18 Vs 17 Inch rims?

[WicKeD_SS]

Hey guys I noticed that almost all the 69 camaro's on the site have 18 inch rims and about 90% of the 67 and 68 camaros have 17 on the front and 18 on the back. Is there a reason why?

I am wanting to order rims very soon and I didnt know if 18 inch rims will not fit on the front. I have a stock sub-frame and stock upper and lower control arms. Im looking at going with 8 inch wide on the front and 12 inch wide on the back.

What rims would the pop of lat-g order if you where in my shoes.

Thank you for your time guys!
-Brian

[Datsbad]

18x8's will work on the front with no problem . But you say 12" on the back ? I take it you are doing a mini tub?

[Steve Firebird]

Well I just ordered 17 x 8 frt and 18 X 9 rear. I hope they fit OK. 12" seems pretty wide your car must have tubs or mini tubs for right?

[rocketman]

10's on the rear are the biggest a stock 67-68 f body will take and the bs has to be dead nut.

[chicane]

Is there a reason why?

Bigger isnt always better, unless it has a presumed function or when your trying to make up for something else. :lol: In reality, the 69's rear section can naturally fit larger stock without modification. But then again, there is a certain direction with a certain crowd that has to play 'keep up with the Jones'. Well that, and DSE wont build anyother year 1st Gen. :rofl:

Not to knock the combination, but it would be in your best interest to keep the front to rear rim width, within an inch to an inch and a half front to rear.

However good it looks (or not), having a rear rim and tire width that different will cause a rather noticable increase in understeer... which is hard to dial out without running some really aggressive alignment settings. So aggressive, that it changes predictability in steering and kills tire wear.

For the front on a stock front clip, you can fit an 8" with ease... and a 9.5" with some backspace attention. For the rear, a 9.5" is pretty much a slam dunk and a 10" could fit with careful attention to shock placement and forward inner fenderwell clearence.

An 18 x 9.5" on all four corners would be my choice.

[awr68]

The combo that is a sure fit on first gen camaros is 8's on the front w/ 5" b.s. and 9.5's on the rear w/ 5.5" b.s.

17" wheels allow for more side wall which gives you a little better ride than the 18s with the same tire diam. With that said I prefer the 18s.

A 9.5" wheel on a stock s/f and won't have tire rub at full lock...have to see that to beleive it! I'm not saying it isn't possible, but my experiances are doubting it.....my new front wheels are 18x9 with a 245 tire and it's a tight fit, both to the frame and fender...what car is running this?

[WicKeD_SS]

Sorry fogot some details...... This is a 67 camaro with stock sub-frame and upper and lower control arms. I have had the rear mini-tubbed. Thanks for the replys keep them coming with any comments!

[chicane]

A 9.5" wheel on a stock s/f and won't have tire rub at full lock...have to see that to beleive it! I'm not saying it isn't possible, but my experiances are doubting it.....my new front wheels are 18x9 with a 245 tire and it's a tight fit, both to the frame and fender...what car is running this?

#1. Key point..... adjustable 'steering stops'.
#2. Key point..... the right steering box.

I know of a few 67-68's that run a 9.5" with a 275 and dont have the associated problems when the key points are adhered to. I am assured that an 18 x 9.5" will work without problem.....

FWIW, Stielow's Camaro X is utilizing an 18 x 9" with 6.125" BS, without issue.

[eville]

#1. Key point..... adjustable 'steering stops'.

Are these available anyway other than with speedtech LCAs?

[awr68]

#1. Key point..... adjustable 'steering stops'.
#2. Key point..... the right steering box.

I know of a few 67-68's that run a 9.5" with a 275 and dont have the associated problems when the key points are adhered to. I am assured that an 18 x 9.5" will work without problem.....

FWIW, Stielow's Camaro X is utilizing an 18 x 9" with 6.125" BS, without issue.

Thanks for the info! So what you are saying is you can't do it in 'stock' form, you have to adjust the stops, which in return lessons the turning radius...this all makes since to me, I thought you had a way to keep the stock turning radius and fit the 9.5" wheel. Again thanks for clearing that up.

Yep I knew Camaro X had an 18 x 9" in the front as we both had our wheels on order with Fikse at the same time and we used his numbers as referance when building mine....

[chicane]

Are these available anyway other than with speedtech LCAs?
Sure, you can add them to your stock LCA's for about 15 minutes of work and $3.95.



Thanks for the info! So what you are saying is you can't do it in 'stock' form, you have to adjust the stops, which in return lessons the turning radius...this all makes since to me, I thought you had a way to keep the stock turning radius and fit the 9.5" wheel. Again thanks for clearing that up.
Ill take this as your version of sarcasm. Yeah, you can run it in stock form.... as long as you stay with the factory shipped ride height and dont go too deep on the backspacing. But for where we like the ride height... no, not really. The right spring and damper combination, along with the proper alignment will be the components that make or brake this fitment.

