Hello everyone!
I originally looked into those awesome CTW Wheels that are no longer on the market. 17x9.5 or x9.0 is what I want for the back end with a 275/40R17 tire. I've seen PLENTY of third gens with a full setup of 17x9.5 but some say they rub when turned fully. Currently I have stock suspension but may want an inch lower in the future. I've never purchased new wheels and tires, I've always bought cheap tires on my original wheels (Size : 15" x 7" Backspacing : 4.5" Bolt pattern : 4.75"). I want everything to go smooth the first time.

I've been looking into some wheels like the Torque thrust or these Riddler 675 wheels which I'll use for the example. ( https://www.jdwheels.com/product/ridler-675/ ). If anyone has wheel suggestions, I'm open! (Besides the HAWKS gta wheels, I don't have a GTA car)
1. Any issues with running 9.5 all the way around with a 275/40R17 tire? (and I assume I would need a spacer for the front wheels). I know straight line speed is better with a skinnier tire and autocross is better with a wider one.
2. If I did go one size down in the front to a 17x8.0 with 4.5" backspacing. Adding one inch width and the same backspacing means I don't really need spacers, correct?

As far as tires are concerned I was looking into these: 275/40R17 NITTO NT555 G2 ( https://simpletire.com/nitto-275-40r17-211320-tires ). If I chose the fronts to be 17x8.0 the only choices are a 255/40r17 (8.5-10" wheel recommended) or 245/45r17 (7.5-9.0" wheel recommended). Not sure if there will be a noticeable difference between the two or if its common to run a slightly taller tire due to the engine being up front.
Otherwise there is limitations to finding matching tires in the 17x8 category with a 245/40r17 tire being these firehawks: ( https://www.tiresplus.com/tires/bran...kindy500/12207 ) with matching 275/40r17 tires ( https://www.tiresplus.com/tires/bran...wkindy500/4354 ).

I just really want to find some wheels and tires that look good and perform well and I finally have some spare cash after graduating and getting a job. So these wheels/tires and a new headliner is on my list! I would really appreciate all advice, so thank you!

 

Im kinda in the same boat. Wanted 17x8 on all 4 but they sold the last set. Ended going staggered. 17x7 front, 17x8 out back. That's ok with me. It's a street car and I want it to handle good, dont need anything crazy as these cars handle good as is.
I'm thinking either 245/45/17 on all 4 or 245/45/17 rear and 235/45/17 front. Prefer a tire size that has a good selection.

I think I've read that the 275 will rub for sure up front unless you have spacers, tubular a arms, or other mods to help with clearance.

I know I wasn't much help but maybe this with help get the ball rolling. Good luck.

D

 

You really want the same size (square setup) on all 4 corners for best balance, handling, and braking.

That said, a 275-40-17 is the optimal size in 17", 275-35-18 is a great size for 18" wheels.

275 will not rub if you use the correct backspace on the right width wheel.

 

Have you thought about corvette rims like the C5's? They are plentiful, cheap and use common size tires. Plus many people here have installed them so would know of fitment and backspacing, etc. You could probably find nice used set on craigslist or similar. Sometimes you can find them with tires already mounted too!

 

Hello... all... first post. I'm a mechanical idiot but trying to learn. I've read a bunch of posts and searched the site and I'm still confused. I know that the stock gen 3 Camaros came with a 14x7, 15x7, and 16x8 (0 and +20 offset which I imagine is front & rear specific) with a 5x4.75 (5x120.65) bolt pattern. There's different offset specs for each wheel size and even different offset specs for the same wheel size according to the year of the model.

I'm picking up a 1988 Camaro RS (swapped with a 383 crate motor) this Friday and I'm trying to find out what size wheels/tires to get for it. I'm looking for good used wheels for now because I'm spending a chunk of money on the car itself & don't want to throw down another grand or two on wheels/tires right away.

Sigh... I'm so flustered & confused that I don't even know what specific question to ask other than to ask for help... Well, I'll give it a shot...

- What are the common Corvette wheels, tire size, & adapters/spacer needed to fit a GEN 3?

- What adapter/spacer set up is needed to use Gen 4 Camaro wheels?

- Is there any other GM vehicle wheels that will just simply bolt on to & be usable with a Gen 3 w/o having to use any adapters?

- Is there any 17" wheels, either aftermarket or factory, that can be bolted on w/o the use of adapters/spacers? Are the 17x8 that is mentioned above a direct fit?

I'm a retired/disabled U.S. Marine and my knowledge base is mainly in combat tactics, military stuff, and in my hobbies of hunting and fishing. I would greatly appreciate any and all help. I apologize for the basic questions & rehashing a topic that seems to have been talked about so much here.

Respectfully;
Donnie
U.S. Marine Corps (ret.)

