Wheels? 1969 Beaumont (Chevelle)

[Ritch666]

Hello everyone,

My buddy has a 1969 Pontiac Beaumont (Chevelle) and he's currently shopping for some wheels.

Based on the looks that he's looking for, he will go with a set of 18'' staggered.

Considering that the car will eventually be lowered, we are wondering what would be the best setup as far as offset, width and tire size.

Front offset?
Rear offset?
Width rear wheels
Width front wheels
Tire size rear
Tire size front

Thanks!

Rich

[GHOSTDANCER]

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=4667

[Ritch666]

Originally Posted by GHOSTDANCER

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=4667

I read his post but there is no mention of the offset so I PM'd Steve... Thanks!

[Blown353]

Originally Posted by Ritch666

I read his post but there is no mention of the offset so I PM'd Steve... Thanks!

Actually, I did state the backspacing I used in the post... 5.5" front, 6.5" rear.

Take it with a grain of salt though, as your application may vary due to body/frame tolerances. Measure twice, order once! And if the wheel manufacturer offers a backspace that's only halfway between what you really need, always order the wheel with a little more backspacing. Slight excess backspace can be corrected with a simple spacer. Not enough backspace would need either new wheels, a narrower rear end, or flaring the fenders.

I've seen 68-72 A-bodies with 11" wide rear wheels take anywhere from 5.75" to 6.5" of backspacing. Typically you need 6"-6.25" of backspace to center a 11" wheel under a 68-72 A-body. I'm running 6.5" backspace because my 2-piece rotors have .250" thick hats. If I were running drums out back I would have purchased 6.25" backspace rear wheels.

[Ritch666]

Originally Posted by Blown353

Actually, I did state the backspacing I used in the post... 5.5" front, 6.5" rear.

Take it with a grain of salt though, as your application may vary due to body/frame tolerances. Measure twice, order once! And if the wheel manufacturer offers a backspace that's only halfway between what you really need, always order the wheel with a little more backspacing. Slight excess backspace can be corrected with a simple spacer. Not enough backspace would need either new wheels, a narrower rear end, or flaring the fenders.

I've seen 68-72 A-bodies with 11" wide rear wheels take anywhere from 5.75" to 6.5" of backspacing. Typically you need 6"-6.25" of backspace to center a 11" wheel under a 68-72 A-body. I'm running 6.5" backspace because my 2-piece rotors have .250" thick hats. If I were running drums out back I would have purchased 6.25" backspace rear wheels.

Oh I see... I was not familiar with the term "backspacing"... I'm used to imports which the backspacing is determined by the offset (mm)...

He's currently using drums in the back (for now) and he wants 9-10'' wheels in the back and 7-8'' in the front....

So if you run 11'' rims in the back with a 6.25'' backspace (drums), what backspacing would he need for a 10'' rim? 5.25'' or 7.25''?

Also what would tou recomend for the front?

Thanks!

Rich

[Blown353]

Rich,

Honestly I'd go wider. 7" or 8" up front will look pretty small. I used to have 8" wheels all the way around and they were completely swallowed by the wheelwells and looked tiny. 10s out back aren't bad but 11s fill the available real estate up better.

I really like 9.5 up front and 11 out back-- they are about the maximum width you can fit in the stock wheelwells but when sized right they fit very well with no clearance issues.

If I had to run 8s up front and 10s out back, I would probably go with 4.25 backspacing up front and 5.75 out back. A good tire combo in 18" for those wheel widths would be 245/40/18 up front and 295/35/18 out back. The front will still look a little on the narrow side in my opinion, a 9" or 9.5" wide wheel up front with a 265/35 or 275/35 will fit easily and look better. However, you really need to measure the car you are fitting to find your exact backspace requirements.

[Ritch666]

Hey Steve,

Thank you so much for all the valuable info!

I called MHT directly and ordered what I needed.