rrent

I have a stock trailing arm set-up. I mounted a pair of 275 60's on stock 8" wheels on the back by grinding down the emergency brake bracket and pulling the cable back.

I came across a set of 10" wide Rallyes, but they have 5" of backspacing.

Has any one out there made a 15" wheel with 5" bs work?

GrandSportC3

That will be very close to the frame...
I would be interested too for that answer...

:lurk: :lurk:


[Modified by GrandSportC3, 10:57 PM 8/17/2003]

Stingy74

I had 5" b/s but it was also with 17" wheels. I had to use one 3/8 spacer to clear the calipers in the back. It also helped keep the ends of the monospring away from the inner edge of the wheel. It can be done but not really recommended.

GrandSportC3

The need for a spacer to clear the calipers has nothing to do with the backspacing... There is no parameter that will tall you if they will clear the calipers or not.. The only issue with 5 inch backspacing on a rim that clears the calipers - is the frame clearance. With a 17" rim - you won't have a prolem hitting the frame - even with 5 inch backspacing.. because low profile tires tend to stick out very little past the rim. Tires with big sidewalls (like 275/60R15 stick out quite a bit past the rim...

rrent

I'm going to mount them less tires this weekend and see what I have. Then make the big guess if what tires will fit. If it doesn't workon the Vette -- I know they will fit on the back of Camaro rear-ended Studebaker truck.

norvalwilhelm

I'd say they won't fit. I have 5 inch back spacing on my rims with offset trailing arms and a shortened spring I also need a 3/8th spacer on one side. With 10 inch wide rims they will also stick out the side.
This is mine with 8.5 rims 305 tires and 5 inch backspacing

Stingy74

There's no two ways about it. I couldn't put those 17x9.5" 5" b/s wheels on my car without a 3/8 spacer. Through time I had 4" b/s and 3.5" b/s and they didn't cause me problems. One thing I didn't mention was the need for longer wheel studs, atleast it my particular situation. I couldn't get enough grab on the stock one's and didn't feel like puting 100 ft/lbs on only one or two threads so Moroso had the longer studs I was looking for. Can't remember the length but they did what I wanted them to do.

Another time I was doing some head scratching I borrowed a wheel and tire from a friend which he had mounted on his 91 GTA. They were 16x8 5" b/s Weld Evo's with 26x11.5x16 ET Streets. The thought of the slick wrinkling and coming dangerously close the the end of the leaf spring bothered me so I now knew which direction to go. Surprisingly though there was decent clearance between the frame and would be wrinkled slick. The frame part of wheel fitment on my Corvette never seemed to bother me. It was always that damn monospring. I had 10" lowering bolts though that spring and because the car was so low and the backspacing of the wheels was what I considered lots the spring ends actually did some damage to the inner edge of my beautiful and expensive new wheels. I was forced to tweak a little more negetive camber into the back wheels just so the spring and wheel didn't continue to wreck themselves. I hated to do it with the six link and all but it was the only option and I wasn't about to grind material of off the Vette Brakes 360 monospring. Imagine if that had been a 15" wheel/tire? That would have been a sidewall I was tearing up! But all of this doesn't matter anymore because I sold the wheels and tires to one of my best friends who has an 80 Corvette. Same deal with him...longer studs and the use of 3/8 spacers on all four corners to clear calipers and tie rods. If I ever get my act together and get my stupid car running again i'm going to be doing some more head scrathcing because i'm all about Weld Pro-Stars, 15x10!

Have a nice day!!

Stingy74

Here's a car that belongs to a long time club member. I'm not quite sure the story but these wheels are 16x10 Centerlines with 5" b/s. Centerline doesn't even make this combo but somebody scratched somebodies back and they changed their jigs just this once. If I remember right a Centerline rep. was invloved. He too uses one 3/8 spacer on all corners. Tires are 255-50-16. Because the wheels are so wide and the tires quite narrow (for that rim width) they buldge outward which you would think whould cause clearance issues with the frame and spring but they don't. They don't seems to stick out or anything and as far as I know the ride height hasn't been changed. Not sure about the wheels studs, will have to ask his the next time I see him.

PatsLs1vette

i have 15x10 rallys with 5 inch backspacing and they hit the trailing arm i tried a 3/8 spacer and still rubbed. i tried it with my 275/60/15 and a set of drag radials i think they were 295/50/15(not positive).and i removed the ebrake bracket also.

rrent

patsnitrovette - you relocated the emergency brake bracket and are runnign3/8" spacers? Do you still have the 10" rallys? If so, do you have any pics of how they fit? And lastly did you install longer studs? What was involved there?

thanks in advance
Ronnie

rrent

norvalwilhelm --- so it sounds like I'd lose most of the bs trying to get them to fit and then end up with a 10" wheel/tire combo sticking out --- not the look I'm going for.
thanks for the input
Ronnie

PatsLs1vette

i still have them dont have them on the car no longer wheel studs but they also stuck out 1 1/2 or so past the wheel wells.ill look for pictures i had them somewhere.

norvalwilhelm

I use Morosso 3 inch studs. I also upgraded to 1/2 inch from 7/16. I did it all with the axles on the car. I do NOT run Dust shields. I made a jig to guide the drill bit and enlarged the axle flange holes and drove the new studs in from the back in the 9 oclock postion for the drivers side and the 3 oclock possition on the passengers side.