16" or 17" rim that is 7" wide needs to be 48 to 50mm in the front..... no exceptions.
And to find a rim you like that also has that same style in a 30 to 40mm offset for the rear is almost impossible.
I prefer 16" which makes it even harder. (larger selection in 17") To make things even MORE difficult, I only like silver 5 spoke rims and a polished lip.
Like I said... next to impossible.
Anyone here have aftermarket 16x7 rims with 48-50mm offset on the front of their 88?
[This message has been edited by Skybax (edited 10-25-2004).]
i may be selling them soon. edit: they are 17x7 ------------------ 88 Quad Coupe
MY EMAIL IS: sage14823@hotmail.com "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." -Patton
[This message has been edited by ShaddowGt (edited 10-25-2004).]
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04:19 PM
Raydar Member
Posts: 40925 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
Check out TSW Sting. They are available in 17x7 50mm and 17x7 35mm. They USED to show a 17x8, 35mm, but it's gone from the list. Sorry. Dunno about 16s.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 10-25-2004).]
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04:34 PM
KissMySSFiero Member
Posts: 5542 From: Tarpon Springs, FL USA Registered: Nov 2000
Check out TSW Sting. They are available in 17x7 50mm and 17x7 35mm. They USED to show a 17x8, 35mm, but it's gone from the list. Sorry. Dunno about 16s.
sting and apex by TSW fit nice. Jelly2m8 has the Apex. I'm going to get one of these, 17x7-48mm front and 18x8-35mm offset in the rear. Both come in 18x8 for the rear, THe fronts would be 48 for the apex, and sting- 50mm Edit to add. For a 16, you can go with a Sport Edition Fox 5. IIRC, they offer a 16x7 with a 50mm offset, and 17x7.5 with a 42mm offset. ------------------ SSFiero@Aol.comSupport Mental Health, or I'll Kill Ya!! Yellow Formula Signature
88 Yellow FORMULA
ZZ3 HSR, 345hp, 390lb-ft. Est to be done one of these days.
They may look ok to you, but not to others who want their wheel/tire upgrade 100% correct. Same dimentions, offset, front & rear on an 88 and have correct geometry is physically impossible. The math doesn't lie. To each his own I guess.
You know the '88 coupes with 14" wheels had the same size and offset wheels front and back, right?
I was talking about larger aftermarket rims that are 7" wide on the front of an 88 suspension.
He was also talking about larger aftermarket rims that are 7" wide on the front of an 88 suspension.
Can't have same offset front & rear, fronts will be too far out, or rears will be too far in.
Stock:
FRONT = 15x6 @ 37mm offset REAR = 15x7 @ 30mm offset (yes that is correct, same as 86-87 rims, OSG is incorrect)
If using 7" wide rim in front a 48 to 50mm must be used... period.
You could use a 45mm offset up front and get away with it because it will only stick out a few mm.
Anything else is hoaky
I am using 17 X 7 with a 42 mm offset all the way around on my 88. But then again I am not looking for perfection and I got the wheels for next to nothing.
Skybax, I ran into the same issue as you when I went with bigger wheels. There's not many options to get the exact offsets you want. In the end I went with 7"x 45mm up front and 7"x 35mm out back. Yes a few more mm on the offsets would have been perfect, but again I couldn't find matching wheels with those offsets.
In the end i settled for the TSW Apex wheels that Joe mentioned, I am very happy with them with the offsets I used.
I had the 7" 15 stockers on the front of my 88, and that was the single biggest reason I went with new wheels with the correct ( or as close as I could get ) offsets. Not enough offset on the front of an 88 really screws up the steering and road feel.
Here's the page in my wheel tread, half way down I posted pics, you can get an idea how the 45 and 35mm offsets in 7" look on an 88.
now im going to have a headache thinking about it!! what is the offset on my 17s???
seriously, couldnt you get 4 16x7 rims with the 50mm offset and use 20mm (3/4"?) spacer on the rear? with longer studs of course. i guess it might change the appearance of the amount of dish on the rears?
almost forgot, weight has got to be just as important? why doesnt anyone list it?
[This message has been edited by ricreatr (edited 10-25-2004).]
