wheel sizes

[sheldan]

just wanted to get a little information on wheels for my 95 firebird. It currently has 16 x 8 stock wheels. if i wanted to get chrome wheels what do i need to know in order to buy them. what is the offset and backspace. I am thinking of going with centerline wheels.

used to post awhile back but have been busy with work and family. starting to fix the car up again. so far have custom paint work and cold air induction on an lt1. will post pictures soon.

[Injuneer]

Street wheels or drag wheels?

There's not much available in 16" wheels and tires for the street, so you are most likely looking at 17" wheels as a minimum. Most popular size is 17x9.5" with an offset in the range of 45-56mm. Its actually possible to fit 17x11.0 50mm offset wheels in the back, with some possible minor modifications. You could also consider WS6 and SS wheels, which are 17x9.0" 50mm offset. Your stock 16x8's are 55mm.

People have run up as high as 20" wheels, but they are not very popular or practical. 18" is pretty much the upper limit.

For the track, 15x8 5.5" backspace, or 15x10 7.5" BS work fine, although some wheels - typically the Welds - require grinding of the fins on the brake calipers. Fronts would range from 15x3.5" 1.75" BS for "track only" to a 15x6 with a 4.5" BS for street use. Again, some fronts may require thin spacers.

We have a bunch of "wheel and tire" writeups in the FAQ on another board that may offer some useful info, along with photos:

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