I am looking at putting some 18x9.5 zo6 wheels on my 1997 pontiac trans am is there anything I need to know about or any spacers or other equipment I should get to accommodate them? I am also looking at getting a bilstein/eibach shock spring combination that would lower the car about an inch and a half is that solid? Just want to know, thanks everyone.

-steve-

 

you don't need to worry about backspace, it'll be fine. bilsteins won't handle those springs. and this should probably be in the suspension section.

 

Bilsteins ride just fine with those springs. If you haven't tired the setup, I wouldn't comment on it.

 

"wheel" questions don't belong on LT1/LT4 Engine Tech. Moving to "Wheels and Tires", where you might want to try a search. This is one of the most popular questions.

 

I have 18x9.5 wheels on my car with a 53mm backspace. It's generally accepted with that size that anything in mid 50's should be ok. Any shock will ride fine with almost any spring. I had Monroe shocks with Hotchkis springs at one time, lol. What you need to realize tho is that shocks are made to fit a certain spring rates and when you lower are car you need to get a better shock. If you don't your car will rely more on the spring than it should and it won't handle bumps and corners like it should because the shock won't be able to handle the load. I hope I said all of that correctly, but if you do a search for shocks or Strano you will get a ton of info from people more versed in the subject. As a side note, as far as I know, most shocks including Bilstein aren't ideal for lowered cars.