 

Hey Donnie,

Going to try and answer your questions based on my own research. I'm basically in the same boat as you but have read a little more. Hopefully someone with real world experience jumps in soon

- Corvette wheels come in a few different flavors. You want C5 or C6 wheels to get more room for upgraded brakes. I've heard lots of conflicting info about spacers, but 2" around is the general consensus
- Gen 4 wheels are similar to C5/C6 wheels. So 2" around spacers
- Not that I'm aware of, Not sure what other GM wheels would be desirable on a 3rd gen.
- Aftermarket has plenty of options for upgrading without spacers. I was looking into YearOne Snowflakes before settling on a C6 rim. From what I've dug into, once you start going aftermarket you start talking big bucks.

Good luck on your search. Tons of info out there, it's just hard to wade through it all.

Also - you're pretty much required to start a new thread about your car when you get it.

 

Awesome! Thank you so very much for the info!

It's confusing for me in dealing with offset & backspacing... I know the Hawks IROC replica 17x9 wheels have a +12 offset & it requires spacers for proper fitment of the front wheels/tires... but hat about 17x8 wheels, is there a certain size of offset &/or backspacing that you have to have in order to be able to bolt directly onto a Gen 3 w/o having to use spacers/adapters?

 

What would be the correct backsace for a 17" wheel running the 275-40-17? Are you talking about a 17x9 or 17x8? I'm BRAND NEW to all of this & a mechanical dunce... I've been searching, researching, Google'ing, etc... and I feel like my brain is fried... lol... thanks in advance for the help!

 

I'm honestly not the right guy to ask about offset and backspacing to fit the 3rd gen. I'm just the guy that figures out what works and runs it :P

Hopefully somebody chimes in to help you out a bit more.

 

Thanks for the reply... I've decided to stay with a 15 inch wheel. I just got the car last night... it currently has 15" rally (with beauty bands & caps) wheels on it. I have no clue exactly how wide the wheels are but do know the tire sizes:
- Front: 155-80-r15
-Rear: 255-60-r15

I'm wanting to put a wider tire on the front & have been researching to see if I can put the same size tire on the front that's currently in the rear (255-60-r15). Of course I know that I have to get a 2 new & wider wheels to fit those wider tires.

From what little I gather, it seems like the 255-60-r15 will work for the front. I'm also needing to change the wheels so that I can get a bit more ground clearance because of the types of roads in my area.

Am I on the right track... will a 255-60-r15 fit the front without any issues of rubbing? Also, I will make the mandatory post showing off my new 3rd Gen very soon.

Thanks in advance for any & all who help.

Respectfully;
Donnie
U.S. Marine Corps (ret.)

 

Guys, welcome to TGO!

Here's a diagram showing how offset works.

Stock Iroc Wheels are 0mm offset up front and +16mm offset in back. That being said, lots will run a set of front wheels out back, giving a 0mm offset on all four wheels. This is also a common spec for aftermarket wheels of that era. "Most" will have a 0mm offset on all four wheels. Cheaper to produce, they fit more cars of that period, and you can rotate tires more easily. Hawks aftermarket IROC wheels are 0mm on all four wheel, not +12. Firehawks wheels, and many repop thirdgen wheels are all 0mm offset on all four corners. All things being equal, this is probably what I would shoot for. 4 wheels, 0mm offset on all four.

MANY people run a 17x9 or 17x9.5 wheel up front with a 275/40/17 tire. Many have had no issues rubbing, -many have. The rubbing is minimal, and not really an issue. Even then, it only happens at a full turn and obviously slow speeds (hopefully, lol!) Still....Hawk's sells their wheels with a 12mm spacer. Pretty much any aftermarket front brake kit will push the wheel out just a hair, and that's normally all you need. Still, if you've got stock front brakes....you may get away with no rub, and you can always use the spacer. This size wheel and tire is probably the single most common size aftermarket wheel/tire size combo on thirdgens today.

As for a staggered fit, you're better off running a square set up, in other words, the same size tire on all four corners. With a larger rear tire on a front engine car, you'll tend to have too much grip out back and you'll push through corners. But in all honesty, if it's just a street car, any reasonable combo will work. Still the square set up will allows you to rotate tires.

Corvette wheels. Again...there's always that one size....from that one year....but typically, most the Corvette wheels that guys run have the offset in the +45mm to +55mm range. That's CLOSE to 2", meaning a 2" adapter is needed. Math is easy. If you're shooting for a 0mm offset, and you have a wheel with +46mm offset, then you need an adapter as close to 46mm as possible. If you get a good adapter, it's more than plenty safe, but keep in mind if you're looking for performance, it's added weight that's not necessary. Again, not that it's an issue for most of us, but something to consider.

Outkast, as for your specific wheel size, I think a 255/60/15 should work just fine up front. Just an educated guess though as i've never specifically tried it. That'll give you a 27" diameter which is a little big, but honestly, I think it'd be fine. Why not put the rear wheel on the front? See how it fits? -assuming they're the same offset as the fronts....it'll show you how that size will work.

 

This explains so much.... thank you so much!!!

 

Happy to help.

 

WHat wheels brand model is that in the picture?

 

CTW Motorsports. They are planning to re-release these wheels in the near future.
www.ctw-motorsports.com