Offsets on 18" wheels
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 379
Likes: 0
From: greenville al
Offsets on 18" wheels
I have a 1980, and I'd like to place Foose 18 x 10 wheels on the rear. The front will get 17x8. My question is does anyone know how much negative offset I can use in the rear. I would like to avoid the zero offset on the rim, and would like to have 4 inches on the outside of the rim, and six inches on the inside. I believe this would put the front and rear tires tracking the same on the outside. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
I am running 17X8 with a 4 inch offset in the front. 18X10 with a 5.5 offset in the rear. I have the stock trailing arms with the Ebrake cable relocated. I have no rubbing issues and everything tucks inside the wheel wells. 255 45 17s front and 275 40 18s rear.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 769
Likes: 0
From: NorCal 71 Lt-1
i too am running the 18x10's in the rear with 5.5" bs. i recently replaced the stock ta's with offset ta's... both will work but with stock arms, you have a tire size limit if you want to keep it tucked fairly in the wells and not contact the arms. with 6" bs the tire may contact the frame. i can only stick my finger in between the front of the tire and frame to give you an idea. in most cases, you will loose the rear swaybar and also need a shorter / custom rear spring.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 379
Likes: 0
From: greenville al
The 5.5 offset you refer to is a 5.5 backspacing. Is that correct? I just need to try and get fairly large tires in the rear since the motor I am placing in the car is around 475 hp. Thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 769
Likes: 0
From: NorCal 71 Lt-1
Originally Posted by attyman1968
The 5.5 offset you refer to is a 5.5 backspacing. Is that correct? I just need to try and get fairly large tires in the rear since the motor I am placing in the car is around 475 hp. Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Can't you go to a speed shop or a tire shop where you are thinking about purchasing the wheels, jack the car up, and test fit a rim with different offset?? You are spending alot of money so get it right.
I am lucky in the fact that the speed shop lets me take anything home. I did use a 10 x 18 wheel with 5 inch backspacing as one of the measuring wheels.
I ended up ordering custom 10 x 18 with 6.5 inches of backspacing but again my car is highly modified to accept this backspacing.
I am lucky in the fact that the speed shop lets me take anything home. I did use a 10 x 18 wheel with 5 inch backspacing as one of the measuring wheels.
I ended up ordering custom 10 x 18 with 6.5 inches of backspacing but again my car is highly modified to accept this backspacing.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 424
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by Gordonm
I am running 17X8 with a 4 inch offset in the front. 18X10 with a 5.5 offset in the rear. I have the stock trailing arms with the Ebrake cable relocated. I have no rubbing issues and everything tucks inside the wheel wells. 255 45 17s front and 275 40 18s rear.
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
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Originally Posted by jimmygmartin
Gordom, are you running a sway bar ?? And do your tires stay inside of the wheel wells ?? Are those TT2's ??
No rear sway bar. A 420 lb rear spring that has been shortened 1 inch both sides. The tires are inside the wheel wells. Yes they are TTIIs. You have to custom order 18X10 with a 5.5 backspace.
