I bought this tool called the Wheelmate last winter and finally got aorund to using it since I am about to order tires and wheels. It allows you to 'mock' up a wheel/tire and determine what backspace/offset you will need to use to get the fit and look you want.

It's adjustable for 14" to 20" diameter tires and 14" wide wheels.

 

So...what did you find out? How much meat can you stuff under there? :cheers:

 

Monty that tool looks pricy. I made one from a piece of angle iron with a few holes in it to go over 2 studs plus a piece of threaded rod. It is not nearly as nice but does the job and cost next to nothing.
I am dissappointed that we are not hearing more about your test rides. I for one would love to hear more.

 

I forgot about this thread...

It looks like I will be able to run a 315/35ZR18, 10.5" or 11.0" wide, 5.5" or 6.0" backset wheel, on the back with the tire only outside of the body line by about 1/4"-1/2" , judged with a bobline, and a 275/35ZR18 up front. I run offset trailing arms and shortened VP&P dual mount leaf spring in back. I might have to lose the factory style rear sway bar, but if performance decreases I will go with a stock car style splined lever arm sway bar.

Norval,

It would be an easy tool to make, but when I bought it, I didn't have the fabrication machinery in my garage I have now.

I've only put about 300 miles on the car with the TT setup, and right now the tranny is out of it. I'm basically finishing up that last 1%, and it goes for paint at the end of October. Just stuff that I rushed through just to get the engine dynoed or the car at least running, that I am going back and doing it the way I intended. I've only run it on the street with about 5# of boost and it is out of hand. I need to get more tire under it and do somehting about the rear end. Right now, I've go all of Tom's differentials forged, 30 spline yokes and spindles and stuff, but it still scares me to think what would happen if I really got on it and one of the ujoints broke. I need to fab or buy some halfshaft loops before I feel confident in beating on it. I had a ujoint break a couple fo years ago, when I was just running a 450hp/500ft lbs 383, and even at 5mph the damage was eye-opening.

 

Monty I run 305s and I had to go to a shorter spring if I wanted to use 7 inch spring bolts. I put my car away last weekend and have the rear end out. I am putting the 308's back in instead of the 4.11's I now have. I could never really use 1st or 2nd. 3rd was iffy. I am hoping that maybe the 308's will calm 2nd gear down a bit so I can start to get on it. I run 12# of boost and it is almost fully in by 1500rpm so the torque is too much for street tires. I ran slicks or MT ET streets for years but don't like the sway the wrinkle walls gave when cruising on the express ways. I also twisted the stock axles.
I ran loops on both ends of my half shafts for years but with the 6 link I had to take them off. Guess I should reconsider but I do not intend to go back to slicks.
I am not sorry I installed the 6 link and would recommend it to anyone.
Anyway good luck with the car. You will never be finished. I have been working on mine for 14 years now and continually try to improve it.
I think you are like me in that we enjoy working on them almost as much as driving them. I look forward to the winter where I can tear it apart and start improving.
Have a nice day Monty

 

Norval,

Is that a pic of the outer spindles you made? It looks pretty stout, any possibility of making more ;)!

 

Would you consider loaning/renting this tool out to other forum members?
All weekend I thought about asking forum members if they would consider chipping in and buying one of these tools for the forum's use, but you already have one. Wouldn't it be great if members started saving at least one of their used/worn tires in the larger sizes and widths to pass around to other forum members to try? It does cost to get rid of tires now and paying just the shipping charges to try a tire size shure beats the price of a new one that turns out not to suite you. Hell, I'd even store them and ship one, once I received a money order. I live in central Arkansas, pretty much the center of the U.S. Toss this around. Let me know what ya'll think.

 

CHeck this thread out:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=302269

did not follow it through to the end so have no idea where it stands.

 

I've had several guys IM asking if I would be willing to loan/rent it out. I don't have a problem with that. I also have all the rear wheel bearing tools and could add those to the mix, if they aren't alreayd part of the program. Obviously the only concern is getting the tools back, as many of them are relatively expensive. The Wheelmate is $300 for instance, and some of the wheel bearing tools are as much as $200.

