According to "Weld Wheels"
the bggest meats they could get in a 3rd gen in 17's were 295/40/17's. Can't remember the backspacing for sure but I think it was 4.5".
And in 18's it was a 295/35/18, now this was w/o messaging the inner fender well or the fender lip.
You should be able to find out the back spacing for sure at their site "Weld Racing" or the article that I believe was in Chevy High Performance.

 

I'm kind of in the same boat, I want to run a 275/40x17 on the rear but i'm undecided as for the front, i will be running a 4th Gen style rim, How will this impact my decision on choosing a tire for the front? Will i still be safe with a 275/40x17 on the front? And the rear should be ok right? With a 4th Gen style rim using the Spacers, i can still use a 275/40x17 correct??

If not, what if i ran a 245/45x17 on the front, a bit smaller width (which i'm not concerned with) however Will the sidewall be the same height? I dont want it to look like i have a bigger profile on the front than i do on the rear!!

Help me please!! Thanks,
Mike

 

I'm batting .1000 today I want to thank mrr23 for being so informative on tire sizes. I was kind of unsure about tire and wheel sizes I wanted but I'm sure now. I'm going with 17x9" with 275/40-17 front and 315/35-17 rear. Thanks again Dude.

 

The only thing i ahve against the 315's is that they tend to stick out alot, i hate that on cars, the reason i like the 275 is cuz it is wide, it tucks under nice, and it give Camaro's that very agressive stance. just my opinion though, if 315's tucked under the car better they'd be sweet, maybe they do and i just looked at some bad pix or something..

 

it's all on the spacing for the most part.......although that is a large wheel.

i looked at my 295's yesterday mounted on my new rim and they are very wide!

 

anytime.

 

I know the wider patch improves traction but what do the 17 or 18 in wheels do really for handling. Can better handling be got from other areas without going with larger tires because of the rubber prices?

 

the smaller the tire's sidewall, the less flex there is. so you get sharper turning. the wider tread width helps with grip. you can get larger sway bars, boxed trailing arms, adjustable panhard rod, poly bushings, and the list goes on and on. but, the only thing that holds you to the road, is the four tires under it.

 

that's basically it!

going fast costs money, having good control isn't cheap. while there are compromises it just depends on your budget and needs. i really doubt your going to exceed the limits to a good performance 16" tire on the street. going larger for street cars is really a matter of style and preference.

 

You could run BFG Comp TA R1s and have a really stiff sidewall without going with the larger rims and a rubber band on them. IMO.

 

that's the way i used to think too until i got more involved in precise tire choices and had to upgrade.

true if you have small brakes and don't want a larger rim that is a good way to go. the more i've learned the more i notice sports cars with larger rims and appriciate them. in order to have good brakes you need larger calipers which call for larger rims....better cornering requires thinner sidewalls.......keeping these ratios in check require larger rims. it all equals out in the end.

just be true to yourself and your expectations......don't go out looking for a road race setup if your not going to use it or can't afford it.

always question someones answer and never believe anything to be truth until you experience it first hand. this doesn't mean to take peoples advice for granted, rather just learn as much as you can to make an educated decision.

 

Since you opened that can of worms. If I upgraded my brake system to oh say BAER how big do my wheels have to be. I'm still running with 15" currently. I live in Louisiana and the roads are really bad here so I'm thinking about 16" so I'll have plenty of tire to protect my wheels from pothole damage. But I'd LOVE to put on a set 17" wheels and tires...

 

well..........

i couldn't fit their 13" kit on my stock 16" rims. some have, i couldn't. you could work with the 12" kit easily though.

17's would be ok depending on what rim you went with...for the setup i went with i had to have larger.

 

[QUOTE] Are you referring to the rotor sizes???

 

Kandied91Z,

Any new pix? I'd like to see a side view and rear view of your car with the new rims and tires..

Thanks,
Mike