Widest rear tire for C3?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Widest rear tire for C3?
At the risk of getting flamed for asking a question that has probably been asked 1m times before....what IS the widest rear tire that will fit in a C3 wheelwell, without mods and without rubbing? And, what rim did you use (width, backspacing, etc.)?
Edit: Doesn't have to be a 15" rim.
Edit: Doesn't have to be a 15" rim.
Last edited by kcmk; Feb 7, 2005 at 11:23 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
325/50R15 should fit with offset trailing arms, 15 x 10 rims with 5 inch backspacing and a shortened spring.. I'm going to run ET Street 28 x 13.5 - 15's which are about the size of the 325/50's..
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Without mods, with stock wheels a 275 60 or 50 might fit. Any bigger and you have to move the ebrake. Now different size wheels might give you a slighlty different offset/backspacing and move the tire out so you don't need to move the ebrake but now the tire will sit outside the wheel well a little. With some work ( offset trailing arms etc ) you might be able to get 295's to fit inside wheel well 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 28
From: Spring, Texas
My first Vette was a 76 coupe with BFG Radial T/A size 295/50/15 on stock rallye wheels (15 X 8). I experienced an extremely light degree of rub from the p-brake bracket on the trailing arm that was easily resolved.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 602
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta GA
Originally Posted by Ken Lally
No offset trailing arms needed - but need to tie up the parking brake cable..
And gives the car a hot-rod look. VERY COOL.
KL
And gives the car a hot-rod look. VERY COOL.
KL
and that sentence i just wrote was very grammatically incorrect.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
275-60-15 and a 1" spacer/adapter, photo below.
You'll have to relocate the brake cable bracket if you don't want the spacer. without the spacer it's a very tight fit, almost rubs on the trailing arm.
You'll have to relocate the brake cable bracket if you don't want the spacer. without the spacer it's a very tight fit, almost rubs on the trailing arm.
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Miami FL
wide tires
Hi:
I have different opinions regarding wide tires on stock trailing arms.
I have relocated the parking brake cable, and the american racing 275/40/17 reccomend offset triling arms. thos wheels are 5 1/4 off set and the stock traing arms have 5 3/4
Do you install 295 with no modifications?
Thanks
alex
I have different opinions regarding wide tires on stock trailing arms.
I have relocated the parking brake cable, and the american racing 275/40/17 reccomend offset triling arms. thos wheels are 5 1/4 off set and the stock traing arms have 5 3/4
Do you install 295 with no modifications?
Thanks
alex
Racer
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 269
Likes: 52
From: Springfield, TN
275/40R18 on an 18x9 1/2" wheel with 0 offset.
I've run this size with two different types of offset arms and with two different wheel/tire combos without any issues, and I did a fair amount of autocross last year too.
The only problem that I had was when I broke my rear spring and the suspension was allowed to collapse all the way down on the shock. When it did that, there was a slight amount of rubbing up inside the wheel well, but not enough to damage anything.
BTW - I run 275 on the front too and it fits fine, unless the steering stop on the a-arm is worn down. If it's worn down too much, it will let the tire turn far enough that it rubs.
-Chris
I've run this size with two different types of offset arms and with two different wheel/tire combos without any issues, and I did a fair amount of autocross last year too.
The only problem that I had was when I broke my rear spring and the suspension was allowed to collapse all the way down on the shock. When it did that, there was a slight amount of rubbing up inside the wheel well, but not enough to damage anything.
BTW - I run 275 on the front too and it fits fine, unless the steering stop on the a-arm is worn down. If it's worn down too much, it will let the tire turn far enough that it rubs.
-Chris
