C3 wheel sizes and brakes

[Voodoo81]

At the step of picking out some wheels for this '81. Would like fatter tires on the back - like 295's.

I really like the look of 15 inch wheels with high tires - I think it really does preserve that old muscle car look. was hoping to do 295/50/15's. But then I started looking at brake upgrades. The only place I really looked was at stoptech. It sounds like the smallest wheels you can have that are compatible with their big brake kits are 17's.

So does sticking with 15's mean I can't really upgrade my brake system (I know I can always change rotors and pads, but my concern were these leaky calipers (mind don't ... yet)).

Are there 295's in 17 that will fit? And does 17 inch wheels REALLY affect handling that much, or is it more for style?

Thanks a bunch.

John

 

[C3RVETTE]

I've switched to 17's.I think they look good,but one thing you'll notice right away is handling.With a lower profile tire,there is less sidewall flex and roll,which improves cornering. I went even further with lowering 1.5 inches after I switched over to composite springs

 

[C3RVETTE]

So....what didya decide to do? :confused

 

[Voodoo81]

I think I'm gonna go with the 17's. Haven't had the car for a week - it's been getting a new front suspension.

When I first bought the car, I was trying to decide on buying a lotus elise or buying my dream car. I decided that if I just bought a car with everything done on it, I wouldn't appreciate it, and I STILL wouldn't understand how a carburetor works. :L

But I've seen so many stories about people working on their cars getting squashed and I know that I have a tendency to screw things up, so my rule was no working under the car.

Got a front suspension refurb kit and a 1.25" sway bar from Duntov Motor company and refurbed lower control arms from some company in Pennsylvania that advertised in a bunch of magazines. Can't wait to drive it - when I got going too fast (>40 mph) before and hit a small imperfection in the road the car would go crazy and try and veer right.

So today I have the day off. I'm gonna go to some wheel shops and figure out which will fit. Really would like 17x10's in the back with wider tires, but not sure if that's even a possibility. I also got the name of a couple machine shops in Tucson that people I know have had good experiences with, and will check in on rebuilding vs crate motor.

Thanks for your advice. This is coming along nicely.

John

 

[Evolution1980]

So today I have the day off. I'm gonna go to some wheel shops and figure out which will fit.

I can almost guarantee you aren't going to find any rims on the shelf in the local places that will correctly fit the car. Our hubs have a backspacing that's not very common, thus very few aftermarket rims will fit correctly. Be sure to ask people that actually have aftermarket rims on their vette. Do NOT take the word of the salesman. Once you buy & mount the rims, they typically won't allow them to be returned, regardless if you were told they'd fit.

Regarding your brakes...(and knowing what I just said in my PM to you)...big brakes can definitely be an upgrade. However, simply getting a set of newer O-ring calipers from a place like VB&P along with the brake pads designed for your driving style, you won't notice a HUGE difference, unless you get a really high-end braking system. For general to occasional street racing, proper pads will make a noticeable difference. And it's more than just a few bucks cheaper than an all new brake system. DISCLAIMER: if your brake system does need repair, then by all means, get it done and get it done correctly! Again, I recommend VB&P, who just happens to be one of our Industry Partners. I have their entire brake kit on my car. Never had a problem with it!

 

[C3RVETTE]

I have lowered my vette 1.5 in. using VB&P's dual-mount composite springs front & rear. AND I have 17 x 8" ARE Torquethrust 2's on all 4 corners,with 4.5" backspacing.Tires are 245/45/17" Kumhos. I have never had ANY clearance issues. You may get 17 x 10 on the back,but I think 17's only come in 17 x 9.5" from American Racing.If youre doing that,I would recommend what I will be doing...installing a set of Offset Trailing Arms.They will solve clearance issues when they allow 2.5" more rear wheel clearance,while providing the proper geometry/alignment. In some cases with larger wheel/tire setups on a C3 Corvette,I'm told you may have to move the parking brake mounting spot over some. I also plan on going with larger brakes,but what I have now are Vette Brakes & Products stainless steel 'O'-ringed calipers (no leaking) and put Hawk HPS pads in them. Was a 100% improvement over stock!

 

[KANE]

At the step of picking out some wheels for this '81. Would like fatter tires on the back - like 295's....Are there 295's in 17 that will fit? And does 17 inch wheels REALLY affect handling that much, or is it more for style?

Thanks a bunch.

John

'Dre and I traded emails about wheels last summer. I'm running a wheel and tire combo that isn't TTII with 245 widths.

I've outfitted two C3 with after market wheels. It can be difficult finding a set of wheels that will fit the backspace and offset that C3s require.

Here are some things I found out...

