Here's what I believe are the correct nicknames and year info for C4 Vette wheels.
If anything is incorrect or you have anything to add, please do. I want this to be 100% correct. (you know...for the nubes)

84-85= "Turbines"

86-87= "Turbines"

88 16" base wheel= "Razors" (my choice, since apparently, no name exists)

88-89 17"= "Salad Shooters" or "Quisenarts"

88 "35th Anniversary Edition"


90= "Salad Shooters" or "Quisenarts"


88-91 "Dymags" (Available on Callaway Edition)


91-92= "Sawblades" (painted)


93-96= "Sawblades" (machine-faced)

94-96= "ZR-1s" or "A-molds" or "5-Spoke"


96 only= black "GrandSports"

 

I think you'll find the ZR-1 went to these in 94. Prior to that same as the base wheels with ZR-1 11" width in the rear.

 

Actually, these are the base or standard 1988 wheels. The 17" wheel came with the Z51 and Z52 suspension options.

The ZR1- 5-spoke wheel was also available on the '96 Collector's Edition. "A-Mold" is the name of the company that supplied these types of wheels to GM.

 

http://www.joby.se/corvette/div/corvette_wheels/

 

AKA, boat anchors......(okay okay...just with me.....)

 

here we go

the Collector Edition also came with 5 spoke wheels.

Not all ZR1 came with 5 spoke wheels.

the ZR1 36mm off set sawblade


This thread is going

 

Interesting. The red 1990 ZR-1 shown is a 'vert, which was never sold. Also the red 1989 ZR-1 was pre-production with 11" wheels which were also not sold

 

Thanks for the link. Nice to see year by year on the cars.
Also interesting is this guy's math skills. The back-spacing conversion is listed the same in inches for 36 and 56mm???

Copied [1989 (pre production zr1)
front 17"x9.5" 56mm (7.4" backspacing)
Goodyear Gatorbacks, P275/40ZR-17
rear 17"x11" 36mm (7.4" backspacing)
Goodyear Gatorbacks, P315/35ZR-17]

 

Regarding your "copied" insert!

Perhaps it's maybe your lack of "math skills"! I'd say Joby's are "correct"! There's perhaps a mm or 2 difference in the back spacing of the wheels he's referred to using a generally accepted rim flange width of +1.

7.4" rounding to 10th's of an inch I'd say is the acceptable reference when comparing wheels when using mathematical formulas.

Joby's C4 wheel information is at a quick look pretty complete and quite informative.

 

 

What are the 56mm and 36mm referring to if it's not the back-spacing?

 

The dimension 56mm and 36mm are "offset" specifications and is the relationship of the wheel "mounting face" to the exact center of the wheel. It's a specification that is generally reserved for advertising (for the masses) but is a critical specification used for manufacturing and engineering. Offset usually is considered a specification that is difficult for the "guy on the street" to walk up to a wheel and measure!

Back-spacing is a simple dimension that requires a straight-edge a few inches longer than the diameter of the wheel and a tape measure. It's a dimension that can very easily determine if a wheel is a fit to the wheel-house, suspension components etc!

I'll leave it to you to "google" for the balance of the wheel dimension education! There are simple mathematical formulas for calculating offset from back-spacing and vice-versa but there are also a substantial number of erroneous formulas on the Internet so you'll need a wheel, a tape-measure, a straight-edge, pencil, paper and depending on your math skills maybe a calculator to become a wheel dimensioning expert.

Joby's dimensions are correct, you could measure a set of yours and use his guide to check your work/math.

 

I'll take a stab at it.

Offset is away from center. 9-1/2" wheel, center is 4-3/4".

Add 56mm (or 2-1/4") and you get 7".

Add the 1/2" rim lip, you have 7.5" backspace.

If you take that same offset (56mm) and run it on an 11" wheel, the 'backspace' is not the same as the 9-1/2" wheel.

center of 11" = 5-1/2"

add 56mm (2-1/4") = 7-3/4"

add 1/2" lip = 8.25"

 

 

Dan,

In a "round-about" way you've got it and if you deduct the 20mm (56 - 36) from your 8.25 result ( for the 11") you're pretty close and remember the 7.4 is a rounded #! You've certainly got at least the idea!!

Offset and back-spacing are both calculated using "total-wheel width" and the +1 I referred to in my first post is 1" + the advertised width. Actual offset is usually a few mm different than advertised just because of the different width rim flanges!

 

Thanks for the explanations, guys. I completely understand now.
I was thinking back-spacing and offset were the same thing.
My apologies to Joby.
See, you learn something every day.

(Buy the wa, mi math skils is gooder then mi Inglish skils is)

 

You may want to add Dymags. I believe they were standard with RPO B2K from '88-91 ('87 had stock wheels, though you could buy 16" Dymags from Callaway as an option).

 

Nice post. JoBy´s webpage about C4 wheels has been mentioned earlier in this post.

Here in Sweden Joby is regarded as "a man who knows what he is talking about..."

 

Does not change the names but 1984-1985 16" wheels had black centers, 1986 16 " wheels had bare aluminum centers, and 1987 16" wheels had gray centers.

Steve

 

Or "outboard disc brake" style..... I think I'll have mine drilled and slotted.