For my '88. I'm confused by available selecions, whether some have the wrong backspace and might not fit in wider widths, including possible Corvette takeoffs and such as various wheels at Hawks - I see discussions of 18x10s here that seem to be regarded as fitting and having correct backspacing but, was able to connect that with which wheels at Hawks might qualify, and I just wasn't able to pull the right Vette wheel candidates out of discussions here, which seem mostly focussed on appearance -- to me that is just about the lowest=priority consideration.

Thanks!

 

Well, you're right, none of the modern OE wheels fit our cars. People are using large spacers (about 2 inches) behind the wheel to get the wheels re-oriented in the fender well. Old cars like ours use wheels with little offset. Starting with the C4 Corvette and 4th gen Camaro, wheels got a large offset and are not a direct swap to our cars.

Aftermarket wheel manufacturers cater mostly to modern cars with high offset wheels, so you're not going to find hardly anything that directly fits our cars. The only wheels that have stood the test of time that you can still buy for our cars are the really ugly ones. How that works, I'll never know. The exception is there are a few 17" and 18" diameter replica wheels that you can buy (you saw the selection at Hawks Motorsports website). The other option is to spend $$$$ and have custom wheels made to your specs.

Regarding tires,

A) 16" tire choices are nearly non-existent. I'd skip right over that.

B) 17" choices are getting less and less every year, but you can still get some good tires. 255 width is still widely available in about any tire you want because the import guys use them. 275/40-17 is the go-to size for our cars when you want a fat tire. You can still get good road tires in that size, a small selection of auto-cross tires still exist, and drag radials will always exist. 315/35-17 is pretty much a dying breed so avoid that or you'll soon have wheels with no tires.

C) 18" still have a wide range of choices. In fact it's full of boutique sizes, and that's a problem because you don't know which sizes will stand the test of time. (Just ask Dodge Viper or Porsche Cayman owners who can't buy tires any more.) And most 18" tires are taller than what we can use on our cars, so people that put 18" wheels on our cars end up with rubber-band sidewalls in the 30 and 35 series.

Pick your poison. And pick for the long term if you don't want to do this all over again in 5 to 10 years when your tire size is no longer made.

 

So far, I'm getting the idea that Hawk's newish 8x10 Firebird wheels all around might be the best bet for
pretty good width with perhaps correct backspacing (not clear on whether that is true or not) and, I hope, good tire availability and good clearance for later brake upgrades.

I gather that 315/ 30/18 can work on 18x10s, so perhaps considering those possibilities may help narrow things down?

 

18x10 is approaching the maximum size you can fit. Make sure it's the right numbers for your car because there's not any room for error there.
Suggest you ask Hawks how much those Firehawk 18x10 wheels weigh. I know what I was told. Just sayin' you should ask....

One reason why I stay with 17" wheels and 275/40-17 tires is because is a lot lighter wheel and tire package, and the tires are almost half the cost of 18's. Take a look at wheel and tire weights and you'll be shocked the difference, while keeping in mind all that extra weight is at the extremities of the wheel so it's adding a ton of rotating inertia. Slower acceleration, and slower braking.

 

It would be very nice to be able to use 17" wheels but my not-very-informed sense if that the wide-tire possibilities are closing off for 17" wheels and that big brakes are more likely to fit with 18"s ,

Weight is a definite problem with larger wheels but I also have the sense that high wheel weights are in part driven by prioritization of cosmetics over lightness by both manufacturers and much of the market -- and we're left to cope with the aftermath, particularly if we lack large budgets. Heavier wheels require expensively large brakes, as well as more engine power. Underlying the basic trend is heavier new cars with more safety equipment and accessories and if we can't buy 17" tires our wheel diameter options narrow.

My sense of the best balance given limited funds, on the surface, has been to do what it takes to get wider tread, and pay more than I'd like to deal with the excess weight's requirements for more brake and more engine -- but I wonder if it's false economy in light of all that to cheap out on the wheels. Maybe buying something like 18"x10" Forgelines would be more rational if they are light enough to save brake and engine expenses down the road?

 

Accidentally repeated an older post so deleted.

 

Rotory forged wheels are right in that sweet spot of lightweight, cheap, and fairly strong. I've just never found any that fit our cars, so have to get used to the idea of spacers if going that route.

Sounds like you've been giving it a lot of thought already.

My old ROH 17" wheels are pretty portly. I've been kind of browsing around for lighter wheels for years. Can't bring myself to spend the big bucks on wheels. And can't bring myself to use large spacers either. Can't bring myself to buy expensive 18" tires. All I do is drive around for fun. Don't need anything super serious for that.

 

I have only stock 16" for my Camaro so with tire availability considered I'm probably 1 step more motivated than you.

I just ran acrss a fairly new brand called "Signature Wheel", which is selling true forged wheels of roughly orect size to at least the Mustang market for what appears yto be about $3250/4. The Mustang rp, at least, as of I think 2017, exprssed hope of serving the legacy Mustangs, not just late model.

There has probably been unexploited cost saving opportunity in the wheel market == from automation and cheap labor countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia, so maybe we're seeing some improvement from those fronts.

Hoping there will be more for us from such companies. And hopefully by the time I actually buy wheels.