Will this tire/rim setup work?

Seems like a nice deal. I like my current rims and tires but rims have a good bit of wear and the tires have some dry rot. These rims would be cheaper than re-storing current ones. Thought it might be nice to interchange them with something that has some shine, especially since I plan on chroming the bumpers. Could swap 'em out from time to time.

I thought for the price, (or maybe offering a little less) the 3 good tires it comes with were also nearly worth it. My only hesitation is that I like the current rims and the slotted design in comparison.

Anyone familiar with the tires in terms of whether they would be the right style/ride for a van? I like the look of the current Radial T/A's.

My rims are Vette 5 lug, so these would appear to work.


http://charleston.craigslist.org/pts/2682107758.html

Thinking these vettes are 4 & 3/4 on 5 lug pattern=? Ive got the same rims going on mine also.I put some eagle (goodyear tires) on them -largest i could get,on the van also. Try using a "Fantastic" spray bottle of cleaner on them if not shiny- the stuff has been covered in previous posts here & really works great too - will surprise you, Happy Vannin

TP, you are using Vette rims or ones on the CL listing? Not sure whether you think they will or won't work? It's not just the shiny part of the Vette rims. Paint shows some wear as well.

Not sure if the CL rims will work?? as seller doesnt say the bolt pattern size ?? could be anything = ?? so maybe call the guy or email - he doesnt even say what they were used on either - like selling a woman without a foto??

Yeah I would call him and ask him if they are 4 3/4 or 5" inch pattern. If he doesnt know ask him to measure hole to hole.

As far as yours, those would polish up nice. We have some aluminum ultra fine grit polish we use here and a terry cloth pad on our aluminum parts and they are like mirrors. I will get a photo and post it so you can see. Those you have on look like they have a mat or Gunmetal finish but could easily be polished to shine. could also either sand out the black area and repaint it or sand it out and polish it. Then pin stripe the outer lip of the rim to match the color.

I love those rims if you decide to get rid of them let me know. Otherwise I would polish and mod them yourself.

Guy says they came off 1994 S-10. He said he also used more modern Corvette rims previously on the same truck. Assuming all Vette rims have stayed the same size through the years, it seems this would work. He is going to measure for me later.

These tires cost him $225 a piece, so three good tires (one brand new one) is worth it even if I keep my current rims.

Lee,
Looking at the pic they really look like Ford 4 1/2's

Dan

DanTheVanMan wrote:Lee,
Looking at the pic they really look like Ford 4 1/2's

Dan

i thought the same thing.

And Lee,
Those Vette wheels are fairly easy to keep clean. The Aluminum american racing rims are a pain to clean and polish. And need cleaning often.

Trust me, I know!!!!

The tires looks like they would be a little to big to fit in your wheel wells without scrubbing atleast on the front when you started turning.

DanTheVanMan wrote:And Lee,
Those Vette wheels are fairly easy to keep clean. The Aluminum american racing rims are a pain to clean and polish. And need cleaning often.

Trust me, I know!!!!

Dan, I knew you would know as I'd seen them on your pic recently. BTW, I love that pic. It reminds me of a photo they would have used for a vintage ad promoting a van.

The tire size is 225/75/15. My current tires are 225/60/15. What backspacing to our vans have? I read that Vette wheels need 4" backspacing and no idea how you figure that out based on wheel size. What is the main factor in determining whether a tire will fit a rim?

Can someone give me Tires 101?

Guy says he spoke with three different shops today that told him they would fit and measured them himself at 4 3/4. He said they were on his S-10, so they aren't Ford unless they have the same bolt pattern.

Not about being dirty, just a bonus set of rims I may like if the tires are good.

Matthew, I like the painted look. It makes them stand out a bit. Only downside is wear and the inability to hit them with wheel cleaner.

I eventually need tires and if this is a good match, I only need one other tire and get a set of rims along with it. He said rims have no rash whatsoever. If the tires are worth the price, I have a set of rims I can sell or try out, assuming they are the right ones.

This is what they look like cleaned up:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Corvette-c3-factory-15-alloy-wheels-tires-rims-1976-1982-/120835677020?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item1c225e1b5c

the 225/75's are alittle over 28" tall. On an 8 inch rim id wager you would have rubbing problems on the front. Tire rack has them listed for 113$ apiece. The lower profile 60 series look like they work well, I know you can go up to a 65 or maybe a 70 series with no problems. most stock rims like a 15x 7 have a 3-3/4 back space. Its kind of a happy medium. to much back space and you hit on the inside when you turn , to little and you hit the wheel well fronts as a rule. So if your current wheels are 8" wide and have a 4" backspace they seem to be matched well with the 60 series for clearance if they arent a problem. Also those GSAs are a light truck tread pattern kinda coarse. I know several of us run a 225/65/15 with no problems. I run a 7" wide rim on the front.

