16" or 15" torq thrust II wheels on a 65?

[fredd65]

hi, still debating as to what size torq thrust II's to put on my 65 convertible, 16" or 15"...i tried a set of 15x8's on and they were too big....anyone have 16x7's on and if so, what size tires do you use?...also, does anyone have any pictures of either size wheel on a midyear?...thanks a bunch

 

[paul67]

These are 6 x 15".

 

[winnipeg69]

I would lean towards 17's . I just put a set on my 67 Chevelle and plan to run them occasionally on my 69 Vette. Ride is still super smooth and the cost of the tires have really dropped in the last couple of years. Just my 2 cents

Mike

 

[Mikey1]

If you want it really mean looking...you probably need to invest a little more....

That's 18".....really mean machine. But there are some other minor modifications underneath necessary to make those fit....Front wheels are 235/45-ZR18 and rear wheels 255/35-ZR18 if I remember correctly. No modifications to the body.

 

[Mikey1]

Here's one of the modifications to run 18"....

..offset trailing arms....a picture from the inside....

and another one that shows the clearance for the tire:

 

[Gerry]

You also need to consider the sway bars if a BB. I put big ones on my 67 along with offset TA and there is not a lot of room. I will be using 17 TT Ds with the biggest tire and wheel that will fit probably 8" rears with 255/40/17.

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[Mikey1]

You also need to consider the sway bars if a BB. I put big ones on my 67 along with offset TA and there is not a lot of room. I will be using 17 TT Ds with the biggest tire and wheel that will fit probably 8" rears with 255/40/17.

Best regards,
Gerry

Forgot to mention that the rearwheel rims on the car in that pic above are 10" wide.

 

[Gerry]

Forgot to mention that the rearwheel rims on the car in that pic above are 10" wide.

Did you have to cut anything to get the 10 inch rims on? I would love to use 10 but I don't think I have the clearance.

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[Mikey1]

There is as well as small indention on the frame necessary to clear the tire.

 

[BLACK MOON]

What mods are necessary to the front to run 8"- 17's?

 

[Gerry]

You may not need any mods. The best thing to do is have the front available area checked. When I had mine done they told me I could have 7" with 4" backspacing no mods but that 8 " would be very close and really would have to be custom made. I didn't do this at the time so they didn't take the time and effort to determine exact measurements. The custom TTs from American racing would take at least 6 weeks and could take as much as 12 weeks to get.

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[BLACK MOON]

Can 4-1/2" backspacing be used and run 17x7's or 18x7's? I've been told both yes and no. Please help clarify. I'm using standard trailing arms.

 

[Gerry]

Again, you should have it measured. However, I believe that if you use 7" rims there will be no problem with the 4 1/2 " backspace on the rears and 4 " on the fronts. It is when you go bigger like 8" - 10" that you run into clearance problems and need offset TAs and possibly frame (see Mikey1 post) and body mods. Also the camber and ride height that you use can be a help or hindrance to being able to fit larger rims. My alignment place did a wonderful job and basicly set the car up almost neutral which gives me a little extra space. Since your car is a small block and you have smaller sway bars if any at all you should be OK.

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[BLACK MOON]

Thanks Gerry. I want to use 4.5" backspacing all around since some wheels are limited to that. I'm not using the tt's.
Thanks again.
Sal