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11:27 PM
moto838 Member
Posts: 139 From: Edgewater Co. Jeferson Registered: Mar 2004
I ran into this when I put my 87 gt wheels on my 88 man that thing looks tarded, havent driven it yet so I don't know what effects it has on handling. Shaddowgt How much? Joe
That's not bad at all Jelly. Your only talking a few mm out in the front, and the rears are near perfect. 88gtNewb, I like the 8" with 40mm in the rear. They look great.
You could use spacers Ricreatr, but I would advise against it. As far as weight goes, that's one of the reasons I wanted to stick with 16s, not to mention I'm running factory height springs, and I live in a rough road terrian.
If I could find this in a silver 5-spoke I would be happy...
FRONT: 16x7 = 45 to 50mm offset REAR: 16x7 = 30 to 40mm offset
[This message has been edited by Skybax (edited 10-25-2004).]
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11:51 PM
Oct 26th, 2004
KissMySSFiero Member
Posts: 5542 From: Tarpon Springs, FL USA Registered: Nov 2000
Available in 16x7 50mm offset(verified by searching for a subaru outback) available in 16x7 35mm offset(verified by searching under fiero) available in 17x7.5 35mm offset(also verified by searching fiero)
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12:36 AM
KissMySSFiero Member
Posts: 5542 From: Tarpon Springs, FL USA Registered: Nov 2000
Hope this helps in your search. I'm picky like you too. Edit to add sizes. I added bigger wheels too for anyone else looking for closer to proper fitment for 88's. I'm leaning towards one of the TSW's because its available in 8 inch too.
[This message has been edited by KissMySSFiero (edited 10-26-2004).]
I would not be so set on getting the off sets you are talking about Skybax. My wheels fit perfect. The front was great before I lowered it and do not rub after lowered it. I dont want rocks to chip the paint eather so I did not want them to stick out. the Rims are VERY close to the stock fender placement. The tires will stick out past the fender if you go to wide. This is what I have.
Front = 17x7-38mm with 215 45 17's Rear = 17x8-35mm with 255 45 17's
You can get a smaller size tire on them but I went with this size because of the engine/tranny transplant. This size wheel in rear will keep the speedo correct.
------------------
Rickady88GT QuadCam 3.5 V6
[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 10-26-2004).]
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03:37 AM
PFF
System Bot
Vonov Member
Posts: 3745 From: Nashville,TN,USA Registered: May 2004
I was talking about larger aftermarket rims that are 7" wide on the front of an 88 suspension.
He was also talking about larger aftermarket rims that are 7" wide on the front of an 88 suspension.
Can't have same offset front & rear, fronts will be too far out, or rears will be too far in.
Stock:
FRONT = 15x6 @ 37mm offset REAR = 15x7 @ 30mm offset (yes that is correct, same as 86-87 rims, OSG is incorrect)
If using 7" wide rim in front a 48 to 50mm must be used... period.
You could use a 45mm offset up front and get away with it because it will only stick out a few mm.
Anything else is hoaky
So you are saying the best offset for 17X7" wheels on the front of an 88 is 48 - 50mm and for the rear 18 X 8-8.5 with 30 -40mm offset? Would the offset for the rear be the same if it was a 17 X 8 wheel ?
I would not be so set on getting the off sets you are talking about Skybax. My wheels fit perfect. The Rims are VERY close to the stock fender placement.
You have 38mm offset ~ Wheel inboard increase = 0.539", wheel outboard increase = 0.46"
As you can see they don't fit perfect, they stick out almost a half inch from the stock rim placement.
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02:48 PM
Raydar Member
Posts: 40925 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
Well, I just put my money where my mouth is. (Don't tell Tam. ) I just ordered 17x7s in 50mm offset and 17x8s (Yes! They're available, even though they're no longer shown on the website), in 35mm offset, from Discount Tire.
They'll be replacing these...
...which are 17x7 40mm on all 4 corners. (I *did* stagger the tire sizes, however. 215/45 and 235/45.)
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 10-26-2004).]
