Wheel - Tire Size suggestions?

[EluZioN]

Hello,

I recently acquired an 87 GN and would like to get different wheels/tires. I used to have an 87 GN with weld draglites, but I sold the car a few years back. I DO want to get draglites again, but I forgot what sizes I had and I recall the rear tires rubbed on the fender when the rear suspension was compressed significantly. I'm hoping to avoid that again.

Here's the facts, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Front tires (I have them, might as well use them), 236/60-r15.

Front Rims: The Weld guy suggested 15x7's with 3.5 backspacing for the front. Sound correct?

Rear Tires: I would like to have something in the 28-28.5" x 10-10.5" range, but I do not want the tires to rub if the back end goes down a little. Also, my car doesn't have fender trim pieces.

Rear Rims: The Weld guy suggested, 15x8's with 4.5 backspacing.

If anyone has suggestions before I buy this stuff it would be appreciated. The car will be 100% street driven, just want to fill out the rear wells a little.

Thanks,
Frank

 

[Dan K]

I have 15x7's in front and 15x8's in back. Both are 3.5" backspacing.
If you do a search you'll find a ton of info about this, as well as having some say the 3.5bs works better than the 4.5bs...and vice versa.
For rear tires are you looking for normal radials or some sort of drag tire?

 

[49-blues]

4.5" rear spacing doesnt work on all TRS-on a 8" rim i like 4" bs,3.5" puts the wheel out alittle too far for my tastes.

 

[I eat Z06]

I have 17X8 Torque Thrust II's and I wish I had 8.5 or 9 in the rear so that more boost could build from the line. I also have a hard compound tire so I dont know what life would be like with soft.

Nick

 

[mrstage1]

Z06, call American racing and ask for the custom shop. They can build you a Torque Thrust with any backspace you like. I run 17x9.5 all the way around. 255/45/17's on front and 285/40/17's on back. I use BFG drag radials in 275/40/17 at the track. if you want to buy two for the rear only, I'd go with a 4.75 backspace and you should be good to go with 275's. my fronts have this backspace and clear on both ends easy. I wanted to move my rears out a bit to make my GNX flares fill up more so my rear wheels are 4.25 backspace. I had to trim some of my wheelwell 1/4 to 3/8" to keep it off the tire sidewalls. If you use the 4.75 backspace you'll be fine without the trim job.(unless your body isn't mounted to the frame quite straight . It happens.