ive been looking around, and noticing a few people making valid points that 4" skinnies are a bad idea on the street as they could taco, or break easily...but what is the smallest street safe wheels..im lookin for performance gain aswell as something for looks. from what ive seen, friends have dropped 2-3 tenths by going to a skinny up front at the track. so i was curious as to what i could do. id hate to spend like 300 for rims and tires and only get to use em at the track. also what backspacing is recommended so i wouldnt need a spacer?

 

also i just called centerline and spoke to a few of their people regarding breaking a rim on the street and if size mattered, and they assured me that they would warranty ANY rim (specifically a 15x4 Indy) whereas Weld specifically stated on their site what rims were drag, and drag/street rims.

but yea, still wondering what backspacing i should get so as to not use a spacer. and what our bolt pattern is, 5 x 4-3/4 ?

 

You don't need to run a crazy backspacing...ill measure my weld draglites tomorrow when ive got some time and then you only need to add 5/16" to that. My weld rims aren't marked "drag use only" so im assuming their ok to run on the street...they have a 5" wide tire so im guessing a 4" rim or something.

Dave

 

well from the few people i have personally talked to that drive around on 3.5/4" prostars/telstars they all say they've had them for a couple years, and no problems other than making sure the lugs were tight. the car is only driven maybe 100 miles a week, and thats just during the weekend. to the track, and then to a show.

also found out the 3.5" only use 1-3/4 BS so the spacer is needed

 

It's sort of hard to answer questions about "backspace" when you don't include as much as the year of your car.

If its an LT1 4th Gen, it isn't the "backspace" on the Pro-Stars/Draglites that is a problem. The interference in the front is the center disc of the wheel hitting the spring that holds the outer brake pads in the caliper, and the center disc, where it is radiused to roll over into the "rim" portion hitting the big horizontal bar on the steering knuckle that the caliper rests on. Doesn't matter what backspace you use, the center disc is still the same, and it hits.

If you opt for a wheel that requires a spacer, you will need longer wheel studs. If you choose a wheel like a Pro-Star, that uses the "mag-style extra long shank" lugs, you will need close to a 3" stud to pass NHRA tech. That makes putting your street wheels back on a problem.

 

bah screw it. ill buy headers lol. thank you for the help though.

 

If you just want fronts the Centerline Convo-Pro 15x4 with the 2.25" (I think...they make two backspacings, you want the larger of the two..these do not allow enough room on the wheel for the "convolutions") backspacing fits LT1 cars with no spacers and tuck under the fenders nicely. Most skinnies hang out slightly and look bad imho..However, Convo-Pros look lousy on the back unless you run an ET street or a bias ply type race tire. The 15x8.5 with a 5" backspace just isn't enough to hide a radial tire under the car...the radial's side wall hangs out while the straighter less buldging bias ply tire looks ok...

I ran the Convo Pros on the front for 7 years on the street with no problems using a 185 tire and then switching to a 165...good for about a tenth....

...or just get headers.....
--Alan

 

yea, i just bought headers and MT ET Street Radials...looking to drop ~1.5 seconds.