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04:12 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
You have 38mm offset ~ Wheel inboard increase = 0.539", wheel outboard increase = 0.46"
As you can see they don't fit perfect, they stick out almost a half inch from the stock rim placement.
Ah, I see what you're getting at, and I think your logic is flawed. From a cosmetic standpoint, it would be ideal to keep the outer edge of the wheel in the same place, and put all of the wheel width increase on the inside. However, from a suspension geometry standpoint, you want the extra wheel width to be evenly distributed. If you go from a 6" wide rim to a 7" wide rim, ideally you should have the rim stick out exactly .5" inborad and .5" outboard. That will maintain the geometry identical to stock.
So the 0.539" inboard to 0.460" outboard is very nearly ideal. It's only off by 0.040" or about 1mm.
i was just wondering about what formula 88 said. i agree what is "right" boils down to what you are after. just looks or correct geometry or . . .
also along the geometry lines, what about increasing overall diameter (probably differenct than wheel diameter)? an increase in overall would mean moving the tire out some to correct scrub, right?
gosh so technical and i WAS happy with my wheels the way they were!
not only is it (50,48,45) cosmeticly pleasing to the eye (outer edge of rim sitting correctly) it also affects the geometry in a positive way by affecting the scrub radius. It is my understanding, you want as much offset as you can get. It's a win / win situation.
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08:57 PM
White88GT Member
Posts: 656 From: Watauga, texas, usa Registered: Nov 2002
Don't forget that moving the wheel in or out compared to stock will affect wheel bearing loading and possibly wheel bearing life. This shouldn't be an issue except for extreme amounts of offset, but given the limited availability and price of '88 hubs, it's something to consider.
Also, don't forget to measure for clearance with the A-arms, etc. when you increase the inboard wheel width. Too much negative offset can cause suspension clearance problems.
Remember, though, that the math doesn't lie. If you don't split the extra wheel width evenly, you will be changing the suspension geometry. Probably not enough to be concerned with, but you seem to want it to be perfect, so make sure you know what final result you're going after. A wider wheel with the stock outboard wheel width and more inboard width will look better, but will not maintain the geometry. If you want to keep the outboard width and geometry identical to stock, you're stuck with the stock rims.
Check with some people who autox '88s. If they've got the car dialed in, they've already dealt with the offset issue. You can see what they're running and go from there.
Let us know what you end up going with. I'll be interested to see how they look. You may want to consider modular wheels. They're pricey, but you can usually get virtually any width and offset you want. That sounds made to order for what you're trying to acheive.
[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 10-26-2004).]
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10:55 PM
jelly2m8 Member
Posts: 6235 From: Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Jul 2001
Not to get tangled with anyone, but I am following Skybax's thinking.
I had stock 15x7" diamond spoke wheels on the front of my 88, those wheels should have put more wheel both inboard and outboard of the bearing compared to the 6" wheel.
While I had no issues whatso-ever with wheel bearings, the car did not drive like a proper 88. You can ask Skitime, he drove my car with those wheels on.
What those 15x7" wheel did to the 88 was several things. Heavier steering, increased steering radius, wandering over uneven road surfaces, highly increased road feed back from ruts and bumps to the point where you had to hang on with white knuckles.
I played with several different alignment settings, all to no avail. Keep in mind that I have another 88GT on the stock wheels with the same tires during this same time. the differences between the 2 cars was night and day. After driving the 88 on the proper stock wheels over a long distance, I almost hated driving my 88 with the 15x7 's up front.
Yes it was that bad.
When I put the 7" wide 45mm offsets on the front of the car, it was instantly transformed back to a proper driving 88, all those bad traits it exhibted disappeared. It took me one whole minute to justify the 1700$ I spent on the wheels during the first drive.
I'm not putting down anyone who has *improper* offset front wheels on their 88, if your happy with it, that's great, that's all that matters.
Me, I'm like Skybax, I want my 88 to not only look like a proper 88, I want it to drive like one too. Maybe that's one of the downfalls with owning multiple cars of the same model, after driving them all, you find down sides with one, and you have to start spending $$$ to make them the same.
