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So I've read and read but i can't seem to find an actual consensus of what works. I am in the market for some wheels. I want to go with 18s so what fits inside the wheel well without any spacers. I was also wondering how big of a tire can i fit as well . I have stock trailing arms and i am more than capable of relocating the parking brake cable if need be. Lets here it, thanks you in advance for any help and suggestions!!
I’m running 18x9.5 with 5” Back Spacing. They fit but I’m running a 1/4” spacer after I lowered it to give a bit more space between the rear leaf and the tires. I did relocate the parking brake cable. As for tire, I’m running a 285/40zr18.
Based on my car and what I've read of others, though they all vary somewhat, you can go up to ~4.75"-5" backspace without modifications on most cars, or up to ~5.2"-5.6" backspace with handbrake cable and possibly spring (shorten) and sway bar (bend away from tyre or remove) modifications. Any more than that and you're hitting the chassis rail where it is reinforced for the trailing arm. As for tyre size, diameter is as important as width - if you decrease overall diameter then you will more easily fit wider widths. I run 295/30 and 295/35 tyres on my 18x10 track wheels, the wheels have 5.74" backspace and I use various sized spacers to bring them where they need to be. Larger diameter tyres hit the chassis rail at the trailing arm pocket worse and require less backspace/more spacer.
I also use spacers for my 18s Its been a few years but I think they are 4.5 or 4.75 BS on the rims they fit without the spacers but look better with them if I remember right. I did post the details in the actual stickied thread about wheels and what works and what doesnt...
Last edited by augiedoggy; 09-13-2019 at 08:09 AM.
Yeh, also, re-reading the original post - if you're not chasing maximum width and just want an easy bolt on, any 8" wide wheel with 4" backspace will fit the car as stock, then you just need to work out a tyre that's in the range of 27" diameter (like a 255/45R18 on an 18" wheel).
If you have any interest in maximum wheel/tire combinations you may find this an interesting read. Just keep in mind you can back off from a set up like this and go a bit more conservative. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...corners-3.html
The above thread is good. These are my 18x10 track wheels with 295/35R18s on all 4 corners. 5.74" backspace wheels, pretty sure in this picture I had 0.375" spacers fitted for an effective backspace of ~5.37" (actually I would have 0.5" spacers in the front here, as my big Wilwood brake kit has a thinner hat than the stock disk, moving the front wheels inward ~3mm from memory). I have run them with as little as 0.2" spacers, for an effective backspace of 5.54". It depends on the tyre fitted to the wheel and also how the wheel alignment is set. My wife is in the car preparing for a run up our local hillclimb track.
My comment pertains to my use of '89 vette wheels and 50 series tires on my '72.....I kept the same wheel centerline so to keep off center loading on suspension within design specs....min wear on the rubber/etc parts.....so I measured it out and have 2.5 inch wheel adapters......with TEN nutz to get to the rotors....no long wheel studs and a stupid spacer.....if you measure out the rear you find about 3/4 inch is most you can go to inside before rubbing steel in the rear.....if you move the brake cable......my VBP plastic rear spring just misses the wheel/tire 360 lbs......275/50/17 Nitto in rear....
I limited the front steering radius by adding ~1/2 inch of bolt head/washer to the rub/snub area of lower front arms, keeps tires off the steel.....255/50/17 in front.....
The above thread is good. These are my 18x10 track wheels with 295/35R18s on all 4 corners. 5.74" backspace wheels, pretty sure in this picture I had 0.375" spacers fitted for an effective backspace of ~5.37" (actually I would have 0.5" spacers in the front here, as my big Wilwood brake kit has a thinner hat than the stock disk, moving the front wheels inward ~3mm from memory). I have run them with as little as 0.2" spacers, for an effective backspace of 5.54". It depends on the tyre fitted to the wheel and also how the wheel alignment is set. My wife is in the car preparing for a run up our local hillclimb track.
If you lived here in the states, I"d have to steal them wheels you know, the OP is correct, they really ARE PERFECT!!!!!
So I've read and read but i can't seem to find an actual consensus of what works. I am in the market for some wheels. I want to go with 18s so what fits inside the wheel well without any spacers. I was also wondering how big of a tire can i fit as well . I have stock trailing arms and i am more than capable of relocating the parking brake cable if need be. Lets here it, thanks you in advance for any help and suggestions!!
You can run an 18"X9-1/2" with a 5-1/4" back space easily if you relocate the parking brake cable bracket. I have that size wheel with a 275/40 tire mounted that just fits flush with the fender lip without any spacer. Lots of folks will confirm this fitment.
Thank you to everyone that has helped me out in this thread !!!! Im just looking around to see if I find a killer deal right now and I needed to know some specs that work. There were a few answers like in all the other threads but I think it comes down to how you want the wheel to look . Wether it’s a deeper wheel (which I like ) or something that sits the rim more flush to the fender. I do appreciate everyone’s input
So I've read and read but i can't seem to find an actual consensus of what works. I am in the market for some wheels. I want to go with 18s so what fits inside the wheel well without any spacers. I was also wondering how big of a tire can i fit as well . I have stock trailing arms and i am more than capable of relocating the parking brake cable if need be. Lets here it, thanks you in advance for any help and suggestions!!
18x 9.5" wheels with 4.75" BS, complete VB&P Street Slalom kit , rear sway bar , factory trailing arms with stock location for parking brake cable. 275 40R 18 wheels used for track days no clearance problems front or rear
18" wheels-I got 285 rear 5.0" bs on a 9.5' wheel. Front, 4" bs (stock) on front on 8 " with 255s. No rubbing on any of the 4 corners on an 82 model Vette with a BB.
09-12-2019, 10:49 PM
Help me out here people with 18 inch wheels
