Youngvettehunter

I'm trying to decide on wheels and tires for my 68. I found some torq thrusts that I like. They are 15x10 with a 3.75 backspacing. I'm wondering if I can run these on all 4 corners with flares and what size flares and what size tire combo to fill the flares without rubbing. Also I want to lower the car eventually... any suggestions?

Mark_Milner

Back in the day (great phrase, isn't it? ), people ran L60-15s on the back. I knew one guy who ran N50-15s on the back.

I believe an H60-15 equates to a 255/60x15 today, IIRC. So an L60 would be roughly a 275/60x15. Typically these were on a 10" wide rim and sometimes a 12" wide rim. A 10" makes them round or hump in the center and wears the center out faster.

Now those had about a 4 inch flare over them. Back then, most made their flares and made them to fit, but if you are buying some, then you need an idea before you order.

I think the 3.75" backspacing is typical of most wheels. Corvette Rally wheels and the 1976-1981 Corvette aluminum wheels were around 4" backspacing, but I'm not positive.

And issue is the emergency brake cable bracket on the trailing arm. You may have to remove it and relocate it, as it can cut into the tire about an inch outside the rim lip diameter.

If you can borrow one or already have tires mounted, then put one on and measure how much flare you need. With stock suspension, they will fit without hitting anything but they will stick out past the fender, so you can get an idea.

Hopefully, someone will post pictures.

You can also do the Advance Search with "Flares" in a title search only as there was a thread on Flares a couple of years ago. That thread should give you some good pictures.

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Oop, reread your post. With 15x10 wheels, probably 265-60x15 is the most you really want to do. A lot will depend on what tires you can find, as the 15" diameter tires are much more limited in sizes today.

Youngvettehunter

What about a 17x10 rim will that fit on all 4 corners with flares or will it rub? Also what are the biggest tires that would work on that rim?

Glengoro

Will 255 60 15 fit on the back? I want a wider tire for the back
Thanks

JBL Specialty

You might be better off with 17 inch dia wheels. They have better selection of tires. The only 15 inch tire I could find that Tire Rack listed for 10 wide tire is a 295-50-15. That tire is almost 27 inches in dia. I put that on the front of my Jag XJS and its pretty big.

530planeman

Flares done in the 70's 265X60x15. Rear 246X60X15 front with 1.75 spacers

gbvette62

A 3.75 backspace wheel is perfect for a Corvette. 15x10's should fit on the back, even without flares. Without flares, there could be an issue on the front, because of what can happen when you combine tire travel with steering, especially with a taller tire. With flares, you shouldn't have any clearance issues on the front either.

The most common flares are the ZL-1 flares (also called the L-88 flare). These were first developed by Duntov in 68/69, for use on road racing Corvettes. SCCA rules at the time allowed the use of wheels that were 2" wider than stock, which meant that 68 up Corvettes could use 15x10 wheels, and needed the ZL-1 flares to cover them. The common race tires used at the time were 7.00x15 front and 8.00x15 rear. Both tires were about the same diameter (26.7 for the 7.00 and 26.8 for the 8.00), the big difference was the tread width. On a 10" rim, the 7.00 has a tread of slightly less than 9", while the 8.00's tread width is 10.3".

A P255/60R15 will maintain the stock diameter, as will a P275/50R15 (approximately 27"). Unfortunately, the choices of tires in these sizes are very limited. About the only 255/60 still available is the BFG TA Radial, and the only 275/50 I know of, are Hoosier's R7 autocross tire, which is not intended for street use. Kelsey Tire makes a reproduction of the late 70's Goodyear Eagle GT radial in P255/60R15, but at close to $400 each, they are not cheap tires to buy.

You can go to a tire that's shorter or taller than the OEM 27", but you'll have to remember to adjust your speedometer gearing, if you do.

P255/60R15 work well on the rear of any 68-82 Corvette. The 255/60 was optional on all 78-82 Corvettes, and standard on 78 Pace Cars and 82 Collector Editions.

When the factory installed 255/60's on 78-79 Corvettes, they trimmed the forward wheel lip, for some additional clearance. Most people are able to run the 255/60's on the front, without any clearance issues, but Chevrolet had to trim the lips, because they couldn't take the chance that an owner might experience a problem. The front fenders were redesigned for 1980, eliminating the need to trim the wheel lips.

The13Bats

Actually what ecklers etc sells as a "zl1" flare that some people call mud flap flares look almost nothing like what Gm etc called an l88 flare which cut in at the back no mud flap and different angle off the body....I am on phone so I don't have my pictures folder to point this out.

I plan to go old school 295 50 15 back and perhaps front too...3-4 inch backspace then adapter spacers if needed for just the right look

Youngvettehunter

I have actually decided that 17x10 or 17x11 is what i want just because there are more tire options. can i run those on all 4 or would i have to go down to 17x9.5 in the front? also i like the look of the no mud flap flare and i like the bolt on look too. should i run 2" rear flares and 1" front? or what other flare combos are there? lastly what size tires to go with the rims for clearance.

69Vett

17" will just clear the parking brake bracket.
here is 17x10 on a 69 with no fender modifications,
and no parking brake modification.

The13Bats

Actually you have super limited options in flare size of the L-88's,
Here is the car/build that inspires me, I LOVE this bolt on real race car look,



Pretty much what I am doing on my 69,
to state flare size I go from fender with no flare and standard is 2" front 4" rear but don't L-88 flares look about 6" in pictures, depends how you measure.

The best value on L-88 flares is the ebay cat selling them shipped for like 200.00 front or rear 400.00 a set, his are a copy of the old GM L-88 flare like on the black car above with the screw dimples,
But that Duntov site offers a couple different sizes costly and lousy pictures.

Please note that to do screw on flares and have them look that good takes almost as much work as glassing them in

The screw on idea will take fitting the flare to the car and grinding and adding to the flare to make the line nice and smooth, I have done that on several camaros and a nova back in the day with A&A flares ( anyone recall them? )

Youngvettehunter

Ok so 2" in front and 4" on back now what offset and wheel/tire size will fill that flare without rubbing?

Youngvettehunter

Why is bolting/riveting them in just as hard as glassine them?

The13Bats

Because the cars vary as do the flares and the fit isn't great out of the package, takes extra work to make that seam look nice and uniformed...some fit some cars better than others...

a striper

My experience has been to stop at eight inch width if the B.S. is 3.75". On my '72 I was able to combine 15x10 with a 295-50-15 with a stock body but the B.S. is over five inches. It is VERY tight.

Youngvettehunter

Are you running 15x10 on all 4 corners? Also how much were the tires?

a striper

245-60-15 on 15x8 up front. Even though the government tells us there is almost no inflation what I paid for tires is no longer relevant. Check places like Jegs, Summit and Tire Rack.

Here's a shot of a '68 I had years ago. 15x10,3.75 B.S., N-50-15 and GM style flares.

Youngvettehunter

ok guys last question will a 15x10 3.75 backspacing fit in the front with the 2" flares.

Metalhead140

I have 17"x9.5" wheels on all 4 corners, 5.05" backspace, under standard bodywork. A 15"x10" wheel with 3.75" backspace would stick out ~1.75" more than my wheels, so I imagine it should fit under a 2" flare.

The13Bats

I can't seem to recall his name on here nice cat building a flared c3 car has a c4 racer but he put I do believe 15 x 10s 4bs with 295 15 50 all 4s
No flares yet the pics are great for seeing how much they do hang out seems he said the front rubs something a little at full turn...but yeah several people run 10s on the front