torque thrust II help

GNFURY

wooooshhhhhhhhh
Joined
Nov 11, 2002
I'm gonna order a set of these wheels for the GN. I think they just look bad a$$. I want to get the widest 17" wheels possible without major surgery on the car. What width and backspacing will I need? Do you know where I can get the best deal on these? What size (widest) tires can I fit on the front and back? Will this ruin the ride of my car? Will I have traction problems with a 17" tire? Brand of tire recommendation? Thanx for the help.
 
You can take this for what its worth....

plan on doing a 12" rotor conversion with b body spindles and camaro 1LE rotors. don't ask why just do it
front:
17 by 8 wheels 4.5-4.75 inch backspacing
245/45ZR17 Y speed rated BFG g-Force t/a KDW
rear:
17 by 9 wheels with 5 inch backspacing and a 1/8 inch wheel spacer from a 3rd gen camaro (GM part number not discontinued).
needs boxed upper and lower control arms.
275/40 ZR 17 Y speed rated BFG g-Force t/a KDW
This will not rub and I also recommend Hotchkis Drop springs.
 
I have this on a monte SS which has ROH Snyper wheels. I wish i hadd some pictures, but i haven't had time. it has been fine and the only rubbing is on the rear frame when the axle has to flex a lot (one rear wheel about 3 inches above the other) but this would only happen if say one rear wheel is on a curb and the other isn't and both front wheels are level or say you jack up one side of the rear of the car. This is on the inside, and it hasn't even scrubbed the lettering on the tire. The front has been fine.
I drove the car with these wheels before the spindle and a-arm conversion, and it drove TERRIBLE. after conversion and alignment, it has been fine. A tire like I have with NYLON cords and steel cords tends to flat spot after sitting for a couple weeks or more, but after the tire warms up it goes away. I have been driving for a year and have not seen any unusual tire wear from not rotating the tires. There is stiffer ride, i wouldn't say harsh, but something like this is going to have drawbacks. I don't mind at all for the look and performance. With the mods I listed, this is the most responsive, stabile, stiffest (not harsh), and best roadholding car I have ever driven, short of the C5 Vette.
 
what do you mean it drove terrible? Can I get by without converting all that crap? Is it costly / difficult to convert the spindles and stuff?
 
The camber roll of the stock suspension allows no handling gains with 17" tires. if you want to leave the suspension stock, i would go with 16by 8 wheels and 245/50 r 16 tires. IT"S NOT CRAP TO CONVERT!! its well worth it and may cost about 5-600 bucks, but it makes it a different car. I'm just saying that the car becomes unpredictable with the 17's and stock suspension. you could do the sizes i said on stock suspension, but they may rub SLIGHTLY. the front wheels will look like they are sunk too far into the wheelwells. the B-body setup moves the wheels out 1/2 inch and lowers the front 3/4 inch. 4.5 inch backspace is perfect. You may want to ask someone else if you are really budget conscious. I try to do everything the right way despite the extra cost. I haven't done this to my GN yet due to the money issue, and i think the stock GN wheels are awesome. If you are selling yours i'll probably buy them.
 
I'm not understanding man, if the wheels in the front will look too sunken in without the b body conversion spindles, cant i just use a DIFFERENT backspacing than the one that you have specified for the front?? And I'm not really looking for a handling upgrade here, just an appearance upgrade - now I dont want the car to ride like ****, but If I'm gonna spend 2 grand on wheels and tires, that's enough. If I'm gonna need an additional 5-600 bucks in modifications to make them work, I dont think that would be worth it. By the way, I have a picture of exactly what I want the car to look like when it is finished, but I dont know how to post it from "MY PICTURES" If you could help me out on that, I can show you.
 
i don't think you can get a 17 by 8 with a 4 inch backspace, you may be able to though. I just view 17 inch wheels as BOTH a performance and appearance upgrade.... I'm just trying to help people make a REAL performance car out of a G body when its so easy. The GN far exceeds its suspension capabilities with an overpowered engine. If all you want is looks thats fine too--I am just suggesting that you take the small extra step(small to me) and make your car more fun to drive than anything else on the road. A stock GN suspension (not opinion, this is a fact) is not ready for the extra demands a 17 inch wheels and tire combination applies to soft stock springs and bushings. Keep in mind i did this on a Monte SS hardtop which is a far stiffer suspension new than a GN. I'm not trying to argue either, The GN can look great with 17 inch wheels but I'm always glad to see a combination that works as well as looks good. Someone has a Gray T-type picture i found that looks great. i'll add a link...
http://www.efi-street.com/IMAGES/turboregals2/imagepages/image15.htm
 
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