Do the A-molds, ZR1, and Grand Sport wheels all share the same two sizes or do these come in more size options?

Thank you

 

There are 8.5, 9.5, and 11 inch wheels.
The 8.5 and 9.5 have the same 56mm offset and available in clear and black.
There 2 different 11 inch wheels the ZR1 uses a clear with 36mm offset, because rear body is 3 inches wider than the standard C4.
The Grand Sports have 50mm offset and are black.

 

Thanks. I'm kicking around ideas for an LT4 currently wearing sawblades. Is it common to put 9.5's in all four corners on later C4's that do not have the sport suspension option? I like the idea of rotating tires but it isn't a deal breaker in any way.

 

The 9.5s will fit without issue. Staggering was 93-96 convertibles and base suspension.

 

Same sized tires, too? If so, what would replicate the factory size for the 9.5"?

Thanks again

 

I just replaced my stock (staggered) sawblades myself, and I can tell you there are a lot of solid threads out there over the past couple of months on wheel and tire size questions if you want to do a deep dive. But the short answer is that there are zero issues with having 9.5s on all corners. The factory tire size of 285/40/17 will definitely fit all around - I believe I've seen posts from people running 315s on all corners, so 285s are no problem. One thing to be aware of, though (if you aren't already), is that the selection is really limited in that tire size. If you step down to 275/40/17 you get a ton of choices at all different price points. It seems like a lot of people are doing that for reasons of budget, rotations, or to get all-seasons - or all three, in my case. I got a set of 9.5 replica A-molds from OE Wheel and put Riken Raptor 275s on them and I've been very happy in my first ~300 miles. There is a slight difference in road feel vs. the staggered set up but to me it's an improvement.

If you want to dig deeper into wheel & tire fitment, I have learned a lot from MatthewMiller's posts. He has a ton of expertise in this area.

 

There is also a 9" version. They came on Camaro SS cars for a couple years. They look identical to the Corvette versions. The Camaro SS used 275/40/17 tires all around.

I have set on my '96 as shown below.

 

Since we are going out on a limb with the Camaro SS, the 96 convertible version came with 16" 5 spokes.

 

Does going with 275/40/17 at all 4 corners cause any issues with the traction control, speedometer, or the computer?

 

no...

 

I'm running BF Goodrich All Season 275/40-17s on 9.5" OE wheels and have had no problems at all. Concur that there are a ton of different tire choices in this size. One possible minor downside, although it may be my imagination, I think that the turning radius has increased a bit due to less steering lock from the wider front wheel. As stated, I may be wrong, but it does seem that way. Regardless, the positives of ability to rotate tires and one size tire for all corners more than justify the purchase.

 

To add a bit of clarity here. the 93-96 base C4s came with "staggered" wheel sets: 17x8.5 in front with 255/45/17 tires, and 17x9.5 rear with 285/40/17 tires. This was essentially a "comfort" setup for cushier ride and less tramlining. The Z07 or Z51 performance suspension option came with 17x9.5 and 275/40/17 tires at all four corners. And if you go with 9.5s up front, that's the tire size I suggest you use. 285s are not going to handle better and there are few choices in that size. That won't change your turning radius. There are stops or limiters in the rack itself that determine the limits of steering angle. If you put tires on that are too wide, you'll get rubbing; but 9.5s with proper offset and 275-width tires won't have that problem at all.

Someone mentioned running 315s. You need at least 10.5" wheel (preferably 11") to use those. Don't try it on a 9.5.

 

Lots of really good information, so thanks everyone.

In the event I go with 9.5's at every corner, I will probably go with a 275/40/17. Both the Firestone Indy 500 and General G-Max RS have favorable reviews and I'd take a hard look at them both.

 

I think both of those are pretty good tires, from what I know. What is your use of the car going to be? Street driving only, or some amount of track/autocross? Will you drive in the rain, in temps below freezing, or in ice/snow? How important is performance (grip and response) compared to tire life, and how many miles do you plan to drive in a year?

 

It will be an occasional weekend toy with a few track days or auto-crosses a year and only during good weather months. I wouldn't imagine more than a few thousand miles a year.

 

I'll answer for Matt....Continental Extreme contact (one of the few that make the 285/40/17), another you mentioned Firestone Firehawks(I'll defer to the experts on auto-cross on that one). I'm not sure about the Generals, have not seen recommendation on the forum about them, but the other tires are better

 

Okay, so we can toss out all-weather tires altogether. You have options. It depends on exactly how aggressive and how many laps in a session you plan to make on track, and on how serious you plan to be with autocross competition. The best-performing wet/cool tire for the street in your size (275/40/17) is the Continental ExtremeContact Sport . It's incredible in the rain and in cool temps, and still great in hot/dry conditions. It shouldn't be used below freezing or ice/snow. It is very fast for autocross use, but roughly 1-sec off the best 200tw, competition-oriented tires (Bridgestone RE71R, BFG Rival S, Yokohama A052) in the dry. In the wet it's actually faster than the competition tires. On track, it will work great but may get hot and greasy due to its more street-oriented tread. If you are bit less hard-core on track, it will work great. If you're going 10/10ths for 20 laps at a time (like generating best-grip slip angles and setting personal best times), you might encounter some overheating, maybe even chunking. The competition tires will not chunk, but they can also overheat on track. If you want to win autocrosses, you need one of the competition tires.

Another interesting option is the Falken RT615+. Tire Rack is selling 2017s for $165ea right now. They are faster than the Continental in the dry but slower than the best competition tires. They will be worse in the rain. They probably wear fairly well in track use. I think the Michelin PS2 is a bit off the Continental's pace and it's more expensive. But it's at least very close on performance. I'm not 100% sure about its track performance, though. The General and Firestone you mentioned are not bad tires for street performance. They will be slower than the Continentals though, (wet or dry) and they are less track worthy. They might last a little longer before wearing out, but that's not a big concern for you. There's nothing wrong with them, but for your use I don't see any advantage to them over the Continentals.

 

Hah! You got me. However, that's the wrong size for him to consider. So there!

 

I know about the size(285) not making a difference, other than $30 more per tire vs 275s

How cool can it get before the continentals have a problem on the street? I was thinking all season tires for early spring/late fall drives. I would use them for spirited driving and cruises, no autocross and drag tracks are too far away from me

 

Well, the 285 size is a pinched fit on a 9.5" wheel and it's taller, so it actually is bad for performance and good for comfort. FWIW.

The concern is that under a certain temp, the compound gets stiff and can crack. Continental themselves told me 45F, but realistically you should be fine until freezing. I wouldn't drive on them colder than that if you can help it.

If you do expect to drive below freezing, then yes an all-season starts to make sense. In 275/40/17, I'd probably look at the BFG G-Force Comp 2 A/S and the General G-Max AS-05. I've seen good reviews of both. The BFG is a bit faster in terms of having more grip, and may last fewer miles, based on the UTQG treadware numbers plus the Tire Rack test results. If it were me, I'd go with it. The Riken Raptor is a hell of a bargain at only $101. It is pretty grippy in the dry, but with fairly slow steering response albeit a decent ride quality. It's not so awesome in the wet or snow. I used those on my C4 for winter driving and had no complaints - I just wanted something cheap and all-season. If you want the best performance from an all-season, then the BFG is probably your best best.