New Drag Setup Pics
10-12-2012, 04:32 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
New Drag Setup Pics
I thought I would post up some pics of my new drag/street setup. I have seen a few on the wide body cars but not many on the base cars.
I ordered up some Weld S71 wheels based on the suggested fitments on Welds site. My car is a Z51 car and their guide said their 18" wheels would clear the front brakes.
In short, they were wrong. The rear 17x10.5" wheels also didn't clear the Z51 caliper edge. After speaking to their engineer it turns out that fitments were based on base brakes not Z51. At this point I didn't mind a little work since the car only sees street and drag strip duty. So I swapped to base brackets and base rotor sizes. The rear then cleared with room to spare. The front however still had just the slightest interference on the caliper with brand new pads. It was so close that a worn pad would have cleared but I needed a better solution. I ended up running a hub centric 5mm spacer up front from Adaptec. This created the clearance I needed and the wheels are flush with the front fender. I think I may have been able to get away with a 3mm spacer and keep them slightly more tucked but I will roll with this for now.
The sizes are 18x7 front and 17x10.5 rear. I am running a Michelin Pilot Super Sport up front in 225/45/18 and a M/T 295/45/17 DR out back.
I didn't go with a 4.5" wheel up front because I may run these for a weeks at a time and wanted enough tire to take on ramps and corners at decent speed and a Y speed rating.
Anyway here are the pics. Hope this info helps out anyone with a base model looking to run a RTS setup. FWIW: The 18" rear RTS wheels should clear a Z51 setup if you only want rears.
I ordered up some Weld S71 wheels based on the suggested fitments on Welds site. My car is a Z51 car and their guide said their 18" wheels would clear the front brakes.
In short, they were wrong. The rear 17x10.5" wheels also didn't clear the Z51 caliper edge. After speaking to their engineer it turns out that fitments were based on base brakes not Z51. At this point I didn't mind a little work since the car only sees street and drag strip duty. So I swapped to base brackets and base rotor sizes. The rear then cleared with room to spare. The front however still had just the slightest interference on the caliper with brand new pads. It was so close that a worn pad would have cleared but I needed a better solution. I ended up running a hub centric 5mm spacer up front from Adaptec. This created the clearance I needed and the wheels are flush with the front fender. I think I may have been able to get away with a 3mm spacer and keep them slightly more tucked but I will roll with this for now.
The sizes are 18x7 front and 17x10.5 rear. I am running a Michelin Pilot Super Sport up front in 225/45/18 and a M/T 295/45/17 DR out back.
I didn't go with a 4.5" wheel up front because I may run these for a weeks at a time and wanted enough tire to take on ramps and corners at decent speed and a Y speed rating.
Anyway here are the pics. Hope this info helps out anyone with a base model looking to run a RTS setup. FWIW: The 18" rear RTS wheels should clear a Z51 setup if you only want rears.
Last edited by lt1z; 10-12-2012 at 04:49 PM.
10-12-2012, 05:53 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Weld says they plan to make some revisions to their catalog. The problem lies in the medium pad wheel and the caliper clearance up front. The high pad will clear any C6 brake system except the ZR1 but they only have offsets currently available for the wide body fenders. So as of now the route I took is the only option. I used a set of billet specialties ET lugs on the front with the 5mm spacer and the factory stud extends to the tip of the open lug nut. Stock lug nuts will work as they have enough thread engagement, but I went with open nuts so the track officials don't hassle me about it.
10-13-2012, 01:13 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
It looks like Weld has not yet made changes to their Chevrolet application sheet but will be updating it with notation. Hopefully this will save people some trouble.
10-13-2012, 06:52 PM
#6
Tech Contributor
That is one mean looking setup!
Weld needs to put the 17" wheels on a ZR1 fitment in their catalog. I saw it with my own eyes...had I known how many people asked me about it after I posted these pictures, I would have tried to find the owner.
It was tight but it worked. The barrel on the rims was the flattest I've ever seen.
Weld needs to put the 17" wheels on a ZR1 fitment in their catalog. I saw it with my own eyes...had I known how many people asked me about it after I posted these pictures, I would have tried to find the owner.
It was tight but it worked. The barrel on the rims was the flattest I've ever seen.
10-14-2012, 03:04 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
That is one mean looking setup!
Weld needs to put the 17" wheels on a ZR1 fitment in their catalog. I saw it with my own eyes...had I known how many people asked me about it after I posted these pictures, I would have tried to find the owner.
It was tight but it worked. The barrel on the rims was the flattest I've ever seen.
Weld needs to put the 17" wheels on a ZR1 fitment in their catalog. I saw it with my own eyes...had I known how many people asked me about it after I posted these pictures, I would have tried to find the owner.
It was tight but it worked. The barrel on the rims was the flattest I've ever seen.
That looks like a 17x11 high pad ZO6 fitment wheel that just happens to clear the ZR1 rear brakes. I doubt Weld has ever verified ZR1 fitment in person or with CAD drawing from GM. They told me that they have only based their selection off of base C6 or ZO6. They never worked with a Z51 or ZR1. It is hard to tell from the pics but there may be a spacer on there too.
10-15-2012, 10:13 AM
#8
Burning Brakes
They look great but it sucks that you needed 18"s with base brakes. Looks like I'll be going with billet specialties after I get drag spindles.
10-15-2012, 10:17 AM
#9
Tech Contributor
10-15-2012, 10:18 AM
#10
Tech Contributor
That looks like a 17x11 high pad ZO6 fitment wheel that just happens to clear the ZR1 rear brakes. I doubt Weld has ever verified ZR1 fitment in person or with CAD drawing from GM. They told me that they have only based their selection off of base C6 or ZO6. They never worked with a Z51 or ZR1. It is hard to tell from the pics but there may be a spacer on there too.
10-15-2012, 11:29 AM
#11
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Not sure I follow. Does billet make a 17" wheel that clears base brakes and has an offset that tucks the wheel on base fenders?
10-15-2012, 11:51 AM
#13
Burning Brakes
Good to know, I'm still a ways out but I wanted to go with RT-S 17/15" combo with the wide booty. I have heard a ton of horror stories though about weld no send the right offsets when custom ordering. Seems like almost everyone winds up having to send wheels back and wait for the right ones.
Last edited by EVL JAKE; 10-15-2012 at 11:53 AM.
10-15-2012, 12:03 PM
#14
_Sloth Whisperer_
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Weld's a great company with great products, but they are behind the times and it shows. They've been able to rest on their laurels for so long outfitting the same old drag platforms with the same old sizes.
Now that a new crop of modern domestic drag racers are popping up, wherein people are tracking the snot out of brand new platforms, they're falling behind in the fitment department. Hopefully they get it all ironed out soon or they'll end up the Sony of the wheel industry.
Now that a new crop of modern domestic drag racers are popping up, wherein people are tracking the snot out of brand new platforms, they're falling behind in the fitment department. Hopefully they get it all ironed out soon or they'll end up the Sony of the wheel industry.
10-15-2012, 01:44 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter