Wheels
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4th Gear
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Wheels
I know this has probably been answered a million times already ,but here goes; I have an 87' c4 convertible. I am wanting to put zr1 aftermarket wheels on it. Is my backspacing 38mm? i know it gets tricky in these years, but from what I've read, this is correct. I'm wanting the 17x9.5 wheels. Also, could I run the 17x11' on the back if I decided to? I thought I had read that I couldn't because it's a convertible but not sure. Thanks in advance as I don't want to order the wrong wheels. Thanks for helping the "newbie"!
Last edited by hollywood100; Oct 24, 2016 at 09:14 PM.
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You can use 17x9.5" wheels that have the 38mm offset with 275/40-17 tires on all 4 corners and not have any problems. The 275 tire has a diameter that is very close to that of the OEM 255 tire on the stock 16x9.5" wheel so the speedo and odometer readouts will not really change. Tread width for the 255/50-16 and the 275/40-17 tires will be nearly the same based on the tire brand.
Using a 17x11 wheel and a 315/35 tire will work but you need the 36mm offset for the wheel. You will have to check carefully for any possible interference on the inside of the wheel and the suspension components. You may also see part of the tire tread stick out beyond the wheelwell top lip.
Another thing to consider with the 17x11 rear tire setup is that if you should ever have a flat tire and install the underslung spare, the 315 tire will not fit in the spare tire carrier. It will have to inside the car!
IMHO, using all 4 tires and wheels in the same size is a better deal in that you can rotate the tires for longer tire life.
Using a 17x11 wheel and a 315/35 tire will work but you need the 36mm offset for the wheel. You will have to check carefully for any possible interference on the inside of the wheel and the suspension components. You may also see part of the tire tread stick out beyond the wheelwell top lip.
Another thing to consider with the 17x11 rear tire setup is that if you should ever have a flat tire and install the underslung spare, the 315 tire will not fit in the spare tire carrier. It will have to inside the car!
IMHO, using all 4 tires and wheels in the same size is a better deal in that you can rotate the tires for longer tire life.
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
You can use 17x9.5" wheels that have the 38mm offset with 275/40-17 tires on all 4 corners and not have any problems. The 275 tire has a diameter that is very close to that of the OEM 255 tire on the stock 16x9.5" wheel so the speedo and odometer readouts will not really change. Tread width for the 255/50-16 and the 275/40-17 tires will be nearly the same based on the tire brand.
Using a 17x11 wheel and a 315/35 tire will work but you need the 36mm offset for the wheel. You will have to check carefully for any possible interference on the inside of the wheel and the suspension components. You may also see part of the tire tread stick out beyond the wheelwell top lip.
Another thing to consider with the 17x11 rear tire setup is that if you should ever have a flat tire and install the underslung spare, the 315 tire will not fit in the spare tire carrier. It will have to inside the car!
IMHO, using all 4 tires and wheels in the same size is a better deal in that you can rotate the tires for longer tire life.
Using a 17x11 wheel and a 315/35 tire will work but you need the 36mm offset for the wheel. You will have to check carefully for any possible interference on the inside of the wheel and the suspension components. You may also see part of the tire tread stick out beyond the wheelwell top lip.
Another thing to consider with the 17x11 rear tire setup is that if you should ever have a flat tire and install the underslung spare, the 315 tire will not fit in the spare tire carrier. It will have to inside the car!
IMHO, using all 4 tires and wheels in the same size is a better deal in that you can rotate the tires for longer tire life.
