great question. I'm hoping thirdgen.

 

I have to question this, because I have 275/40R17s on my 17" x 9"/5"bs ROH Snypers. I was under the front end one day & noticed how close my tie rod end was to the wheel.....


I could not fit my 13mm wrench (that was in my hand at the time) in between the tie rod end & the wheel. I just went out & measured the 13mm wrench open end head. It is 1/4" thick.

If it couldn't fit, the clearance between the tie rod end & the wheel is less than 1/4", meaning that a 5.25"bs wheel would not fit on my car.

I do have Moog tie rod ends, not some cheap Chinese-made tie rod ends.

 

i have to agree with Stephen with this one, especially since the "rear" factory wheels (granted they are 16") have 5.125 of BS and dont fit the front, i dont see how 5.5 woulf have a chance at all, unless its a 18" or larger wheel

 

Hmm....Chevy High Performance Magazine (Oct 1999) did an article on 3rd gen performance suspension called "Zig Zag Part II" (I'm looking at the article as I type this).

They state that a 17 x 9.5 with 5.5"bs with a 275 40 17 will fit on the front and rear (they run a TT II rim for the test).
"This combination will clear the stock front-end components and does not rub, even with the car lowered 1" all the way around."

With 275 on all four corners, they managed 0.95Gs and a Slalom speed of 66.9 mph.

Car Craft has an article with the same specs and statement.

Also, there is a member here with a red camaro who has a 5.25" bs on 17 x 9.5 TT II rims with 275s and says this clears his tie rods.

 

well, if you have the 1le brakes, or any floating rotor brake upgrade, you gain a little extra room up front and that may make them clear.

 

I know if you use the factory aluminum drum slip-on spacers on the front, the rear 16" wheels will fit the fronts. The you can put the fronts on the rear & the result will make the wheels look "correct", because of the shallow face up front & deeper dish in the back.

 

This is good news to me. I want to put Nitto 275/40/17 NT 555R II Extreme tires on my 86 Camaro; now I just need to find some wheels, any suggestions?

 

ok this helps but does the same rim width and tire combo also work with 15" rims?

 

For the fronts I to would have to agree 5" of BS would be the limit for a 17" wheel, with a 18" wheel you can get away with 5.5" of bs just cause the wheel will go over the tie rod end.

I believe in that artical they talked about grinding the tie rod ends down to make it fit though I could only find up to my sep 1999 Chevy High Performance Magazine of that year so just going off memory.

 

No sorry. You would need to back off the bs a bit. 15" rubber has more sidewall flex than the lower profile 17". In other words, tire rub could be an issue.

Just go with a 4" or 4.5" bs max on most 15" rims

 

No mention of this in the article.

You might be recalling the fact that they did replace the stock tie rod adjusters with Hotchkis units. I see Hotchkis adjusters in the article pic of parts they installed.

 

If I want to run 26X10X15" slicks on the back, what would the backspace need to be?

 

ok. so would it help if I was to put a 275/60 15 on a 15 x 9 in rim with 5.5 bs?

 

Hope this thread is not dead. I am too looking for the widest tire to fit without looking goofy and something you can just bolt on without beating my baby to death. I know everyone here has seen this pic for backspacing to offset. Looks as if the Front 16"x8" wheel for 91rs is 4.75bs front =(+6.35 offset) and 5.25bs rear =(+19 offset). the 17" rims above actually come out to being between 0 to +6 offest on each.. looks as if someone is trying to follow a trend.. I been reading posts for days and yet i am also still confused.

 

FWIW, the factory 16x8 front is a zero offset and has 4.5" of bs, not 4.75, the rears are 16mm offset and have 5.125 or BS. I've actually measured them.

that chart is good to have around though, help people out with offset/backspacing

 

Thanks for the correction on the sizes.. I was getting info from the Net.. you know how realiable that is.. lol... but the trend looks to be true then.. 0 to 6 offset. with 0 being the much needed answer of minimum to stay out of the steering.. guess to wide then rubbing on the turns. hope i have that right...

 

the width of the wheel makes just as much difference as the offset does, so you need both to know if it will clear the wheel wells and steering, just saying a zero offset wheel will work, is not necessarily true if the wheel is over a certain width

 

I don't know what offset and backspacing is, but with that being said , what is widest tires I can fit on rear of 85 Z28 ralleys??

 

I would also like to know this. I would like to buy a 15X10 Weld wheel and run that size slick with no rubbing. With the right back space, is this possible?

 

I'm assuming you mean factory wheels that come stock on Z28's??

There's literally hundreds of posts about the widest tires that can fit on stock wheels. I think it's clear from post #1 that this thread is for aftermarket wheel fitment. There's other threads that cover factory wheels and tire sizes.

Hopefully this thread isn't going to turn out like the hundreds of others that only leave everyone confused.......I was really hoping this thread would list PROVEN combinations of sizes that fit with a standard thirdgen suspension.

Please read the criteria of the post....I'm already seeing Q's about the widest tire on stock rims, Q's involving 4th gen rears, spacers etc...all this just adds to the confusion you'll find in other threads all over this board.

I also see some great info mixed in..thanks to those who read post #1 before posting!!

 

i'd like to by the jegs wheels but unsure of the widest i can go on the front an back . i have stock rs wheels an i'm running 255/60/15 on the rear an 245/60/15 on the front . i'd like to put the wides rubber i can on the front an rear .all i've found is this :

http://www.camarotech.com/WheelsAndTires.html

 

My bad. I didn't know it just pertained to aftermarket till I read it again. I just saw 15 wheels so I assumed stock , because most don't run 15 unless they are stock.

 

Hi,sorry but this completely off subject.Does the t56 bolt up to an 89 5.7?On the subject about the wheels,Inner wheel diameter of wheels has nothing to do with outer wheel diameter,espcially on alloys.Almost hitting the tie rod does'nt matter.Ray,s engineering(volk racing) wheels,17x8,s front,p255-30-17,17x9,s rear,275-30-17.Just out of curiousity,what's the bolt spacing got to do with anything?panhead201Thanks