Working wheel combos with wide rear tires
01-10-2012, 04:33 PM
#1
Working wheel combos with wide rear tires
I want to change my wheels to wider in the rear. What wheel combos are proven to work on c3's? Mine is a 1980 with 18x8, 0 offset, 4.5" backspace running 255-45-18 tires. However, I want bigger in the rear. I am looking for 17" or bigger wheels. Tires need to be z+ rated or high since this car will be race in various road races. I have found some good posts about it on here too. I am really curious about wheels with a 4" BS on the front and maybe a 5" on the rear?
Tell me your specs
wheel brand/model -
Wheel size -
offset -
backspace -
Tell me your specs
wheel brand/model -
Wheel size -
offset -
backspace -
Last edited by glarior; 01-10-2012 at 05:12 PM.
01-10-2012, 05:49 PM
#2
Team Owner
I want to change my wheels to wider in the rear. What wheel combos are proven to work on c3's? Mine is a 1980 with 18x8, 0 offset, 4.5" backspace running 255-45-18 tires. However, I want bigger in the rear. I am looking for 17" or bigger wheels. Tires need to be z+ rated or high since this car will be race in various road races. I have found some good posts about it on here too. I am really curious about wheels with a 4" BS on the front and maybe a 5" on the rear?
Tell me your specs
Tell me your specs
Wheel size front street - 17 X 9 Kumho 255 45
Wheel size rear street - 17 X 13 kumho 335 30
Wheel size front slicks - 17 X10 295
Wheel size rear slicks - 18 X13 345
backspace - 4 front 4.5 rear all
I will just tell you this from experience. If you are at all fast as a driver you can't race with street tires It will just destroy the best tires made in just a couple of sessions. The ultra high performance tires have to be shaved to very little tread depth to work. Unshaved the tread blocks lay over and actually get torn off. I punctured a rear slick in practice and instead just going home I threw on my 335 Kumho W or Y rated rears. it was harder to drive with less traction and they were destroyed before the end of the day Street tires cost more than slicks. slicks last much longer or the DOT race tires can even last a whole SCCA race year
I had to a attend a SCCA instructors class. I did not want to take my Vette. I took the wifes new v-6 automatic Firebird. It's only improvement was improved stiffer struts and Goodyear KDW's 255's all the way around. All four tires went in the dumpster at the end of the day. I was depressed
Last edited by gkull; 01-11-2012 at 11:59 PM.
01-10-2012, 06:33 PM
#4
Race Director
wheel brand/model -centerline
Wheel size front street - 17 X 9 Kumho 255 45
Wheel size rear street - 17 X 13 kumho 335 30
Wheel size front slicks - 17 X10 295
Wheel size rear slicks - 18 X13 345
backspace - 4 front 4.5 rear all
I will just tell you this from experience. If you are at all fast as a driver you can't race with street tires It will just destroy the best tires made in just a couple of sessions. The ultra high performance tires have to be shaved to very little tread depth to work. Unshaved the tread blocks lay over and actually get torn off. I punctured a rear slick in practice and instead just going home I through on my 335 Kumho W or Y rated rears. it was harder to drive with less traction and they were destroyed before the end of the day Street tires cost more than slicks. slicks last much longer or the DOT race tires can even last a whole SCCA race year
I had to a attend a SCCA instructors class. I did not want to take my Vette. I took the wifes new v-6 automatic Firebird. It's only improvement was improved stiffer struts and Goodyear KDW's 255's all the way around. All four tires went in the dumpster at the end of the day. I was depressed
Wheel size front street - 17 X 9 Kumho 255 45
Wheel size rear street - 17 X 13 kumho 335 30
Wheel size front slicks - 17 X10 295
Wheel size rear slicks - 18 X13 345
backspace - 4 front 4.5 rear all
I will just tell you this from experience. If you are at all fast as a driver you can't race with street tires It will just destroy the best tires made in just a couple of sessions. The ultra high performance tires have to be shaved to very little tread depth to work. Unshaved the tread blocks lay over and actually get torn off. I punctured a rear slick in practice and instead just going home I through on my 335 Kumho W or Y rated rears. it was harder to drive with less traction and they were destroyed before the end of the day Street tires cost more than slicks. slicks last much longer or the DOT race tires can even last a whole SCCA race year