• ARE Baja-16"/17", 4.5 B/S and 8" width: The mounting pad for the wheel will contact the calipers. I tried fitting these on my first C3 because they have a pattern that emulates stock alloys but with circular openings (as opposed to squares).

• 4" B/S gives a very aggressive stance as the wheels will sick out from under the fenders by a 1/2 inch

• 4.5" B/S is the MAX for a car without offset trailing arms.

• If you go with offset trailing arms and wider rears- you'll lose the ability to rotate tires.

• To maintain the overall height (and width) of OEM factory 255/60/15s, you'll need 45 series for 18s, 50 series for 17s, 55 series for 16s, and 60 series for 15s. I'd stay with a 255 width tire. You can go lower on the height and width- but the wheels won't fill the wheel wells like OEM if you do.

STOCK:
255/60/15

Aftermarket combos that meet overall stock dimensions:
255/55/16
255/50/17
255/45/18
255/40/19
255/35/20

Hope that helps.

FWIW... I'm running 255/50/17s with 4.5 B/S

 

[Evolution1980]

...

Great info, John! I'm sure your post will be referenced in the future.

 

[401KVet]

The side exhaust on your 80 L82 look great. I just bought mine this past October. My 1st Vette.
Everything is original and stock including the exhaust. I would like to maybe go with some sides like yours. If you don't mind me asking, about how much money would I be looking at and where would be the best place to purchase them.
Also, I really don't understand all of the tires sizes, but I would like to go with a wider tire on the rear. I have original size on now, 15" rims. Would would you recommend.? Thank You for any help.

 

[C3RVETTE]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaineShark
I could build a nuke in my basement. They are actually very simple devices. And we have uranium in NH. I could mine it and refine it and build one. The science is simple. The engineering not overly complex.

So...has your door been kicked in yet,by the ATF,FBI.or Homeland Security? :confused :bash

 

[401KVet]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sent this once, but I don't think it went thru, so here it is again.

The side exhaust on your 80 L82 look great. I just bought mine this past October. My 1st Vette.
Everything is original and stock including the exhaust. I would like to maybe go with some sides like yours. If you don't mind me asking, about how much money would I be looking at and where would be the best place to purchase them.
Also, I really don't understand all of the tires sizes, but I would like to go with a wider tire on the rear. I have original size on now, 15" rims. Would would you recommend.? Thank You for any help.

 

[KANE]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sent this once, but I don't think it went thru, so here it is again.

The side exhaust on your 80 L82 look great. I just bought mine this past October. My 1st Vette.
Everything is original and stock including the exhaust. I would like to maybe go with some sides like yours. If you don't mind me asking, about how much money would I be looking at and where would be the best place to purchase them.
Also, I really don't understand all of the tires sizes, but I would like to go with a wider tire on the rear. I have original size on now, 15" rims. Would would you recommend.? Thank You for any help.

I paid around $300 for the covers (Mid America) and about $400 for the pipes (Ebay believe it or not!).

I went with 255/50/17s all the way around so I could rotate the tires. Going wider in the back on a 15" may mean you lose the ability to rotate... or if you go wider on all four... you could rub the tie rods on the front.

 

[C3RVETTE]

I just got a barely used set og Hooker sidepipes off Ebay for around $400 with shipping.Then I spent another $500 having them ceramic coated.

 

[401KVet]

Thank You,

 

[401KVet]

15 to 17" rims:

'Dre and I traded emails about wheels last summer. I'm running a wheel and tire combo that isn't TTII with 245 widths.

I've outfitted two C3 with after market wheels. It can be difficult finding a set of wheels that will fit the backspace and offset that C3s require.

Here are some things I found out...

• ARE Baja-16"/17", 4.5 B/S and 8" width: The mounting pad for the wheel will contact the calipers. I tried fitting these on my first C3 because they have a pattern that emulates stock alloys but with circular openings (as opposed to squares).

• 4" B/S gives a very aggressive stance as the wheels will sick out from under the fenders by a 1/2 inch

• 4.5" B/S is the MAX for a car without offset trailing arms.

• If you go with offset trailing arms and wider rears- you'll lose the ability to rotate tires.

• To maintain the overall height (and width) of OEM factory 255/60/15s, you'll need 45 series for 18s, 50 series for 17s, 55 series for 16s, and 60 series for 15s. I'd stay with a 255 width tire. You can go lower on the height and width- but the wheels won't fill the wheel wells like OEM if you do.

STOCK:
255/60/15

Aftermarket combos that meet overall stock dimensions:
255/55/16
255/50/17
255/45/18
255/40/19
255/35/20

Hope that helps.

FWIW... I'm running 255/50/17s with 4.5 B/S

Would you know of a company that would make the stock rims in a 16 or 17" rims?