After driving two 88's, my better half and I both prefer them, we don't even want to drive the earlier year ones we have. Sadly our Blue 85GT that won a first place in class at Carlisle 2002 has become a driveway ornament for the past year and a half. Why?, because it doesn't drive like the 88's. Maybe we are just fussy or something.
------------------
1st place High Mileage Stock Fastback- Carlisle 2004
[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 10-26-2004).]
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11:55 PM
Oct 27th, 2004
alienfiero Member
Posts: 638 From: auburn, wa., usa Registered: Aug 2004
You're being that anal about wheel offset, but you're going to use the same size wheels all the way around on an 88? If you're going to a 7" front, I highly recommend you consider an 8" rear. They came from the factory with staggered wheel sizes for a reason, and I guarantee you styling, simplicity, and cost were not it.
Bryce 88 GT
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07:26 AM
eunospeed Member
Posts: 342 From: Lexington, KY Registered: Sep 2002
Look down the page at the "Wasp" (Black mesh w/ polished lip) and notice that these are avalible in the correct offset for both 17's (48mm) and 18's (33mm). I have these on my Formula and they are great! I run a 225/45 17 in front and a 245/40 18 in the back. They line-up better than the factory wheels they replaced and they are priced right. The added bonus is they look like the factory wheel as well. It took me forever to find these, so I hope it helps others.
Jelly, it drove bad because the 86-88 15x7 diamond spoke are 30mm offset (not 35 or 41) which amplifies the effect even more. I'm sure it drove terrible.
quote
They came from the factory with staggered wheel sizes for a reason, and I guarantee you styling, simplicity, and cost were not it.
Yeah, the reason is... they changed the entire suspension to correct all the problems, and the end result was the front sticking way out and were forced to use a 6" wheel with more offset in order to prevent the wheel from sticking out, keep the existing wheel style, save money, and keep steering effort to a minimum...
Elimination of the steering damper assembly 30% shorter spindle length (90 to 64mm) 30% shorter scrub radius (49 to 35mm) 20% reduction in king pin angle (7 degrees to 6 degrees) 20% longer upper control arm length (177 to 214.2mm) 25% longer lower control arm length (280 to 350mm) Larger stabilizer bar (22 to 28mm) 12% shorter turning radius (11.4 to 10.2m)
[This message has been edited by Skybax (edited 10-27-2004).]
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08:46 AM
Nashco Member
Posts: 4144 From: Portland, OR Registered: Dec 2000
Originally posted by Skybax: Yeah, the reason is... they changed the entire suspension to correct all the problems, and the end result was the front sticking way out and were forced to use a 6" wheel with more offset in order to prevent the wheel from sticking out, keep the existing wheel style, save money, and keep steering effort to a minimum...
Have you considered that a staggered tire size is advantageous? Take a look at all of the high performance mid/rear engine cars out there and see how many of them have tires or wheels that are the same front and rear. When tire rotation intervals is a non issue (you pay enough for those cars that you can afford to buy tires more often) staggered tire sizes is extremely common.
How do you suppose going to staggered wheel sizes saved GM money? I don't see that.
You're making an awful lot of bold statements about *exactly* what tire and wheel sizes you should use with seemingly little experience with them. Many people who have put a lot of miles (street and track) on their aftermarket wheels and tires are giving you input, and although it is not all going to hold true for you, it may be wise to listen to what some of them have to say.
I have the TSW stings 7" front 8" rear with the correct offsets listed above. Fit perfect, look great, handles like a dream, improved scrub radius (even above the 88 improvement). I also suggest the staggered widths for the front/rear. You want the staggered width because the RATIO of widths was one of the major improvements on the 88 handling, just like porsches, lambos, and all of the other mid engine cars. AAMOF, I would have gone even wider on the rear if I could have found a set that offered a wider matching rim without going "custom". If you do the stings/apexes you will be happy - they are about average in weight as well. They look BITCHIN' with the corvette brake upgrade behind them...
P.S. The high offset that comes on the aftermarket wheels (48+mm) is targeted at the Subaru market. The subarus centerbore is 1mm smaller than the fieros. The rims WILL have to be modified to fit on the front. You can have a machine shop bore them out by 1mm or a very steady hand can do it with a die grinder...