I am looking into selling my welds and getting some larger wheels so when I'm making some real power I can guarantee I can hook. I may be shooting for a little too big, but I like the look of big wide wheels on the rear of an f-body.

I now have 15x9's w/ a 5.5" backspacing that stick out about 1.5" maybe 2" max ( i never measured it just guessing ) with a 275/50/15 nitto in the rear. I like the look of it, but it is for the street.

I want to run a set of 15x12's in the rear , with an accomidating tire to fit of course, but don't want to run something that looks god awfly at the track, I'm thinking of more lik ea 28-30" tire on the 15x12 wheel. All tires like MT and MH, they all measure different to a point.

Anyways my true point of the post , is to see what you guys are using, I know i talked to a guy with a white TA on here that was running a 15x12 with either a 6.5 or 7.5 " backspacing , i belive it was a 7.5". Want to see how well they fit compared to a 17x11 wheel, I have two sets of wheels that have 17x11's and different offsets. Just doing the pre-math here.

If anyone has any pics that would be helpfull as well..

Also what kind of tires do you guys run on them? LIke for a ET street style , or slick.

Thanks in advance!

Paul

 

Your, rim consideration is a bit too large for your car unless your either mini-tubbing it or placing part of the wheel out of the fender area. Most of the "big" guys are using 10's with very good results. By going to the larger rim and larger tire, you will most likely slow yourself down as your going to be adding a large amount of rotational weight. 10 in rims are overall the best choice. You can go with a "w" tire which has a larger x-sectional area which still works with the 10's.

I would reconsider your choice of rim (if your going to change) as they are much heavier then a Bogart rim. Unsprung weight is something that is often overlooked...by putting a set of bogart P1 rims similar sizing to standard weld rims that F-bodies use, its like loosing ~ 80 lbs of static weight. Something to consider.

At any event, good luck on your decisions.

Steve

 

Thanks for the info, I'll get ahold of Taner and see what he is using.. I know he runs around town like me on 17x11's with 315 nittos.

I don't mind it sticking out of the fenderwall, I just dont want it to rub in the inside of the wheelwell. The 15x9's now that I have stick out. I don't mind it, but I don't want it to look horrible that is all.

I now run 26" et streets on stock wheels and those work well for me, but in the future when my car is actually putting down a lot of power, I don't know if that style and big enough tire will be enough for traction. When I have a good rear in the car, and finally get the car straight, It should be leaving pretty hard out of the hole.

Right now i'm running weld draglites, not bogarts, I would run those but last time I checked they were pretty costly.
What kind of tire are you refering to when you say " w" style ?

I wouldn't mind a 15x10 wheel in the back, but with a larger backspacing. I don't want it to stick out more then the 15x9 now with a 5.5" backspacing. So In order to keep it the same appearance I would have to put on a 15x10 with a 6.5" backspacing correct? I know they make them in 7.5" also I belive ?

 

15x10's will tuck better then what you have whether you use Bogarts or welds. THey dont' stick out.

The "w" is a wide version of the drag tires. You can click on my link sjmmanufacturing... to see what they look like from behind.

If you're running more HP and your changing gear ratios, large diameter tires will help you also.

The cost differences between Bogart rims and welds isn't that great when considering what your saving in weight which can help your times etc...I see guys spending the difference in a set of headers just to get alittle more tenths out of a car...don't overlook unsprung weight...

 

First - tires.... some 28's will fit with minor tweeks. I ran 15x11.5-15 Hoosier QTP's (28.0" quoted diameter), and at about 120mph trap speeds they started to hit the metal/front edge of the wheel opening. I moved the rear axle back about 1/4" and that solved the problem. When I went to 28x10.5-15W ET Drags (28.1" quoted diamter - but way larger), I had to take at least 1-1/2" off the rear/rubber bumper cover edge of the wheel opening. Haven't had them up to the target trap speed of 140mph yet, so I don't know if they will rub.

NO WAY you could fit a 30" tire in the stock wheel opening. This is a pic of a 29.5" ET Drag on a 30th SS, and the wheel openings have had extensive body work.

29.5" ET Drag

By the way, those 29.5" tires are on a set of Bogarts that "steve10" provided, and I think they are 15x9.75. That car has run 9.04@155mph on 15x9.5" Centerline AutoDrags, and a 28x11.5 -15 ET Drag, making over 1,100HP. The latest version of the engine will be well over 1,300HP, hence the larger tires.

Point is, you can run deeeeeep in the 9's with a 10" wide wheel and a 28x10.5 or 28x11.5 tire. You do not need 15x12 wheels and 30" tires. If you're thinking of "some real power" as being more than mentioned above.... I still doubt you would need a bigger wheel or tire.

And, the 15x10's require a 7.5" BS. That's just a little less than the 17x11 7.93" BS wheels I run on the street. You really can't go any deeper than that with BS, unless you move the LCA over and mini-tub. But you really do not have to. Many sanctioning organizations will not let you run with the tires outside the body. Some F-Body organized races will not permit mini-tubs and relocated suspension components. Depend how/where you plan to race it.

28" ET Drag, with only about 1/2" off rear bumper cover

 

To tel lyou the truth 17X11's with the 315's are kinda pushing the wheel well to it's limits. Mine ofter scrape the outter fenders on bumps ETC even with the 2inch Drag bag lift. Stiil had to use spacers to even get the proper clearance for the Rims not to rub. I couldn't tell you drag tire wise...but I can tell you width wise 12's aren't goign to happen without some work. You might need to have Longer axles made and Roll the fenders out. The custom Axles are like 3XX from Moser. But with any Drag tire on a rim wider than 10.5 I think it only be common sense to roll the fender out for when the wheel spreads. If you don't decide to go with the axles another alternative is pusshing the inner wheel well in. Some of the Grand Sport guys do this...but it can easily go wrong if you don't know what your doing. I'd say stick with the 10.5's but if you go 12's be prepared to do some adjustments.

 

Steve, Injeener, heatmaker-
Thank you very much for your posts, it has helped me decide my way on going with wheels.

A friend of mine that bracket races has a set of 26" Et drags, that will fit my 15x9's pretty much perfect. I will keep my wheels, but sell the nittos when they get a little balder, or just find some cheap 15x9 - 10" wheels and put them on and sell them to someone I guess for a 4th gen, mustang, whatever, it don't matter.

But yes I will eventually buy a 10" wide wheel, If those guys can do the times with 1k hp, I will be fine with 500 rwhp on a 15x10 or smaller wheel, it just lies in the tire then.

I am a big fan of the big wide wheels, but Yes I didn't think rationally, about it slowing you down, I knew it would, but I didn't think of the obvious things first.

Thanks for all the input, it did help a lot. Thanks for the pic as well man, that helps show me how tall that tire on the fender really is.

I will be getting the Hal Qa1 setup in suspension in the future, to replace what i have now. And run my rear drag launch springs, so it will still have the more agressive stance, that raises the rear up, and I was able to fit my tall ET streets under there so much easier last time at the track.

I had always ran them on stock blown suspension, and there was barely any room in the fenderwall. Then I got the nittos with my suspension, and I never ran the et streets again until just maybe a few months ago and they fit nicely. Thanks for the help!