IDK

[Atilla the Fun]

Well guys, it snowed yesterday, and it's snowing even now. So I'm sitting in front of my computer, bored. I went e-looking for 17x11s for the rear of my TransAm, and found new ZR1 replicas for $125 each. Correct bolt pattern, correct offset. Liking that, I decided to look for Viper 17x13s. I'm a reasonable guy, I'm willing to have the axles and rotors re-drilled to match, for the sake of 2 more inches. But all I found was 1 used pair, for $1550!!!!!!!!!!!!
On http://www.tirerack.com, I discovered some weeks ago that Pirelli makes a 355-width tire. That thing really belongs on a 13.5"-wide wheel (19" dia.) so after 45 minutes of e-looking, I can't find any 19s that are 13-14" wide, at ANY price! How F'ed up is that?
Many years ago I proposed that what the world needed was cheap steel 17x9s, painted black. Cragar took me up on it, and they've had adequate success with it.
I now say we need cheap steel 17x12s. They're wide enough to safely run a 335 tire, but narrow enough to safely run a 315 tire.
Speaking of which, years ago Sumitomo bought the old Potenza RE-71 molds from Bridgestone. And Sumitomo is still offering these excellent tires in the 315/45R17 size for only $115!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. In their day, they put the Goodyear "Gator backs" to shame in the wet. And with a tread wear rating of 160, they're nice and sticky.
The matching 275/40s for the front come in at $94 each. These would also do well on the rear of a wide-body Fiero. They have 205/50s for the front. And those have 7.8" of tread width, so they belong on an 8.0" rim.
I never did try the Hankooks, nor the Drag-brand wheels.
So, with 17x11s for the rear, the T/A would take 275/40s on 17x9.5" up front, but only with a +19mm offset. The problem is that that's not a choice. The choices are +38 mm and +56 mm. But in Utah, spacers are illegal.
Do you see what's coming next?
I'm thinking of having the spacers fully perimeter welded to the wheels, on a CNC welding set-up. Then having the welds turned down flat on a lathe. Lastly, using extra-long racing studs to hold them on.
At what point do we trade looks for performance?
When do we choose wheels and tires that are tall to fill the wheel wells, or choose shorter stuff for lower center of gravity, lower unspring weight, better braking, and so on?
The T/A would look better on a set of 275/40s on 18x10" American Rebels. But it'd perform best on a set of 245/40s on 17x9.5s That's 26.7" versus 24.7",overall diameters. Definitely enough to easily notice.

[Atilla the Fun]

I do know.
I'm building the Fiero for ultimate cornering, whatever it takes, and I really never have pushed my F-cars all that hard. Short wide 17s would perform best, but this '84 Trans Am is a grand tourer. And 275/40R18s just don't inspire me the way 295/50R15 BFG Radial T/As do. It used to be the opposite, but I guess I just like going opposite of what's currently most popular and common.
I can't fit 295/50s up front and Radial T/As don't belong on strut suspensions, so I guess I'll just use Mastercraft Avengers. 245/60 front on 15x8, 295/50 rear on 15x10.
One down, 6 to go.

[The Dark Side of Will]

http://www.hrewheels.com/

Where did you find the ZR1 replicas?

[Atilla the Fun]

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... d=17&rw=11
and for the 17x10s for the rear of my '84 Fiero;
http://www.ponyr.com/17_sizes.htm but on that link, beware they don't know the right way to figure backspacing, you have to go by offset.