Tires and Wheels to Fill Out GNX Fender Flares

[SpeedRacerX]

Ok, first, yes, I've spent tons of time on this forum searching, reading, viewing pictures, etc of wheel and tire setups. A hundred hours over the last year or more I'm sure. But I'm not sure I really have a good answer or the information on what I'm trying to do next.

My MT ET Street DR setup on stock wheels is great so far for the track. Hit a 1.65 60-footer recently on my 4th pass ever so they seem fine at my power level.

Here's what I want to do next though for my every day cruising, car meet and street setup.

I want to fit the widest wheel and tire combo I can that doesn't rub (stock height/fresh springs/new shocks/HR bar), no frame notch AND fills out the GNX fender flares I just bought from another member. Putting tire height aside for a minute, I know on normal GN's, guys run 275s all day and some have done 285s and even 295 wide tires under the rear. Some run a 26x12-15 or 28x12-15 DR which is similar to a 305mm wide tire. But those don't account for the extra room the GNX fender flares give you. I'd like to stay with 15's for the muscle look but there are also a bunch of wide tires available in 18s also as an option. 16s and 17s seem limited for tires.

So, has someone out there or does someone know of how wide I can go and fill up the whole wheel well and GNX fender flares? Second question: is this a bad idea to attempt, meaning, a hard heavy bump might drive the tire up into the fender flare?

I can't be the first to think of doing this.

Thank you for the input.

 

[pacecarta]

275pros on GN repro 15x10 aluminum rims , rolled fenders , trimmed the GNx flares and they fit but rubbed frame a little on turns and such
did a frame notch now and lots of room
stiffen the rear sway bar (like with an HR rear bar) and better control arm bushings and that stops some of the body lean and rear side to side movement and allows you to get closer to frame and wheel lips

 

[SpeedRacerX]

325s on GN repro 15x10 aluminum rims , rolled fenders , trimmed the GNx flares and they fit but rubbed frame a little on turns and such
did a frame notch now and lots of room
stiffen the rear sway bar (like with an HR rear bar) and better control arm bushings and that stops some of the body lean and rear side to side movement and allows you to get closer to frame and wheel lips

Thanks Paul. This is awesome info. I can look up the offset (backspace) for GN repro's easily (were they G-body or the ones I always see on eBay?) and I assume if you had to design the perfect wheel, would you have moved the backspace in either direction? Would going 11" wide have mattered? Probably not, right?

 

[pacecarta]

i would have just run a thin spacer for the frame clearance before doing the notch , now with notch theres not much can be done about the repro rim backspace but something different for a rim could be ordered with about 1/2" more backspace

 

[SpeedRacerX]

i would have just run a thin spacer for the frame clearance before doing the notch , now with notch theres not much can be done about the repro rim backspace but something different for a rim could be ordered with about 1/2" more backspace

oh and the 325s arent shorties they're the 325/50 mickey thompson et street R, tread like the 275 pro, listed as equivalant to 28x13.5 28.3 tall

Yup, that's a big tire. Do you have a pic of this by chance? If not, no biggee.

 

[pacecarta]

heres a pic of the GN with X flares ,rolled lips ,notched. i dont have a shot from the rear but 275 pros are wide on a 10" rim

i have 325-50 M+H , 15x 10" ultra wheel drag thrust rims on my WH1 .. deeper frame notch, mini tubbed . rolled lips, no X flares and they tuck in nicely

 

[1952ray]

heres a pic of the GN with X flares ,rolled lips ,notched. i dont have a shot from the rear but 325 is wide

i have 325 M+H , 15x 10" rim on my WH1 .. deeper frame notch, mini tubbed . rolled lips, no X flares and they tuck in nicely

Very very nice

 

[SpeedRacerX]

heres a pic of the GN with X flares ,rolled lips ,notched. i dont have a shot from the rear but 325 is wide

i have 325 M+H , 15x 10" rim on my WH1 .. deeper frame notch, mini tubbed . rolled lips, no X flares and they tuck in nicely

Thanks again. This helps quite a bit.