oH HorizoN

So I know y'all are probably sick and tired of people asking probably simple questions about wheel fitment here, but there's some things I gotta ask.

I used the sticky (very very helpful, btw) at the top of the page to figure out the specifications on some wheels I just bought. I only need to know about the rear fitment, as I can tell already they are too wide for the front, plus I only really need to use them for the rear, as they will be used as drag wheels if I do in fact use them.

Anyway, if my measurements are correct, these wheels are:

17", by 11" (though the measurement is actually 10 and 7/8"?)
Wheel backspace is 4.25"
Wheel centerline is 5 and 7/16", going by the 10 7/8", not the 11".
The offset, if my calculations are correct, is negative 1 and 3/16".

Firstly, am I measuring correctly? Are you supposed to go by the arbitrary 11" wide, or what they truly are, which is 10 and 7/8"?

Secondly, according to what I have read, these wheels WILL fit on the back of my 89 Camaro. Every time I have seen someone have wheels that don't fit, they have huge backspacing. I know these wheels are seriously wide at 11", but with such relatively shallow backspacing, wouldn't that mean a lot will just be sticking out the side of the wheel-well?
I kind of hope so. Not only would it look mean as hell... but that means I got 2 wheels that will do what I want for 60 bucks.

Thanks in advance.

Guest

I don't doubt your measuring, but since everyone else will still use 11", and since using it won't tangibly change your situation, I suggest you just use 11", not 10.875".
There's 2 ways to measure backspacing, and it seems most people have embraced including the lip. So, did you?
Whether you did or not, you're still going to have them protruding past the stock bodywork. At competition tracks, this is okay. On the street, it's technically illegal in many places.
If the rear of the car has not been lowered at all, you'll probably be fine with a 315/35 tire. The less-common 325/45 drag radials probably will contact metal when launching.
If you want to run these full time, you'll need a narrower axle assembly. I'd think of a Ford 9".
Even so, it may still take extra work to fit 325/45s

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

actually, the width measurement is made between the bead seat, so those are actually 17x10 not 17x11". a 17x11 would measure about 12" wide if you measure the extreme overall width.

they will stick out, they need to have 5.5" of bs at the bare minimum for a 10" wheel ( these will still stick out a hair), but 6 or 6.5 is really what you would want. So, they are not going to work. Pull a wheel off your car and bolt a wheel on and see what i mean.

and wheels sticking out from the car is illegal and looks trashy. They can also be cut to shreads if they ever come in contact with the body work. Not to mention the damage to said body work when they make contact

oH HorizoN

Hmmm. I'm a bit confused now, as as far as measurements on paper go, I thought these would fit.

I measured the backspace using the method found in the sticky. It describes measuring from the back of the hub, where it will mount against the drum brake in my case, all the way to the edge of the lip.

@ 86TA, why is 5.5" BS minimum needed? Wouldn't less back space and more, er, "front space" allow me to fit a wider wheel in there?

I'm probably going to take the wheel to my dad's friday and fit it physically, but I wanted to see if it was even worth it first. If it doesn't work out it's not a loss, I'm just entertaining future ideas. Thanks for the info so far.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

where did you read these would fit? you are correct if how to measuer the backspacing, what you are not taking into consideration the "front' spacing.

with a 10" wheel, 5.5" of back spacing is the least you can use and still have the wheel somewhat under the wheel well lip. anything less and they will stick out from the side of the car. Like i said though, at 5.5", the wheel will be about flush with the side of the car, then the tire bulge will stick out more than the wheel be about 3/8 to 1/2" if its a stock height tire, and that will all be outside the wheel well.

4" or so of back spacing is what the factory 7" wide wheels have, so if you add the extra 3" of width to the outside of the wheel...

does the wheel have the right bolt pattern?

