85projectZ28

Just a question on a (far!) future step I gotta get to.

The wheels Im going with are aluminum 18" x 8", 5" x 4.75".

The tires Im going with are 245/40ZR18 semi-slick drag radials.

My question is will this combo fit in the stock well without any issues?

This is NOT going to be a daily driver but it will see plenty of street
and some highway (once in a long while to get down to the 1/4) on
the very nice days or weekends that I take it out of the garage.

I just want to plan ahead for timing and budgeting issues. But I
would like to know if the tires are going to rub or bump at all. No
sense in ruining $500.00 worth of tires over this.

The car will be lowered about 2 inches all around.

So any input helps guys, Thanks!

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

There's absolutely no reason at all to tub for that narrow of a tire. The overall diameter will be the same as your factory tire, assuming you're currently running a 245-50-16 tire.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

Yeah that tire is stock.sized, with 4.5" of bs it will bolt right on with no other work.

Now for my opinion.... go bigger!!!!

85projectZ28

Thanks for the info guys!

HAHA!!! I totally wish I could. Well maybe I can...

What max size will fit in the stock well?

And if I do decide to go BIG, how much is a tub job?

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

Tubbing isn't cheap. I had my '97 WS6 tubbed for a pretty reasonable price which was right at $1100. That price also included the installation of various suspension components to make my setup work. It all depends on where you go to get it done. The guy that tubbed my car is an experienced race car and tube chassis builder. He worked on my car in the garage at his house. Expect to pay quite a bit more if you take your car to a body or speed shop for that kind of work.

My T/A was tubbed to fit 19x13 wheels wrapped in 345-30-19 tires and keep an attractive ride height.

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

I forgot to mention... you should be able to fit 315-35-17 tires in the factory wheel wells on a 3rd gen car.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

I fit 315/34/17s on my stock 9-bolt rear with only "minimal" cutting out of the bumpstop, cutting of the front wheel well area & some BFH to the rear. Completely under the outer quarter panel metal. I plan on going to 335s next year, with only minimal more work needed (if any) and no tubs.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

Dont waste your time spending money on 18 inch wheels and race rubber on an 8 inch wide tire. That's honestly just kind of stupid. 18x8's are for show cars, not race cars.

Get at least a 9 inch wide wheel, preferably 9.5. You should be able to fit a 17 or 18x9.5 without too much if any work and you'll be able to fit a decent sized tire under it.

And carlos, I think most 4th gens look like a cross between a half melted bar of soap and an overturned boat, but that Firebird is a very nice looking car.

406TPI

iTrader: (1)

I ran 18x10 with a 295 tire in the back for years as well as many other guys on here...you got lots of room to grow.

Mr. IROC-Z

iTrader: (1)

That looks bad assss!!!! 18x11's here. Just a bit of fender work to make them fit.

85projectZ28

Awesome! thanks guys! lotta good to know stuff. I think I will try and go max in the rear well without tubbing and maybe do 17's all around if that doesnt work with the 18's. I know a tub isnt in my budget now.

406TPI, was that size in the stock well? Oh and the sig pic is wicked! very clean car!

Anyways, You guys all have really nice cars! Thanks for being cool and sharing the knowledge and giving a rookie some good advice!

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

If your getting a good deal on the 18"x8"s, just send them off to be widened to 11"s. I say 11", because I think that is the widest most places will widen a wheel to.

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

Weldcraft will widen wheels to any width you ask them to.

85projectZ28

Thats crazy! I didnt even know that was possible!

Ya I really want the chrome IROC replicas but all I've found was 18 x 8.

How much would widening them to whatever would fit cost???

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

You're looking at $250. per wheel for widening.

85projectZ28

So about $500.00 plus for the widening. Thats not as bad as a $1200.00 plus tub though! I just gotta see who does it in my area.

BlackenedBird, I probably should know this but I dont... Whats BFH to the rear?

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

Big Fu*kin' Hammer

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

That is because they cut them in half & weld in a hoop strip then weld the original inner section on, giving you 2 weld seams. http://www.wheelsamerica.com/index.php?page=main will only go 3" wider because they use the inner section from a used wheel, which gives you only 1 welded seam. I fully understand welds & strengths, but I would still prefer only 1 seam. Wheels America charged me $200 per wheel with them supplying the inner hoop. $150 per wheel, if I supplied the used wheels for them to cut the inner loop from. So if you have 2 used wheels from a Corvette or other aftermarket wheel, you can save $100. Find some that have been curbed on the outside & somebody is just gonna throw away.

They have 8 different locations. http://www.wheelsamerica.com/Wheels-...-Locations.php

camaromike222

I second BlackenedBird's call on wheels america. I had my wheels widened by them. $250 per wheel to go from a 17x9.5 to 17x11. They had a problem with their employee that was working on my wheels and they ended up firing him and had to get a new guy to cut and measure so a 2 week project turned into a 5 week one, so they ended up not charging me for ANYTHING. Free wheel widening in my case, but they did do a superb job. One seem.

85projectZ28

OK so I looked around and the wheels I want only come in 16" 18" or 20". Im going with 18"s and 315-30-18 tires. I got a quote from Weldcraft and they said $235.00 per wheel. They also said that replica wheels have a high rate of return due to "excess runoff" ??? So basically they might not be able to do it. I checked wheelsamerica and their website said they usually widen "up to 2 inches" and I need three. I will give them a call and see if they can do the 3" for me.

As far as fitment goes, I took this pic. You guys say that it should fit with little or no cutting. Can you guys possibly highlight or mark the areas that might possibly need to be cut or "BFH'ed" or even just describe it to me? Thanks!

paul_huryk

You can fit a 9.5" wide wheel on all 4 corners with the ability to run up to 11" in the rear with the right backspacing.

A 245-40-18 tire is essentially the same width and overall diameter as a stock 245-50-16 one, just that the rim is 2" larger in diameter.

As others have said, if you want maximum tire on the road you want to go to a minimum 9.5" width with a 275-40-17 tire at all 4 corners. You can certainly go to an 18" wheel, but that is going to weigh more and have less sidewall - so a good pothole might bend them mighty quick. Exception being if you have a huge brake kit that a 17" wheel won't clear (I know of only 2).

85projectZ28

Alright, I did a bit of eyeballing and blind measuring and found a couple areas that clearance might present a problem... on both sides. So I took out my metal cutter and cut out a couple sections and also "BFH'ed" a few areas as well. I added a few pics of the work I did and also put a fresh coat of Herculiner in the wells to make them look nice! Check out the pics, before and after. You can see the area I cut at the bottom of the well area towards the front of the car on each side. I also hammered above that area and gained about an extra half inch or maybe a little more by doing that! I also trimmed the metal lip in the area that Im pointing to in the one pic. This should give me all the clearance I need back there. I still might need to trim the lip on the quarter panel, but this shouldn't be too hard. So, what do you think?

85projectZ28

Heres a quick pic of the finished well with Herculiner.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Good post for pic's
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...l-cutting.html

Minnitubbs
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...0-formula.html

Ive mini tubbed one of my other camaros. Its deff. a project to take on.

85projectZ28

Wow! Those were some good threads! I like that tub job on the trans am. But after seeing all that, I think Im gonna stick with going to a 10" rim rather than an 11". It seems like way more work than Im willing to do! Then I can just go with a pretty decently wide and low profile tire. From what Ive read so far, that should fit without anything more than Ive already done, and still give me enough meat to the rear tires that I can tear the streets up!

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

That sounds like a good plan. I'd roll the fender lip , massage the inner with a BFH and smooth it all out. Repaint it and be done.

My vert has 275's all around and I think it looks just right.