Rims

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GPNX

Apprentice
Jun 6, 2016
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I bought a Grand Prix that had some gen 3 firebird rims on it with spacers. I finally got my 5.3 swap done. Without the spacers the front tires hit on the tie rods. I am looking for new rims and wondering what kind to get for strip street. I’d like to keep the tires I have for now to see what car is like. It has 275/65/15 in rear and 215/65/15 in front. I am on a budget but I don’t want to buy new ones that are pieces of junk just because they are cheap.
 

UNGN

Comic Book Super Hero
Sep 6, 2016
3,048
3,264
113
Southlake, TX
275/65 is a truck size. Are they LT tires? 255/60 or 275/60 have more performance/traction oriented tires.

Any G-body 15X7 wheel will work with 255/60 in back, and many (the ones with 3.75" BS) will work with 275/60's in back.

If you find a set of aftermarket wheels, 15X8 with 4" BS in back, 15X7 with a max BS of 3.9"
 
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buzz77

Master Mechanic
Jun 11, 2013
304
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Any 15x7 or 15x8 wheels will work with both those tire sizes. It's the backspacing you need to worry about. UNGN backspacing advice should be heeded.
My 1978 GP has 215/65/15 on 15x7 with 3.5 bs in front. And 275/60/15 on 15x8 with 3.75 bs in rear. Many quality wheels out there AR, Weld, Centerline(if you can still find), Reproduction oem wheels now being made in many sizes and widths etc.
 

GPNX

Apprentice
Jun 6, 2016
98
43
28
Are 15x7 too small for the 255/60/15. Tire website says 7-9 inch for that tire size. Will the tire be to far out past rim than most people would like
 

UNGN

Comic Book Super Hero
Sep 6, 2016
3,048
3,264
113
Southlake, TX
Are 15x7 too small for the 255/60/15. Tire website says 7-9 inch for that tire size. Will the tire be to far out past rim than most people would like

They are fine. Tires that "stick out past the rim" are actually more predictable than a "stretched" tire on too wide a rim. If you break lateral traction with a stretched tire, you are spinning off the road. They will break like light switch - on (I got this) to off (uggh, no I don't)., while the narrow rim tire rolls over on the side wall and gives you a warning squeal for you to back off before you spin off the road.

For straight line 275/60's work fine on a 7" rim. Sure, an 8" rim is better, but a 275 tire will give more traction on a 7" rim than a 255/245/235 tire on an 7" rim, so if you have a 7" rim, 275/60's are fine..
 

GPNX

Apprentice
Jun 6, 2016
98
43
28
I was wrong rims are hitting upper control arm. The backspacing on those rims is 4-1/4. Ive been reading up on alot of rims some of them that say 3.75 backspacing are actually 4 if you read the reviews.
 

Gremlinsteve

Master Mechanic
Mar 6, 2018
345
426
63
Mine are American racing
Zero offset four in bs fronts
With no rubbing but there only a 7 inch wide wheel
The tire is a 225 also

I don't know how they figure zero offset is a 4 inch bs btw. But that's how they list it
 
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