 

Monty this is a shot of my homemade rear axles. They are 1 3/4 in diameter, made from 4340 steel heat treated to 47 RC. They are 83% larger then stock. I made the outer flanges removable so I didn't need to weld a flange on or start with a large piece of steel. I also used larger internal bearings and it took one lunch hour to machine both axles carriers for the larger races.
I don't do custom work anymore because I can't control the installation and don't want to be responsible for any accidents. I still do some work for the local speed shops but I install what I make.
I had my son spline the axles. He can cut any automotive spline up to RC50.
Next year I hope to have my own complete machine shop. An old friend is retiring and promises to sell me his shop. I will move all the equipment to my shop and be mainly self sufficent.
As for the tire back spacing tool a piece of angle iron with holes to fit over 2 studs and some 1/4 threaded rod with nuts can make a good gage for checking clearances for tires and rims.
With the angle iron over 2 wheel studs and a length of threaded rod equal to the rim width you want to try and the proper hole in the angle iron you can adjust it to the most convenient backshacing .
Another piece can be used for sectional width.

 

have you ever machined any titanium??? i have recently started up a new company TC&D, Inc. , and all i work with is titanium, nothing else,,,,,,,. Right now i am trying to focus in the market of drag car, bicycle, personal airplane, and boats,,,,,,someday medical field, and aero-space. I have one machinest that i send all of my machine work to, but would like to find someone that has a better understanding of the workings and stress factors of automobiles.....do you think you might be interested in doing some machine work (some small trial things at first)........just a thought here :)

waterloo huh, im originally from Sault St. Marie (visit twice a year to see family), then moved to Detroit but now live in the much, much, warmer North Carolina,,,,,,


[Modified by Titanium Rat, 7:54 PM 10/1/2002]

 

Thank you Titanium Rat for thinking of me but I am not interested in maching on the side. I shoe horses evenings and weekends for extra money, and it it very good money and I enjoy it. The only parts I machined from titanium are parts for my saddle to cut the weight down.
Thank you

 

Quote: 5.5" or 6.0" backset wheel - Are your saying the with offset trailing arms your wheel stud face is @ 1 inch outboard of the stock location? I'm going to make something to measure mine. I had it all apart just a couple of weeks ago as you know.

Centerline rims and I would guess most others measure the 11 inches from bead to tire bead. So a caliper on the outside edges would read more like something over 11.5 then add on the section width of the tire and you might have more than 1/2 inch bulge inboard.

I'll measure my clearance from tire sidewall to the frame tonight

 

I had 5 inch backspaced centerlines. The offset trailing arms only add clearance to the front for sectional clearance. Anyway with 5 inch backspacing and 12.5 section tires, 28 inches tall it would hit part of the frame where the trailing arm meets the frame. Also a part of the frame at the front of the tire also bulges out and the tire would rub.
I would think that 4.5 inch back spacing would be max with decent tires. If you go to really wide rims the sectional width is pulled to the outside and maybe larger offsets can be used but the tire then sticks past the fenderlip. With proper everything 305's can be fit under the wheel well without sticking out.

 

hey monty, could you check and see if there would be a problem with 18x10 with 295s in back and 18x8 with 275s up front? unless its a PIA. thanks.

 

Norval/Gkull,

You guys were right. I was reading the tool's measurement at the wrong location, plus you have to subtract 1/2" from the reading, due to the thickness of the mounting plate. It looks like 4 3/4" backspace is the maximum I can run with the tire that I want, a 315/35ZR18 in the back. Measureing with a bob weight and tape measure a 315 tire would stick out about 1/4", barely noticeable.

 

With my 4.5 BS I had a 28 X 10.5 inch tire brush the paint off of the highest point of the rear wheel well frame with a 340 lbs or so fiber mono spring. but it fit inside fine. That equivalent to @ a 275/60/15

Right now I can stick my fingers between the closest point which is the trailing arms and the sidewalls of my 315's

My next buy is 11 or 12 inch 18's for the rear :seeya