Hi guys, So I have been fishing around on this subject for a while with little concrete answers. How do I figure out wheel size for this car? I want to get rid of the 14" wheels and hub caps (hoping someone will be interested around here for those) I have been considering 15 x 8 corvette steel wheels. I figure tires are cheaper that way. Will I have any issues? I see 15 x 10's which I think are off trucks, are those options? This car will be driven so I don't want to spend piles of money on rims. I have been considering buying rims that are in less than stellar condition and polishing them or painting them. Assuming that the bolt pattern is correct, thoughts or advice on this? Thanks in advance!
This thread might be helpful for reference too. http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/the-wheel-and-tire-thread.335945/#post-2883857
That link was helpful! It looks like 9" wide is the widest they went. I did not see a mention of spacers there, do you know if they were used? I will probably end up with a 8" wide rim, from what I can see out there. I plan to go salvage yard diving soon to see what I come up with. Other than GM a-body cars are there any other makes that use a 5 x 4.75 lug pattern, that also had cool wheels?
One last question. Has anyone ever mounted rims with an offset like trucks have? How does that work out? Thanks!
These are the ones that are on the car now, along with 14" rims. I'm hoping someone out there will be interested.
I'm not sure I understand "an offset like trucks have"? My 15x10's have 5.5" of back spacing. I'm running 295/50/15's.
If you want to use wheels that will center the tire in the wheel well, you need the right back spacing for the wheel width you intend to run. Off set IS NOT the same.
OK, the rims I am considering are these: https://atlanta.craigslist.org/sat/wto/d/senoia-15-inch-small-chevy-and-ford/7031131262.html Some S 10 trucks I believe have the 5x4.75 lug nut pattern. They are ugly now, but I think I can work with them.
Just an update. I still don't exactly know the width of those rims, I am pretty sure they are 15x8. It turns out they are Eagle rims, and that Chevy logo was just glues on. Next is to figure out the tire size. Any input? What if they are 15x7? Thanks again, this was very helpful!
In my opinion you are not looking for advise on what you should use on you car,you are looking for somebody that OK's whatever you want to use.Bruno.
Your opinion is incorrect. I am asking what tire sizes fit so that I can make an informed decision. The same way I asked questions about the rims. You could try using information the same way, that is where uniqueness comes from.
The 70-72 Skylark wheel wells are very generous. I believe the biggest tire anyone has put on the stock rear is a P325/50R-15. That requires a 10" rim with 5 1/2-5 5/8" back spacing. The rim width alone doesn't allow us to answer your question without back spacing information. I have P255/60R-15 on the front of my GS on 15 X 7" rims with 4 3/8" back spacing. In the rear, I have P275/60R-15 tires on 15 X 8" wheels with 4 1/2" back spacing. So you see that you can put some wide tires on your Skylark, but you better be sure of the rim width AND back spacing. Otherwise, no one can guarantee that they will fit.
Thank you! I plan on taking the tires off soon so from there I can get the exact width. Back spacing, do I measure from the edge of the rim to the hub? You did answer my question generally , my concern is rubbing and from what it sounds like I do have a bit of play. I will post the dimensions when I can as accurately as I can. Thanks again.
Back spacing is measured from the back edge of the wheel to the mounting surface of the wheel. Be careful not to confuse that with offset. Offset is measured from the center of the wheel width to the mounting surface. In addition, offset can be negative or positive depending on which side of the wheel center the mounting surface is. Keep in mind stated wheel width is measured BETWEEN the bead surfaces, NOT the edges. As an example, a wheel that is a 15 X 7, is actually 8" wide when measured edge to edge.
Thank you! I have a NoMar machine for motorcycle tires, I am hoping I can break the bead on the crappy car tires that are on it and take one off myself. All of the information you provided is what I need. Thanks again for your help!
Hi guys, I took off the tire off those rims here is what I came up with. 15x8 Back Spacing=3"?? Here are the pics I took: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f2_zr1JmBEOMqPnILWlEqaLRJctZEt1F/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ewxq8N2SBUrKBNKzklMB8cJk8yh2oK9B/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1evTHBdhR6-nDhuB3tDIam-OcrcHcT9jY/view?usp=sharing Thanks again for your help as always it is appreciated!