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

"yes", but the rest of the width will be added to the outside of the wheel, thus making the wheels stick outside of the wheel wells.

those wheels should be about 1" to 1.25" outside of the wheel well, before tires.

the car has a jack in the back along with the spare tire. JAck up the car in the driveway/street where ever, take off a wheel, bolt the rim on and see what it looks like. takes about 15 minutes

oH HorizoN

Yes, the wheels have the chevy pattern of 4 and 3/4". When I said I thought these would fit, I'm totally going off of my own calculations and predictions. It seems that you are in agreement with me, though, as predicted, there could be as much as 3" of tire sticking out of the wheel well.

This is okay with me though, as I said, because it won't be on the vehicle outside of the track, and looking through my state laws, it says nothing about tire width.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

my last post was close to yours, its only about 1 or 1.25 inches before tires. keep in mind the factory 15x7's were tucked in pretty far

if they are for "track", is that RR or drag? be aware that the tires can be damaged if they hit the wheels wells if you are pushing the car hard.

oH HorizoN

Lol it's all good, dude. I can jack up the car in my dad's garage, it's just that I don't live there and I won't get a chance to go there and try it until friday.

I may end up not using these, but if they do indeed allow me to fit 315's or tires that wide, I would love to use them at the strip after I get a new rear end.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

tire width no, but tires outside the wheels wells are illegal almost everywhere, if not everywhere

315/35/17 are recommended for a 10.5 to12.5" wheel, so those you have are a little small, but you may be able to mount them

oH HorizoN

We're playing a warped game of phone tag here, or something, lol.

Yeah you're right, I've always thought there was A LOT of room in the rear wheel well, and that's why right there, they really tucked those original wheels in there. Though for my car the stock size was 16", and I believe they were 8" wide.

You edited again! Hah, it'll be drag only, there isn't autoX near me or anything like that, that I'm aware of.

EDIT:

Well I live in Arizona, and having had some experience with the arm of the law, and from the research I've done in the past half-hour, I don't think there is a written code about it. Obviously that won't stop a cop from saying something if he doesn't like it. But it's moot, because they can't say anything if I'm at a race-course, right? lol

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

yeah, phone tag

the factory "rear" 16x8's have 5.25" of BS you can do up to 6.5 with relatively minor hammering. after that, its a bit more involved. I ended up minitubbing my 86 to fit 18x12's with 8.5" of BS on the stock width axle. I think i can fit a 13" wheel and still keep the tire flush with the side of the car.

Honestly, you may never run into a issue with the law over the wheels sticking out, just depends on the area and the certain officer or inspector. But you are right, at the track, as long as they pass tech inspection, you are good.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Not all states have laws against tires sticking out past the fenders. I know Texas doesn't (I'm in Texas).

Think about those wheels this way.

The stock 16" is 8"wide w/4.25bs. So just add the extra 2" of a 10" wheel/4.25"bs wheel to the stock 8" wheel. Since they do set in somewhat, those 10" wheels will stick out some, but I'd say no more than 1" to 1.5" max.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

not to be a dick, but the "front" wheels have 4.5" of bs. And thats the same way i figure most of my tire fitment for people

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Not to be a dick either, but the rears are 4.9".

We were BOTH wrong in our typing. I just quoted the wrong wheels BS.

oH HorizoN

Good to know, both of you!

Currently I have some aftermarket wheels that were on the car when I bought it about 5 years ago. The wheels are still 16x8", though the spacing may be different because even with 245/50/16's, which is the stock size for my model, they are just about even with the fender.

I didn't mention this before, but I got reminded of it a few minutes ago... my car is lowered 2" all around. I wonder how this will factor in? I'm not going to do anything with these 17's if the big's are going to rub at all. As it sits, the 245/50/16's I have now fill up the well perfectly, and they have never rubbed the wheel well, either.

Guest

Wheels and / or tires past the bodywork is illegal here, but no cop ever tickets any of the guilty 4WD truck / Jeep owners.
A law not enforced may as well not even be a law.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

hehe we are both still wrong! the rears are ~5.125. i typo-d as well. but i went and measured mine and have 5.125 (5.129" actually, thats -16mm offset)

what a mess

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Well yeah...If you add in the tire flange that will give you the extra 1/8" in a physical measurement.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

its a small flange, but technically, its still counted. oh well, splitting hairs here. Its all good