I had to a attend a SCCA instructors class. I did not want to take my Vette. I took the wifes new v-6 automatic Firebird. It's only improvement was improved stiffer struts and Goodyear KDW's 255's all the way around. All four tires went in the dumpster at the end of the day. I was depressed
01-10-2012, 09:10 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
On Your 80' You should be able to run a 275 Rear Tire front and rear with little or no modifications. I'd use 9.5" Rims. I used this Combo for 20 Years. Then I decided I needed to go to a 315 in the Rear. All I needed to do was install Offset Trailing Arms, A Duel Mount Spring to eliminate the Sway Bar, Spring Bolts up side down and 1 1/4" Fender Flares. You can get by with out the Flares if You don't mind the Tire being just a bit outside the Fender. If You use the Search feature above You will find a lot on this topic. Frame mods were popular a couple of Years back to match the offset Trailing Arms. I believe that this dosn't work on the 80'-82's. I have reduced the Back Spacing on my Car untill the Tire has rubbed the Inner Fender but it has never touched the Frame. Maybe should I say it touches both at the same time on my Car so to do a Frame Mod on my car would only work with Mini Tubing the Car, wich I have never done..
01-10-2012, 10:37 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
Member Since: May 2009
Location: Tucson AZ
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St. Jude Donor '12
Boss 338's
18X10 rear
18x8 front
Tires:
FR: 255/45ZR18
RR: 285/40ZR18
They're a bit on the heavy side, but I like the old school styling.
18X10 rear
18x8 front
Tires:
FR: 255/45ZR18
RR: 285/40ZR18
They're a bit on the heavy side, but I like the old school styling.
Last edited by IB Chandak; 02-18-2014 at 12:46 PM. Reason: removing links due to malware reports.
01-11-2012, 12:15 AM
#7
Team Owner
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....R8R6&tab=Specs
The fronts are 25.3 or so.....
That is why I have the adjustable QA-1 with up to 700 pound front springs.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....=yes&tab=Specs
01-11-2012, 04:08 AM
#8
Team Owner
A little off topic from this post, but would you like to meet up here for this event? I will be motor homing to this event down your way for 5 days.
http://www.westernpyro.org/
01-12-2012, 12:13 PM
#10
Rob your car look amazing!
Those boss wheels is what I was thinking of getting too! Only difference is I like the gunmetal/gray color better for my car since its white.
You have a 18x10 on the back... what was the BS and did you have to get offset trailing arms as well?
Those boss wheels is what I was thinking of getting too! Only difference is I like the gunmetal/gray color better for my car since its white.
You have a 18x10 on the back... what was the BS and did you have to get offset trailing arms as well?
01-12-2012, 01:42 PM
#11
Team Owner
I have HD trailing arms. Not offset. Many years ago when I was looking at tire rub marks on my upper frame rail it was not hard to determine that the limitation was the frame rails not the trailing arm offset.
I will agree that with offset trailing arms you could run a more than 4.5 inch BS wheel, But then you are trimming the ends of the springs for tire clearance and you would still have to limit vertical wheel travel to keep the tire off the frame under compression
I will agree that with offset trailing arms you could run a more than 4.5 inch BS wheel, But then you are trimming the ends of the springs for tire clearance and you would still have to limit vertical wheel travel to keep the tire off the frame under compression
01-12-2012, 03:38 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
Member Since: May 2009
Location: Tucson AZ
Posts: 1,232
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St. Jude Donor '12
Unfortunately I have to cut a hole in the hood. Its all in having fun 
I ended up installing longer ARP studs and I run a 3/8" spacer between the wheel and the rotor. without the spacer, the rear mono spring would just graze the wheel when the suspension loaded up.
