93 wheels on 85 Wheel Adaptors help
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
From: Europe
93 wheels on 85 Wheel Adaptors help
So I order 93 wheels for my 85 Corvette, I have been reading threads here and I know I need a wheel adapter to get the same or similar offset.
My question here is, for those who made a similar wheel change, which adapter did you buy? I have seen a kit in Ecklers but it doesnt even say the thickness. CorvetteMods and EZaccessory also sell them with 20mm thickness. All for similar prices.
I would love to hear some feedback
My question here is, for those who made a similar wheel change, which adapter did you buy? I have seen a kit in Ecklers but it doesnt even say the thickness. CorvetteMods and EZaccessory also sell them with 20mm thickness. All for similar prices.
I would love to hear some feedback
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,125
Likes: 2,001
From: St. Charles MO
On an 85 the 8.5" wheels had 32mm offset and the 9.5" wheels had 38mm offset. In 93, the 8.5 and 9.5 wheels both had 56mm offset. So if you want to exactly match 85 factory offsets, you need 24mm spacers for the front (1" would 25.4mm, which is close enough) and 18mm for the rear (3/4" would be close enough). You have plenty of room to with 1" for the 9.5" wheels if you want them to sit a bit further out toward the fender edges. You can choose from actual spacers (which require longer studs) or adapters. As for brands, I don't have good experience on that.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
On an 85 the 8.5" wheels had 32mm offset and the 9.5" wheels had 38mm offset. In 93, the 8.5 and 9.5 wheels both had 56mm offset. So if you want to exactly match 85 factory offsets, you need 24mm spacers for the front (1" would 25.4mm, which is close enough) and 18mm for the rear (3/4" would be close enough). You have plenty of room to with 1" for the 9.5" wheels if you want them to sit a bit further out toward the fender edges. You can choose from actual spacers (which require longer studs) or adapters. As for brands, I don't have good experience on that.
In practice I would go with the 1" adapters. I used 1 1/4" adapters on mine and it worked for the fronts with 8.5" wheels, but would be too much for the 9.5" wheels.
The other thing to watch out for is the stud extending out past the adapter and preventing the wheel from seating. That requires shorter studs (or cutting them off to shorten them) Some wheels have recesses where the longer studs have some clearance in the wheel (The factory wheels have some clearance but I do not know how much), while many aftermarket wheels have a flat solid mounting face so the stud length becomes an issue if the stud extends past the face of the adapter.
My '85 with the '93 wheels can be seen at this link. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1601741143
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
From: Europe
In practice I would go with the 1" adapters. I used 1 1/4" adapters on mine and it worked for the fronts with 8.5" wheels, but would be too much for the 9.5" wheels.
The other thing to watch out for is the stud extending out past the adapter and preventing the wheel from seating. That requires shorter studs (or cutting them off to shorten them) Some wheels have recesses where the longer studs have some clearance in the wheel (The factory wheels have some clearance but I do not know how much), while many aftermarket wheels have a flat solid mounting face so the stud length becomes an issue if the stud extends past the face of the adapter.
My '85 with the '93 wheels can be seen at this link. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1601741143
Last edited by X_Splinter; Jul 9, 2020 at 01:27 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
My set was 8.5" fronts and 9.5" rears. I used 1 1/4" adapters and did not need to modify studs. If you are using 9.5" fronts, I would think that the 1 1/4" adapters would set the wheel out too far.
I think the stock studs are about 1 1/4" long so you would have to look at the 1" adapters and the recesses in the wheel to confirm fit.
Good luck.
I think the stock studs are about 1 1/4" long so you would have to look at the 1" adapters and the recesses in the wheel to confirm fit.
Good luck.
