I'm restoring my 86 vette Completely. I want to install 17' rims on the car. It came with stock 16 inch rims as you all know i'm sure. I just purchased a set of 92 vette rims for the car and they are 17.9-front and 17.9.5 for the back. Can I use these rims and tires without using spacers? Also i just added a new paint job to it. I'm changing the interior color to black from tan. At 71000 the car still drives like a dream. I'll send in some pics when I get the car completed.

Thanks,
Doodie :flag

 

Welcome Aboard, Doodie!!! :cheers: I have a '92 LT1, and it's my understanding that you will need spacers if you are going with later model wheels on your '86... If you look in some of the catalogs, you will find these spacers offered when updating the early C4's to later model wheels.... Good luck on your project, and most of all, enjoy your Vette.... :steering: :flag
And again, welcome to the 'Corvette Brethren' :party: :seeya

 

Welcome
You will need spacers.
Do a search on this forum, there's tons of info on wheels and spacers.
A lot of guys who have done it should chime in soon.

LATER

 

Yeah youll need spacer plates since the offset is different.

Id get the plate from Vettebrakes.com, high quality.

 

:thumbs:


Welcome to the :party:

 

I posted to your other thread about the wheels. Try to avoid duplicate threads, the mods frown on it. :_dupe:

Welcome. :cheers: :steering:

 

OK, here's the real trick.

Those stupid spacers will set you back about $225.00. Do you need tires?

The widest tire you can put on your '86 with 17" wheels and have it look right with the correct factory spacing is 275/45/17. I have an '87 with the spacing for an '89 on my car. With the wheels set in 22mm closer on each side (I think that's what the diff is) you can install 315/35/17's and it looks good. Email me for pics. I don't know what happeneed to my sig.

If you only use the standard 275's and no spacers, it will look different if you stare at it. They do set in a little and if you know what you're looking at, you can see it. But the 315's fill in the difference. There is something about spending that kind of money for 4 chucks of aluminum with holes in them that erks me. The $225 goes a long way toward better tires.

Some people will tell you that you aren't suppose to use that wide a tire on a 9" wheel but it looks and runs really nice. Just go a little more for the tires than I did. The Sumatomo's look cool but they're ROCKS! My 255/16 Comp T/A's rode better and had better grip. See the Tire Rack.

IMO, the best tire for our cars in that size is the BFG KD's or the Michlen Pilots. But that's top-o-the-line big bucks (for me). I'm going for the Kumho Autocross next time. I need the grip with 405 ft. lbs. torque below 2000 rpm.

Good Luck,

BIG JIM---email me if you want to see what they look like. bigjim@bigjimracing.com.

 

i had the sumitomos and they were a very good tire for the money. yours probably feel like rocks cuz you have too much tire on too little wheel, just like those people told you. :D :D

so, doodie, what width are the wheels that you have? as you can see, you don't absolutely have to have the spacers to make them fit. you can probably go with a wider tire (without going 315 wide), and then test fit and see how you like the look without the spacer.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!!! hope to see pics of your car soon with those new wheels on there.

edited my post cuz i can't read good...


[Modified by SonnyinVA, 9:12 AM 4/27/2003]