Well, today I went and picked up the car from media blasting and it looks like WIDER wheels are definitely feasible, as the inner wheel houses turned out to be swiss cheese, along with the 1" of trunk floorpan nearest the wheelhouses (will post pics of the cancer when I download the pics). So my thought is this: install the new stock inner wheel houses inward 1-1.5" of their stock location (over the top of the frame at this point) and then weld in a strip between the inner & outer wheelhouses to give me some extra room. I've got a good bodyman/welder who said it would be no sweat to do this, as the inner wheelhouses need replacement anyway. 18X11 rims should fit with minimal issues then, right? Any idea on backspacing? I've read that 6.5" will cause the inside of the wheel/tire to hit the frame, and 5.5" BS seems to be recommended for 10" wide wheels, so will 18X11 with 6.0" BS be best in the rear? Tires - is a 305/40 or 315/35 best for a lightly lowered chevelle PT car?
As for the fronts, it looks like I should go 18X9.5, 5.5" BS with a 275/35 or 275/40 tire (I like a little more sidewall, but I realize it has to fit in with the size/sidewall ratio of the rear wheels, too.
Here's my 70 Chevelle with a 2" strip in the inner fenderwells. But while your in there, go ahead and notch the frame in case you really want to go bigger, say a 345 series. And before I went this route, I had 17 x 11 wheels and a 315/35/17 with no modifications at all.
Not sure if I want to get into notching/narrowing the frame (tempting, though). I seem to be stuck in a real "chicken or the egg" quandary - everyone seems to say measure the car before you order to get the right backspace. Car is ripped apart and body work is about to commence along with frame work (fix a crack and box the main rails) & then chassis assembly. My rearend builder is telling me that he can narrow the new rear end he's building up to 1" each side with no significant cost and I should get the wheels in hand, slide them into the wheelhouses (see previous post), measure what I have to work with and he'll narrow as needed.
So it seems like I need to get off my duff and buy the wheels & tires in what I think is the best potential size & backspace and get 'em here so I can tell the rearend guy the right dimensions.
From what I can tell, it sounds like 18X10 with 5.5" BS and a 305/40 tire in the rear is the safest way to go (assuming stock '70 rear end width on the S60). Since the wheel houses are going to be opened up a smidge, I COULD go with 18X11 with 6.25" BS and a 305/40 or 315/35 and clear the frame.
Sound right or am I all mixed up? (seems to a running theme with me lately)
What is the best course of action with the car apart and the rear end yet to be ordered? (S60 w/ 13" Baer Pro Plus rears, BTW)
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
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