16" Cups/1986 951
05-20-2004, 10:15 PM
#1
Instructor
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16" Cups/1986 951
Hello;
..and hello especially to Icat, who I hope reads this. I've decided not to try to space out my original wheels (as in my other post)on my '86 car. I've come up with a set of 16" Cup wheels, 55 fronts and 52 rears. Icat recommended a 21mm spacer in the front w/ a 17" late-style wheel. Can I run a wider spacer that that w/ 16" wheel to gain back more of what I lost in light of the fact that I'm running a smaller diameter tire (without clearance issues)? It seems to me that since the new tire is the same diameter as the old that I could use a wider spacer with no ill effects. 32mm would equal the difference between the 23mm and the 55mm.
...and how about the rears?
Thanks -
Doug
..and hello especially to Icat, who I hope reads this. I've decided not to try to space out my original wheels (as in my other post)on my '86 car. I've come up with a set of 16" Cup wheels, 55 fronts and 52 rears. Icat recommended a 21mm spacer in the front w/ a 17" late-style wheel. Can I run a wider spacer that that w/ 16" wheel to gain back more of what I lost in light of the fact that I'm running a smaller diameter tire (without clearance issues)? It seems to me that since the new tire is the same diameter as the old that I could use a wider spacer with no ill effects. 32mm would equal the difference between the 23mm and the 55mm.
...and how about the rears?
Thanks -
Doug
05-20-2004, 11:40 PM
#2
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Ok, here's my take...
The wheel size in height is only important in reference to the tire's sidewall height (and I'm no expert here - so you tires guys feel free to jump in and correct my lingo). You need to maintain the overal height of the tire and wheel combo to maintain your speedometer readings. So, the wheel height (15", 16", 17", 18", etc) doesn't give or take away clearence because you still need to maintain overall height - what you gain or lose in wheel is replaced by sidewall on the tire. Now, the reason alot of us go to taller wheels is to gain choice in tire sizes (then there are those who just think it looks cool - like me). This allows us to run wider wheels that fill out the wheel openings - and I think that this is what you're really trying to accomplish. But here again, the height of the wheel is far less important than the width (at least for this argument). My wheels are 17" x 7.5" in front and 17" x 9" in rear. I wanted 8" wide wheels in front, but got such a great deal on these that I just couldn't pass them up. Trust me - they fill the wheel wells nicely. I did not have to roll the fenders and I don't have any rubbing issues. Hope this helps.
The wheel size in height is only important in reference to the tire's sidewall height (and I'm no expert here - so you tires guys feel free to jump in and correct my lingo). You need to maintain the overal height of the tire and wheel combo to maintain your speedometer readings. So, the wheel height (15", 16", 17", 18", etc) doesn't give or take away clearence because you still need to maintain overall height - what you gain or lose in wheel is replaced by sidewall on the tire. Now, the reason alot of us go to taller wheels is to gain choice in tire sizes (then there are those who just think it looks cool - like me). This allows us to run wider wheels that fill out the wheel openings - and I think that this is what you're really trying to accomplish. But here again, the height of the wheel is far less important than the width (at least for this argument). My wheels are 17" x 7.5" in front and 17" x 9" in rear. I wanted 8" wide wheels in front, but got such a great deal on these that I just couldn't pass them up. Trust me - they fill the wheel wells nicely. I did not have to roll the fenders and I don't have any rubbing issues. Hope this helps.
05-22-2004, 05:52 AM
#3
Race Director
You also don't want to make up for ALL of the difference in offset with spacers. That's because you'll want to move the wheel INWARD to give more clearance to the fenders. Especially if you're going to wider rims and tires. If anything, keep the outer rim-edge at the same spot and put ALL of the extra width on the inside where there's more room. Thus if you have 1" wider rims, increase the offset by 12.7mm. If it's 2" wider rims, increase offset by 25.4m.
