Gvinson

Hi I am new to the forum and I have a 61. I have 25 year old bias plys and want to upgrade to radials and put on new wheels for a new look. I am thinking of going with Torq thruster 2's or Crager S/S rims. Can someone give me advice as to what size I can go with that does not require modifications. I would like as wide a tire I can get that still fits instead of the skinny stock tires I currently have. Also, I have read other threads about getting the front bearings changed to roller bearings. I am thinking of also doing a disk brake upgrade to accomplish this as well. Any suggestions on brands or kits to do this? One more item I read was that it was suggested to upgrade to gas shocks. Any opinons? I really want to upgrade the driveability and safety of the car.

Thanks in advance!

vettebuyer6369

This is the Cars For Sale classifieds Section.

Please make posts like this in the General Discussion area. I'll move this one.

AZDoug

I have 15X7" wheels in front a nd 15"X8" on rear, with MT SR 26X8 front and 26X10 rear,

BUT,

the those tires barely fit under the fenders on the rear and require spring mods to keep the body from coming down on the wide tires, I also ahve a very high HP motor, with 440 RWHP, so i need as wide as I can go.

if you went 26" x 8" all the way, you would probably be OK.

IF

your backspacing is correct to move the rear tires inboard.

I have not had any front tire issues. Though turning the steering wheel, while stopped, on rough pavement can be a challenge.

Doug

Gvinson

I am thinking now of going with 16 x 7 AR TTII wheels with 245/50/16 tires. Can anyone help if this will fit on my 61 totally stock vette without rubbing issues?

Thanks!

AZDoug

You are going to ahve to check the backspacing on those wheels. Or any wheels.

Doug

Gvinson

The rims have 4 inches of back spacing

devildog

Here is a thread I started some years ago when I put wider tires on my 61. My 61 suspension is stock.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ear-tires.html

Here is good tire size calculator, there are other web tire geometry sites
https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc

Caution !!!! Your limitation is the INSIDE clearance between the tire and leaf spring

Joe

Also, do yourself a favor. The people on here are very knowledgeable and helpful; however, they will respond quicker if you have a name and city in profile. Keep your privacy and security, but a name keeps the thread conversation clearer and a city makes a quicker recommendation on vendor, local expert, etc.

Nowhere Man

go with at least 17 inch wheels. the 16 inch tires are about as slim to pick from. or just keep 15 inch wheels

MrPbody

215-70-R15 on original style TT wheels. close, but no contact anywhere.

GTOguy

To me, any wheel bigger than 15" diameter on a post war vintage car looks incredibly tacky. 17" and up wheels just don't go with the lines of the car at all....they look garish and cartoonish. Plus, all the drug dealers run them. Conversely, MrPbody has the perfect look: sharp, in good taste, matches the car and era, and looks aggressive. Well done, IMO!!

chris ritchie

Other than radial tires and a dual master brake cylinder, there's not much you can do to "improve" this car.

Disc brakes won't make the car stop any better the first few times. Disc brakes will help with brake fade, which is desirable if you race or live on a mountain. If you can lock up all four wheels when you slam on the brakes, how are you going to "improve" that?

I replaced my front wheel bearings with roller bearings. I can't tell any difference. Make sure your kingpins, bushings, and alignment are good. Those items make a big difference.

The Mr. Pbody wheel and tire setup fills those wheel wells pretty good. Anything bigger than that is starting to look stupid. Your taste is your own. But you asked for opinions. Remember there's no power steering. You really don't want to go wider than 205/75 or 215/70.

The original shocks were gas shocks. If you need shocks, I'd certainly recommend them.

Face it, these cars don't drive up to modern standards, and, other than radial tires, you can't improve on that. Leave plenty of distance between you and the car in front. Don't drive as aggressively as you do in your civilian commuter car.

Gvinson

Thanks for the information Chris! I will now just consider doing something similar to Mr. Peabody's wheels and take your advice on the tire width so that turning or parking is not a bear with the manual steering. I guess I should not worry about the roller bearings until my current ones start making noises. One thing I did read in a thread was to replace all the rubber break lines. Mine are at least 40 years old. Thanks for the suggestions and if anyone else wants to chime in I appreciate the feedback!

Gvinson

One other question. I am thinking of adding the dual master cylinder. Can someone recommend a conversion kit that they have used and is easy to install. My car's numbers don't match and is used only as a Sunday driver so I don't want a project that involves machining or making spacers. Thanks again for the input!

chris ritchie

Yeah, you probably want to replace 40 year old flexible brake hoses.

And if the flexible hoses are 40 years old, how old are the brake lines? The wheel cylinders? The master cylinder? You know that if you choose to replace all the brake system components, that's an ideal time to convert the system to DOT5 (silicone) brake fluid. If you can't "improve" these cars much, you can certainly do lots of project creep. This is the classic "while you're in there."

Where these cars only have a single brake line, any failure in the system means a complete loss of all braking power. You want to be absolutely certain of the integrity of your braking system.