Thinking about getting 15x8 out back and 15x4 up front. What's it like driving on these?

 

Cmr0z28,
I've had these on my Cutlass for over a year now. They work OK, but be careful in the turns. It does affect handling. If your interested, I'd sell my front ones to you for $275 shipped with 165/80/15 tires already on them. My rear wheels are the wrong offset for your car.
Kevin

 

I have a set of 15x4 telstars with 165R15 VW tires that I only use at the track. They fit fine up front, don't even need any spacers which is nice and I use the stock wheel studs. I drive to the track with them on but I really wouldnt want to drive daily with them. It doesnt handle too well with them up front and I would imagine the small tire contact patch would greatly reduce your braking ability in a panic stop.

 

I dont run Telstar's but I do have skinnies up front. I wouldnt worry to much about it. Everything will be ok. You do lose some cornering and handline but a Camaro wasnt made to handle like a Porsche afterall. I would also watch going over big bumps or railroad tracks to hard just so you dont warp the rim. Other than that you should be ok.

 

Ok, still thinking about it.....keep it coming

 

I drove for a while with 15x4 and 15x8 Telstars with 15x10 BFG drag radials on the back. Plus I had no swaybar. They fit right, they look cool but you loose alot of handling. Alot of understeer. If you ever had to swerve to avoid something on the road you'd be in trouble. Although the car still handled better than a full size pickup truck.

 

Anyone who says running skinny tires in the front doesn't affect handling is not pushing their car very hard. It is going to handle very poorly with any kind of cornering load on a tire that skinny.... to the point of being dangerous in an emergency handling situation, as wisely noted in "Grease's" post. You also need to look very carefully at the load rating for a tire as skinny as a 165-15..... typically 400-500# per tire less capacity than the tires that came stock on your car. More stress on the tires from that big heavy engine giving the F-Body its poor forward weight bias.

I've driven my car to the track (6 miles) on skinnies and slicks.... and prayed that it didn't rain and I didn't have to make any sudden turns. It now goes on a trailer.

The Weld 3-1/2" and 4" wheels are stamped "drag race use only" (don't know about the CL Telstars).... and in a serious accident, you can be sure a smart forensic engineer would pick up on the undersized wheels/tires and nail you to the cross in court.

The Telstars are also heavier than the Welds, or other more expensive "racing" wheels.

 

Mine arent to skinny. They are 15x6 up front and 15x8.5 on the rear. I dont push it hard through corners but I can feel the understeer.

I have the Centerline Convo Pros.

 

Even though the Telstar is heavier, I think it's a great compromise wheel. You don't have to run the longer wheels studs and shank style lugnuts with them. Just throw them on and go, and use the stock acorn lugnuts. You can just throw your street rims back on without having to run open ended wheel studs too.

 

Thats what I like about my Pro Star XPs, 15x6 up front, don,t have to use spacers just bolt em on and go.
Have to use the shanked lugs though, and they are heavier than a frontrunner.