tires and back spacing for 15x8 wheels

[jbracing]

im gettting ready to order wheels for my 87 grand prix. i decided to go with a 15x8 wheel. i was thinking a three inch back spacing. what size tires can i put on those rims that wont rub? i dont mind rub in the front at full wheel turn. id like to keep same tire size front and rear.

[565bbchevy]

I have ran 15 x 8 rims all around with 4" of backspace. I ran 245/60 on the front and 275/60 on the rear.
I personally like staggered sizes on a gbody unless you are going for a stock look and plan on rotating them
in that case I would probably go with a 15 x7 with something close to 3.5" of backspace and maybe a 235/60 tire.
A 15 x 8 with 3" of backspace will not fit properly it will push the tire out of the wheelwell and cause
other clearance issues.

[jbracing]

the wheels i want i can only get in 3 and 4 inch back spacing. i know with the stock 14 in rims that are on the car now the inside sidewall is pretty close to the tie rod end. did u have any trouble with the tire rubbing the tie rod end? when u had the fat tires the whole way around?

[565bbchevy]

the wheels i want i can only get in 3 and 4 inch back spacing. i know with the stock 14 in rims that are on the car now the inside sidewall is pretty close to the tie rod end. did u have any trouble with the tire rubbing the tie rod end? when u had the fat tires the whole way around?

I had no issues with rubbing anywhere but my car sat higher then, with the stance I have now the front tires would most likely hit the outer edge of the whellwell.
I remember the front tires being close (maybe a 1/2" or so) from my tie rod end but it never rubbed.

[CdnCutlass]

I have ran 15 x 8 rims all around with 4" of backspace. I ran 245/60 on the front and 275/60 on the rear.
I personally like staggered sizes on a gbody unless you are going for a stock look and plan on rotating them
in that case I would probably go with a 15 x7 with something close to 3.5" of backspace and maybe a 235/60 tire.
A 15 x 8 with 3" of backspace will not fit properly it will push the tire out of the wheelwell and cause
other clearance issues.

If you wanted to run a 275/60R15 rear tire what do you think the ideal backspace would be so that it is not pushed out too far but still does not rub on the frame?

[565bbchevy]

On my Monte 4" of backspace was the perfect fit and I think a 1/2" further in or out would have made a differance to where a 4.5 would have rubbed on the frame and a 3.5 would have pushed the tire out of the wheelwell.
The problem is what fits perfectly on one gbody does not apply to all, there are alot of variables that come into play such
as which gbody body style you have with each having a different wheelwell shape and size, are there new or original body mounts and ride heights all affect what actually fits.
Also I have bought the same size tire (275/60) from different manufacturers and some will be taller,wider or have more section width than others of the same size.
It's best to go to there sites for measurements and see what rim width their tire was mounted on to get the specs.