C7 General Discussion General C7 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Bigger wheels?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 26, 2020 | 11:56 PM
  #1  
spoolin03's Avatar
spoolin03
Thread Starter
Instructor
15 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 247
Likes: 63
From: CA
Default Bigger wheels?

Anybody went with wheels/tires that were different from factory? Currently I noticed that mine has 18's in the front and 19's in the back. I was thinking of going 19 in front and 20 in the back. Would this affect performance in a negative way? I put bigger wheels on my daily driver and right away I noticed that my acceleration took a hit.
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 12:17 AM
  #2  
919cw313's Avatar
919cw313
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 8,055
Likes: 2,694
From: New Mexico
2018 C6 of Year Finalist
Default

Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 06:18 AM
  #3  
Vetteman Jack's Avatar
Vetteman Jack
Administrator
Supporting Lifetime
Veteran: Navy
St. Jude 20 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Veteran: Reserves
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 367,725
Likes: 24,677
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Default

19/20 wheels are the stock sizes for the Z51 package on the C7. Just get the right width wheels and tires and enjoy.

Last edited by Vetteman Jack; Dec 27, 2020 at 06:19 AM.
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 08:21 AM
  #4  
Kevin A Jones's Avatar
Kevin A Jones
Race Director
Conversation Starter
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 13,599
Likes: 12,856
From: Virginia
Default

Originally Posted by spoolin03
Anybody went with wheels/tires that were different from factory? Currently I noticed that mine has 18's in the front and 19's in the back. I was thinking of going 19 in front and 20 in the back. Would this affect performance in a negative way? I put bigger wheels on my daily driver and right away I noticed that my acceleration took a hit.
Why?
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 09:38 PM
  #5  
spoolin03's Avatar
spoolin03
Thread Starter
Instructor
15 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 247
Likes: 63
From: CA
Default

Originally Posted by Kevin A Jones
Why?
Well mainly for looks. Looking to get feedback from people who decided to put bigger wheels on their cars and how it affected the car.
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 09:39 PM
  #6  
spoolin03's Avatar
spoolin03
Thread Starter
Instructor
15 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 247
Likes: 63
From: CA
Default

Also, I'm looking at my car and I can't help but notice how small the front wheels look and how much space there is between the wheel and the fender.
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 09:40 PM
  #7  
spoolin03's Avatar
spoolin03
Thread Starter
Instructor
15 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 247
Likes: 63
From: CA
Default

Originally Posted by Vetteman Jack
19/20 wheels are the stock sizes for the Z51 package on the C7. Just get the right width wheels and tires and enjoy.
This is the answer I was looking for. Thank you

How about 19 front and 19 back?
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2020 | 09:40 PM
  #8  
spoolin03's Avatar
spoolin03
Thread Starter
Instructor
15 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 247
Likes: 63
From: CA
Default

Originally Posted by 919cw313
What
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-4

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-5

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 10:11 AM
  #9  
ImpliedConsent's Avatar
ImpliedConsent
Burning Brakes
Veteran: Army
 
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,230
Likes: 467
From: Colorado
Default

Originally Posted by spoolin03
What
I think the reason for is that this question has been asked probably over 100 times since 2014. Do a forum search on C7s. Regardless, 19/19 will work just fine. I think most non-base models do the 19/20 setup from factory.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 10:35 AM
  #10  
JMII's Avatar
JMII
Safety Car
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 4,303
Likes: 2,055
From: Margate, FL
Default

I went down to 18/19 from my stock 19/20... this improved the ride quality and gained better (plus cheaper) rubber selection.

The wheel to fender gap will be the same with a larger setup because the overall tire diameter is maintained to keep the computers happy. So if you want to improve that gap then just lower the car on the stock bolts.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 11:05 AM
  #11  
JasonVette's Avatar
JasonVette
Drifting
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 1,859
Likes: 1,264
From: Houston
Default

I have a Z06 and going down to 19/19 for better tire selection. I wouldn't recommend going to 20 inch unless there is a set of rims you just have to have.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 12:23 PM
  #12  
roadbike56's Avatar
roadbike56
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 15,041
Likes: 1,613
From: Holly Springs NC
St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
Default

OP, in 2019, the base C7 came with 19"/20" wheels so the 19/20 Z51 wheels will fit perfectly on your car. Regarding performance, with factory size tires, the 18/19 tires have a larger sidewall compared to the 19/21 wheels. The net result is that the diameter, measured at the tire is nearly identical between the two sets of rims and factory tires. You'll probably find no difference in acceleration. Handling should improve with the tires on the 19/20 wheels as I believe they are slightly wider, but certainly have a smaller sidewall for less flex. However, your ride should become slightly stiffer if that matters.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 12:41 PM
  #13  
Maxpowers's Avatar
Maxpowers
Le Mans Master
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,884
Likes: 2,884
From: Toronto
Default

Originally Posted by spoolin03
This is the answer I was looking for. Thank you

How about 19 front and 19 back?
I run this setup with my Cray Spiders in cold weather. As long as you get the correct width and offsets it works great.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 12:51 PM
  #14  
Gearhead Jim's Avatar
Gearhead Jim
Team Owner
Supporting Member
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 24,987
Likes: 2,691
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Default

When the C7 was first coming out, Chevrolet announced that both the 18/19 and 19/20 combination use Michelins PSS runflats.
However, they also said that although all the tires used the same tread pattern and looked identical, the 18/19 tread compound and internal construction were tilted toward comfort and tire life, while the 19/20 tires were oriented only toward performance. Whether you would notice the difference, I can't say.
Other brands might be identical in the two sets of sizes.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 01:37 PM
  #15  
JMII's Avatar
JMII
Safety Car
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 4,303
Likes: 2,055
From: Margate, FL
Default

Originally Posted by roadbike56
Handling should improve with the tires on the 19/20 wheels as I believe they are slightly wider, but certainly have a smaller sidewall for less flex. However, your ride should become slightly stiffer if that matters.
Using the OEM sizes the tire width will be the same. As noted the lower profile sidewalls are stiffer which is why ride quality goes down a notch. Plus the bigger wheels are slightly heavier which is another minus. Any grip improvements made by reducing sidewall flex are way too small to be noticeable at street speeds.

In the end the bigger wheels are all about looks. Since the Z51 came with larger wheels many believed larger = better. Now on the GS & Z06s larger wheels were required to clear the massive brakes. Still you'll find the track guys seeking out the lighter 18/19 combo since unsprung weight is the enemy.
Reply
Old Dec 28, 2020 | 02:14 PM
  #16  
Avanti's Avatar
Avanti
Race Director
25 Year Member
Community Builder
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,918
Likes: 6,711
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Default

My suggestion is NOT to go with even shorter side-wall tires... unless you drive on giant pool tables.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Bigger wheels?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:49 AM.

story-0
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-2
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-6
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-7
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

Slideshow: 5 most and least popular Corvette model years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-08 13:25:01


VIEW MORE