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I just picked up my second '96 collectors edition on Friday, an LT-4 six speed car. My other one is an LT-1 automatic. When I put new tires on the LT-1 car it had 8.5 inch wide wheels on the front and 9.5 inch wide wheels on the back. The LT-4 car has 9.5 inch wide wheels all the way around (factory GM collectors edition wheels, not aftermarket wheels). The LT-4 car came with the original window sticker saying it came with 255/45/17 tires on the front and 285/40/17 tires on the back. Those are the tires for the 8.5 and 9.5 inch wide wheels so I'm assuming that someone swapped out the 8.5 inch front wheels of 9.5 inch wheels sometime in the past. Or did the LT-4 cars come with 9.5 inch wide wheels all the way around from the factory? I don't know, if someone with an LT-4 car knows what they came with from the factory please let me know. If someone did put the 9.5 inch wheels on the front will it cause any issues having 9.5 inch wheels on both the back and the front? The tires on the LT-4 car are shot (it has the 285/40/17's all the way around) but before I buy new tires I want to be sure that having the 9.5 inch wheels on the front with 285/40/17's wont cause any handling or steering issues before I buy them. I don't think it will but I'd rather ask the people on here that would know for sure. Any help is appreciated.
I just picked up my second '96 collectors edition on Friday, an LT-4 six speed car. My other one is an LT-1 automatic. When I put new tires on the LT-1 car it had 8.5 inch wide wheels on the front and 9.5 inch wide wheels on the back. The LT-4 car has 9.5 inch wide wheels all the way around (factory GM collectors edition wheels, not aftermarket wheels). The LT-4 car came with the original window sticker saying it came with 255/45/17 tires on the front and 285/40/17 tires on the back. Those are the tires for the 8.5 and 9.5 inch wide wheels so I'm assuming that someone swapped out the 8.5 inch front wheels of 9.5 inch wheels sometime in the past. Or did the LT-4 cars come with 9.5 inch wide wheels all the way around from the factory? I don't know, if someone with an LT-4 car knows what they came with from the factory please let me know. If someone did put the 9.5 inch wheels on the front will it cause any issues having 9.5 inch wheels on both the back and the front? The tires on the LT-4 car are shot (it has the 285/40/17's all the way around) but before I buy new tires I want to be sure that having the 9.5 inch wheels on the front with 285/40/17's wont cause any handling or steering issues before I buy them. I don't think it will but I'd rather ask the people on here that would know for sure. Any help is appreciated.
If the "Certification Label' and the 'Tire Placard' on the driver door matches then you can consider that as 'as built' and your assumption of replaced is correct.
What might be interesting is to determine that the wheels are GM/OE originals. If original GM/OE wheels in the 2d window of the wheel clock-wise from the valve stem would be a raised 'JWL' cast into them. If the 'JWL' is missing then the wheels aren't original GM/OE.
Many run 285's X 4 - that isn't unusual.
The SPID label in the storage compartment could be used to 'validate' the build.
If the "Certification Label' and the 'Tire Placard' on the driver door matches then you can consider that as 'as built' and your assumption of replaced is correct.
What might be interesting is to determine that the wheels are GM/OE originals. If original GM/OE wheels in the 2d window of the wheel clock-wise from the valve stem would be a raised 'JWL' cast into them. If the 'JWL' is missing then the wheels aren't original GM/OE.
Many run 285's X 4 - that isn't unusual.
The SPID label in the storage compartment could be used to 'validate' the build.
I should have looked in the big folder of stuff that came with the car, along with the window sticker was a copy of the build sheet. It definitely came with 8.5 inch wheels in the front and 9.5's in the back so that means that someone swapped out the front wheels sometime in the past. Here's the build sheet and window sticker:
A few weeks ago, I bought a 96 CE LT4 and the rear tires are 275 on backs, which I thought are the correct size in the rear.
The Greek, how many miles are on your CE LT4? And how much did you pay for it?
Check the certification label on the 'drivers door' it would have the correct information. If a '96 had 275's on the rear 'originally' ALL 4 would have been 275 and the car would have had the Z51 option.
SPID would show XAU and YAU SPID for 255/285 I believe XAA and YAA
Although your car came with 8.5" front wheels, there is no reason not to run 9.5" wheels. The reason GM went with the narrower fronts for base models was to reduce tramlining. As noted, the Z51 handling package went with the wider fronts. A previous owner must have replicated the 285/40/17 tires that came stock on the rear of that car. These are 1/2" taller than the 275/40/17s that came on the Z51. You could go with that size and have way, way more options to choose from for new tires. IMO the shorter looks a little better, too.
BTW, one thing that immediately catches the eye in your under-hood pics is that someone converted this car to individual coils. This is essentially a way to reduce the reliance on the the Optispark distributor. This may or may not be a desirable thing, depending on several factors.
BTW, one thing that immediately catches the eye in your under-hood pics is that someone converted this car to individual coils. This is essentially a way to reduce the reliance on the the Optispark distributor. This may or may not be a desirable thing, depending on several factors.
I saw that also. Because it is one coil pack, it should be a Delteq unit that was used.
Dam! $5200, that's a steal! What state are you from? I'm in IL and I've never seen a high mileage LT4 go for $5k. Usually i see them for about 7 to 8k. Looks great with the black interior. Are there any issues or problems? I payed $10,500 for mine, it has 69k miles and it has the grey interior, which is ok. Id rather have black. Id like to ditch the opti spark and convert to a coil pack. Is there a write up on doing this set up?
Last edited by turbobuick33; 06-12-2018 at 11:50 AM.
Dam! $5200, that's a steal! What state are you from? I'm in IL and I've never seen a high mileage LT4 go for $5k. Usually i see them for about 7 to 8k. Looks great with the black interior. Are there any issues or problems? I payed $10,500 for mine, it has 69k miles and it has the grey interior, which is ok. Id rather have black. Id like to ditch the opti spark and convert to a coil pack. Is there a write up on doing this set up?
I live in Arizona. High mileage cars are common out here because the distances between towns and such are long, most of the miles on cars out here are highway miles. Hell for its age the mileage on it isn't bad, if you do the math it comes out to being driven only 4800 miles a year. Anyway, the only real "issue" with the car are the tires, they're shot. I have a new set of tires on the way right now, they'll be here by the end of the week. The only other things wrong with it is the rear roof weatherstrip (I have a new one on the way), the weatherstrips on the sides of the targa top (I have new ones on the way), and the drivers side armrest/storage bin lid on the door panel is broke (I'm currently looking for a good used one because new ones are stupidly high priced). All the power options and stuff on the car work, nothing needs to be fixed as far as that goes. By the way, some other mods were done to the car by the previous owner besides the Delteq ignition system, it also has an MSD optispark unit to go along with the Delteq system, a Vette Brakes and Products C5 front brake upgrade kit, a Ron Davis aluminum radiator w/aluminum side tanks, a Carolina Clutch stage 2 performance clutch kit, and a Fidanza Engineering Aluminum flywheel. I definitely think I got my money's worth with this car...
06-10-2018, 07:13 PM
'96 wheel and tire question
