Question

[96_TA]

I am looking at buying a set of c5 Z06 wheels for my 1996 trans am that are 18 x 9.5 in the front and 18 x 10.5 in the rear with a +56 mm offset all around. Is that the correct offset to fit my car?

Also, for tires, I plan to put 265/35/18 on the front with 275(or 285)/35/18 on the rear if that makes any difference.

Thanks a lot.

Mike
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[Injuneer]

For the 9.5" wide wheels, anything from 45mm to 56mm will work. The 56's would sit about 1/2" deeper in the wheel wells, but still look good in the front. A 265/35-18 is too small a diameter (25.3") compared to the stock tire diameter (25.7"-26.1" depending on what tires your car left the factory with). A smaller diameter reduces ground clearance, opens up the gap between the top of the tire and the fender lip, and leaves the rim more expesed to damage from potholes. Use the 275/35-18's on the front.

For the 10.5" wide wheels, a 56mm offset gives you a ~7.93" backspace, meaning you MAY have to make several modifications to keep the tires from rubbing on the inner fenders, or the wheel catching on the jounce bumper bracket when you jack the car by the body. Look over the writeup in the post on the FAQ on the "Wheels and Tires" forum on CamaroZ28.com, regarding using 17x11 50mm offset wheels in the back. They have an identical backspace to the wheels you are considering.

http://64.65.63.61/forums/showthread.php?t=312442

A 48-50mm offset would be better. Use at least the 285/35-18 in the back. A 275 is going to look "stretched" on a 10.5" wide wheel.

[96_TA]

Thanks a lot for the info.

Mike

[LarryMow]

Saturday I picked up a set of wheels/tires that I won on ebay for $150!!! I decided that the twisty looking factory wheels on my 93 Firebird just wasnt stylish enough for me...the wheels I bought were the metallic 5 spoke factory wheels off of a 98 Firebird. Got them home and the damn things wouldnt fit. They wouldnt mount up flush to the rotors or drums...had almost 1/4 inch gap between them. After close inspection, I determined that the center rimhole was just a tad too tight to fit around the little flange that sticks out off of the drum. I took my Dremel grinding tool, made a few passes around the inside of the hole. After that, they mounted up flush, and look great.

[96_TA]

BTW, does anyone know if there is any difference in the amount of space in the wheel well for 96-97 trans ams and '99 TAs? For example, do the newer TAs have larger wheel wells than a '96?

Mike

[Injuneer]

Up until late 1996 model year, the rear hub diameter is larger than the front hub diameter. When putting 1997 and later wheels on your 1996 or earlier F-Body, it is common to have to file down the inside diameter of the rear wheels to allow them to fit over the hub. Might want to do all 4 wheels, so you can rotate the tires in the future.

The wheel well dimensions of all 4th Gens are the same... 1993-2002. Only the profile of the rear fenders differs slightly between the Firebirds and Camaros.

[96_TA]

Good to hear!! Thanks a lot again. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on those Z06's now!!

Mike