Driving with a little less steering radius and about half the brain the Lord gave you isnt that much of a difference. The reduction in radius isnt as much as you might think, but I hear you on that point. If I spent a lot of time at Cruz-in's/car shows/mall parking lots.... it might be more of a concern for me, but the payoff in available traction on the front end more than outweigh's the one single con.

Its either that, or turning with your right foot seems to become much more fun :unibrow:

[awr68]

Ill take this as your version of sarcasm.

Nope not really, I was actually thankfull you took the time to let me know what it took to fit the 9.5" wheel...that's all, I have a lot of respect for you!!

[chicane]

Nope not really, I was actually thankfull you took the time to let me know what it took to fit the 9.5" wheel...that's all, I have a lot of respect for you!!

Got'cha.... that was my version of sarcasm !! :rofl:

[rocketman]

IMO.after seeing all the 18's,19's,20's,out 17's look to damn little almost as the same look as 15's.

Now 17's and 18's look good I prefer a wheel split.

[WicKeD_SS]

IMO.after seeing all the 18's,19's,20's,out 17's look to damn little almost as the same look as 15's.

Now 17's and 18's look good I prefer a wheel split.

I didnt get to order the rims due to the fact that ist a holiday weekend, but I will be doing something next week. Thanks for your thoughts rocketman. I think img going to go with 17 F 18 B.

If anyone has any thoughts on what size looks the best Keep them coming!

[rocketman]

I didnt get to order the rims due to the fact that ist a holiday weekend, but I will be doing something next week. Thanks for your thoughts rocketman. I think img going to go with 17 F 18 B.

If anyone has any thoughts on what size looks the best Keep them coming!


My wife's camaro has 17's and 18's it will look good,I tried to get her to go 18's and 20's she didn't like them.Hell my 94 z has the same combo,I think with the 18 on the back they look good,just not 17's all around.

Good luck with yours.

[eville]

Sure, you can add them to your stock LCA's for about 15 minutes of work and $3.95.



Do you mind elaborating?

[chicane]

Two 1/2" (16) x 1 1/2" bolts and four 1/2" (16) nuts.

Take a 1/2" drill to the control arm and mount the hardware.... then adjust your newly fabricated stops.

[Ummgawa]

just my 2 cents worth here... seems to me that the 67-68 rear wheel opening is more condusive to a wider wheel just by the sheer fact that it is rounded. The 69 having the flat area on the top of the wheel opening makes it where the tire has to be tucked. Makes a difference and the 67-8 is obviously more forgiving.

[Rhino]

Another personal preference here... but the wheel well sizes on the 67/68 just don't seem conducive to the staggered wheels. I've been agonizing over this for almost a month because the wheels I'm wanting aren't available in 18 x 9.5. I either have to compromise on the diameter, or the width (8.5)

I photoshopped the combinations until my fingers were raw. The stagger almost always seems too large from at least one angle. Other cars it works good with, I just don't see it on the early first gen Camaros.

In my observation, I haven't seen many cars with staggered 17/18 that were running custom wheels. I have a feeling that it may as much wheel availability as it is aesthetic choice.

just my 2 cents worth here... seems to me that the 67-68 rear wheel opening is more condusive to a wider wheel just by the sheer fact that it is rounded. The 69 having the flat area on the top of the wheel opening makes it where the tire has to be tucked. Makes a difference and the 67-8 is obviously more forgiving.

Ironically enough, it's that flattened area that makes things easier on the '69. You can tuck the wheel within the fender while still having a decent ride height. To do the same for the '67 or 68 requires a slightly lower ride height, exacerbating the issue we have with larger wheels.

[CamaroPat]

17" vs. 18" wheels. If you're after a look, go for whatever looks right to you. As far as performance is concerned, there is no benefit to running 18" wheels instead of 17's. The larger the outer diameter of your tire, the more leverage aforementioned tire will apply against your brakes. Since your front wheels do 70%+ of your braking, there is little sense in increasing the diameter of your rotor in the rear to counteract the additional resistance you will experience with a larger tire. Just test carefully with a proportioning valve. From a purely functional standpoint, the best reason to install larger diameter wheels is to allow for the installation of larger diameter brake rotors, which then have increased leverage and ability to stop the wheel. The increase in unsprung and rotational mass from a 17 to an 18 is negligible for street use. You can maintain the same outer diameter tire running 17's or 18's, just by reducing the aspect ratio, but at the limits of adhesion, a shorter sidewall tire will act more twitchy, the ride will be stiffer and there is an increased risk of damaging your wheels when you encounter pot holes, etc. due to the reduced cushioning effect of the tire.