I did a search so you don't have to. Then i didnt find the right info and bought the wrong front wheels and had to buy spacers twice. Then I measured backspacing and still ran into issues. My car is a 1992 RS with stock rear and front brakes. Drum brakes in the rear. The stickys are useful but I wish there was a thread that gave you a direct answer to a specific issue.

The front stock wheels on a third gen are a 4.5 backspacing.
the rears are a 5.5
you cant run 1" spacers in the front and if you use hubcentric smaller than like 2" you have to turn down a lip.


I made a mistake and ordered Jegs SSR 5.5 15x8 for the front and 15x10 in the rear. Tires in the front are 235/60/15 in the front and 275/60/15 in the rear. You can NOT run 5.5 back spacing on the front. If you try a 1" spacer on the front, to make it a 4.5 backspacing, which is the correct backspacing, the wheel mating surface will hit the studs on the rotor because the studs are too long. You need a 1.25 spacer.

Don't buy cheap non hub centric spacers. I tried these MOCA ones... before I found out the studs are too long. I tried mounting a wheel to one side.. the first side I torqued down there was no issues... but when I mocked up the wheel I found out it wouldn't work anyway due to the studs on the rotor being 1" and hitting the wheel and no I didn't want to machine the studs shorter on the rotor hub.



The other side cracked when torqued to 100 ft lbs. Then I bought Cheap 1.25" hub centric...




They work. HOWEVER. NOT WITHOUT MODIFICATION. There is a lip that I had to put on an engine lathe and turn down. If you look in the picture there is a lip, there is actually two Internal diameters. The larger ID is ok the smaller one needs to be removed and match the bigger one (about 2.780")... this lip hits the rotor and wont allow you to mount the spacer. Spacer had to be hammered on ....USE A RUBBER MALLET. ID diameter was around 2.780" after turning it down. Or 70.6mm if you do the math (2.780x25.4 is the conversion to metric...) I'd even go so far to say if you want it to fit easier for sure open up ID another .005" to 2.785. Alot of guys say 70.3mm. I say 70.3mm may be too small depending on if u have an after market rotor. The hub surface is tapered.

Anyway the wheels are on now and it looks great. Hope this helps.

 

Hey,
Nice write-up

When you say the "stock wheels on a third gen", what wheels are you talking about?

The measurements I have from real oem wheels, confirmed by calculator are:
15X7, 0mm offset = 4.00in back spacing (front and rear)
16X8, 0mm offset = 4.50in back spacing (front)
16X8, +16mm offset = 5.13in back spacing (rear)
The Firehawk Ronal R15 are 17X9.5, 0mm offset = 5.25in back spacing. I believe they came with a wheel spacer in the front.

The oem 16X8 +16mm offset (rear) won' fit in front because they will hit the tie-rod. That tells you, over 5.00in back spacing won't fit on a third gen in the front.

I don't have measurements for the 14in older oem model wheels

"the wheel mating surface will hit the studs on the rotor because the studs are too long."
You can cut the studs to fit. That is usually what manufacturers suggest.

 

"I made a mistake and ordered Jegs SSR 5.5 15x8 for the front and 15x10 in the rear."

That means the 15X8, 5.50" are +25mm offset
... and the 15X10, assuming same back spacing of 5.50in, are 0mm offset

 

Earlier in my post I stated 1992 RS. Those wheels are 16x8 . They're the common 5 spoke non Iroc Z wheels. I've only seen them on RSs.