Will F-Body wheels fit G-Bodies?
06-10-2008, 04:24 PM
#1
Will F-Body wheels fit G-Bodies? I own '83 Buick Regal and I was wandering if any F-body wheels would fit it. Offset and backspacing would prob. be different? Just wandering, if so would like to see some pics of what it looks like. Thanks!
06-10-2008, 10:02 PM
#2
All the 16"x8" front wheels from 85-92 F's are zero offset. Ideally, a set of 4 works quite well. I have 2001 ZQ8 S-10 wheels (zero offset) with the hubs bored out to fit the G-body hubs. I am very happy with them. They are chrome chevy centre caps and I have chrome lug caps I modified (to hold the centre cap on.)
With the rear 16"x8" rear wheels from 85-92 F's, they are approx +16?mm offset and you can theoretically run fronts in the rear and the rears in the front with minimal shim spacers (watch your nut thread engagement on the studs! iron drum cars got shorter studs than aluminum drum cars!) I have not done this but I have heard
Anything 93+ F is too much positive offset to run without a lot of shim spacer or wheel adapter. I used to want a set of the '97 SS wheels (that everyone calls ZR-1 wheels
) but they really don't do a lot for the edgy lines of the G-body in my opinion.
If I was starting from scratch on a chassis for a G, I'd do something with a wider track front and rear, so that wheels for a C5 or 4th gen F worked.
I have test fit a zero offset 17x9" set of ROH wheels at a shoppe here in Chandler years ago. They fit really well. The truth about 16's is that you can't really go wider than 8" easily in width because they are into the front upper a-arms. 17's are an excellent wheel size for the G overall for this reason.
Additionally: People refer to backspacing incorrectly all the time.
The distance from the wheel mounting face to the inner bead surface (the further inner surface against which the tyre seats) is a valid backspacing number. It let's you determine actual offset.
The "wheel mounting face to the absolute inner part of the wheel" is a garbage number. It doesn't give you a clue as to where the tyre will fit. It doesn't mean the shoppe is incompetent, but since wheels vary in thickness at that area of the wheel, it means that a truly zero offset wheel could have a measurement of 4.25" or 4.75" or somewhere in between and it really doesn't help you fit the tyre. It nominally helps you fit a wheel, but only at one point and in most cases (save the 16" G-body fitments) is a useless number.
-Matthew
With the rear 16"x8" rear wheels from 85-92 F's, they are approx +16?mm offset and you can theoretically run fronts in the rear and the rears in the front with minimal shim spacers (watch your nut thread engagement on the studs! iron drum cars got shorter studs than aluminum drum cars!) I have not done this but I have heard
Anything 93+ F is too much positive offset to run without a lot of shim spacer or wheel adapter. I used to want a set of the '97 SS wheels (that everyone calls ZR-1 wheels
) but they really don't do a lot for the edgy lines of the G-body in my opinion.If I was starting from scratch on a chassis for a G, I'd do something with a wider track front and rear, so that wheels for a C5 or 4th gen F worked.
I have test fit a zero offset 17x9" set of ROH wheels at a shoppe here in Chandler years ago. They fit really well. The truth about 16's is that you can't really go wider than 8" easily in width because they are into the front upper a-arms. 17's are an excellent wheel size for the G overall for this reason.
Additionally: People refer to backspacing incorrectly all the time.
The distance from the wheel mounting face to the inner bead surface (the further inner surface against which the tyre seats) is a valid backspacing number. It let's you determine actual offset.
The "wheel mounting face to the absolute inner part of the wheel" is a garbage number. It doesn't give you a clue as to where the tyre will fit. It doesn't mean the shoppe is incompetent, but since wheels vary in thickness at that area of the wheel, it means that a truly zero offset wheel could have a measurement of 4.25" or 4.75" or somewhere in between and it really doesn't help you fit the tyre. It nominally helps you fit a wheel, but only at one point and in most cases (save the 16" G-body fitments) is a useless number.
-Matthew
06-13-2008, 09:45 AM
#7
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A 17 x 9 is not a ZR-1 wheel, it's an SS wheel.
I'm not claiming to have wheels from a ZR1, but feel free to tell me what my stuff is anytime you'd like, since you are the expert.
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06-13-2008, 07:54 PM
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Hmmm SLP calls them Chrome ZR1 wheels on my SS on the 2nd sticker content. They are referring to them as a style since they originally came on Corvette ZR1's. Just like they call them Z06 wheels since they originally came with that style on the Z06's.
06-14-2008, 12:53 AM
#10
That is a very nice car man! I think the ZR1's look sweet on there. Do you remember where you bought them at? How much? Did you use any spacers to get them to fit? Love the two tone paint job, was thinking about that for my car. Still have them on the T-type? Wanna sell them?
06-14-2008, 07:48 AM
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I bought them directly from SLP and they $175 a wheel with center caps, lug nuts and covers. No spacers needed and it has 245/45/ZR17 BFG's all the way around with no rubbing. They are still on the car, which is still in storage...I've been playing with the Z too much to get it out and fix a few things that need to be done. The wheels aren't for sale, but the whole car is!!!!
Its 1 of 463 WH1 two-tone cars and has every option but T Tops and is tastefully modded.
brand new SG1 shortblock, ARP fasteners everywhere, stock crank, rods, pistons, gapless rings, Comp 206/206 billet roller cam, T&D 1.55 shaft-mounted rockers, 845 heads ported by Indy Cylinder Heads, 1.66 intake 1.54 exhaust, BGC ported intake and throttle body, 50# MSD injectors, Walbro fuel pump and larger rails, PT54 turbo with 3" downpipe into cutout and 3" single ATR exhaust, stretch liquid intercooler, 3400 Vigilante converter and B&M ProStick shifter on a Jimmy's level 2 200-4R, 10 bolt with Moser axles, Auburn Pro diff with 3.42 gear and girdle, UMI suspension and Bilstein shocks, all Autometer gauges, fairly high end audio system......tons more if I could remember it...and its a one owner (about 103K on it, 4K on all mods) It was painted in 01 and could use a good buffing, however the trunk lid is starting to bubble and a few spots on the 1/4 panels will need attention. $13,500 as it sits!
Its 1 of 463 WH1 two-tone cars and has every option but T Tops and is tastefully modded.
brand new SG1 shortblock, ARP fasteners everywhere, stock crank, rods, pistons, gapless rings, Comp 206/206 billet roller cam, T&D 1.55 shaft-mounted rockers, 845 heads ported by Indy Cylinder Heads, 1.66 intake 1.54 exhaust, BGC ported intake and throttle body, 50# MSD injectors, Walbro fuel pump and larger rails, PT54 turbo with 3" downpipe into cutout and 3" single ATR exhaust, stretch liquid intercooler, 3400 Vigilante converter and B&M ProStick shifter on a Jimmy's level 2 200-4R, 10 bolt with Moser axles, Auburn Pro diff with 3.42 gear and girdle, UMI suspension and Bilstein shocks, all Autometer gauges, fairly high end audio system......tons more if I could remember it...and its a one owner (about 103K on it, 4K on all mods) It was painted in 01 and could use a good buffing, however the trunk lid is starting to bubble and a few spots on the 1/4 panels will need attention. $13,500 as it sits!