Thanks, Digz. That's the kind of info I was looking for. Still trying to wrap my head around back space, but I get the importance of it. Thanks as well about the tire info. I wasn't sure if those were really intended for a van.

Lastly, tires aside, would the rims themselves workable/standard fit? Trying to figure out what determines that? Mainly related to back spacing measurement?

If I understand correctly, the tire profile is the problem with these actual tires in this equation? Same rim could take another 15" tire and wider tire but it's just too tall?

On the backspace. I'll give a for instance. When I first got back into the van thing a couple years ago, I ran across some really cool looking rims at a yard sale. they were an 8" wide wheel but the backspace was nearly the full depth of the wheels width,about 6" , they would have bottomed out against the shocks and everything else. I currently have a cool set of keystone Classics that are opposite of that. They are a deep dish to the outside, again an 8" wide wheel but with a 2.5" backspace, but they would swing the tire into the sheet metal when you turn, so they sit in my closet patiently waiting to go on the rear of something someday. Most wheels off a RWD like an S-10 will fit okay and the older vettes also. They usually have back spaces that fall into our vans comfort zones. I use sites like Tire rack.com or even your handy Summit or jegs catalogue to look up tire specs. The wider the tire you put on the front, the smaller diameter it will need to be and it also makes it harder to turn. This is just my opinion but the 215 width is pretty darn decent. I misspoke myself in the other post, Im running the 215/65s. On the rears your options are better if you wish to put some rake and such on the van. 26-27" tall tires work well up front give or take alittle. Theres room for 29"tall tires in the rear in most cases I think. Width in the rear is going to depend on personal taste and what your suspension will let you get away with.
Gawd I ramble on....

That's great. No ramble, just painting the picture effectively. And, since we are on tires, other than aesthetics, does a wider tire in back really help with turning? I asked that question way early on in my learning and I believe TP responded that it helped make turning easier.

I like the look of a little wider stance (and my current same all around sizing), but it's gotta be just the right combo to hit me. And, it obviously eliminates the ability to rotate front to back. It would make sense to me that the wider tires in back would help stick things in the corners a bit better as well.

hmmm never heard that on wider back tires, no idea..lol. Perhaps a shorter sidewall would reduce flex ? Beyond that swaybars would really get rid of body roll. I've got one on the front but dont feel a need for one in the back as my springs are new and really stiff yet.

Those 225/75 tires are the wrong size for your van... like digz said they will be too tall for the front and they will rub. They will be tall but not wide and won't give you that cool low-fat look that a 60 or 50 series tire will. 75 series, they're more for a truck.

As a general rule, usually the shorter, wider tires help improve handling in corners... but I'm probably not going to be sliding around corners much so I usually choose tire size based on the fit and 'stance' I want to achieve. My ultimate goal is that my van look as cool as possible and the right rim/tire combo makes all the difference!

I really like your current 'vette rims, they are cool as hell. Those are 72-76 vette wheels and they are 8" wide. Keep them and clean 'em up and polish em out. They are way cooler than those craigslist rims. I'd love to have a set of those 70's vette wheels!!

I'd stick with 225/60 or 215/65 up front and consider a 275/60 out back, which is a nice big tire and fits great on a 15x8 wheel.
here's a pic of my van with 275/60r15 out back:




If you want to go real fat, you can get away with a 295/50r15 on an 8" wide rim too. Its alot of rubber to squeeze onto a 8" wheel, but it works and looks cool as heck!




If you don't already have a front sway bar, start looking for one, they make a big difference in improving the handling of these little vans. Quality shocks help too.

Kookie, thanks for the feedback. First of all, I agree they are cooler rims. Those Vette/Camaro turbines in your photos are pretty nice as well. The ones I was looking at on CL are pretty base model AR rims and not expensive compared to most sets of new rims.

I prefer a slotted or mag wheel myself. Since they weren't my personal touch, I thought I would do something different and thought a chrome or shiny set might be nice, but I'm going after restoring these or trading them for a restored set. If you like the Vette rims, I saw a set of 4 with just a little curb rash recently sell for under $400 shipped are were listed three times.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-1976-82-Chevy-Corvette-15x8-Kelsey-Hayes-1978-81-Wheels-Rims-/280796200577?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4160c1fe81

Check out this guy. I spoke with him and he does amazing work. He used to work for Roush and designed rims for Ford and says several rims on their production cars have his name attached. He left his 100K a year job to do what he really love: restoring rims. He said he owns a $75,000 CNC machine and does rims for cars going to Barrett-Jackson, etc. And, he owns a 70's shorty van which he is selling.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Corvette-SS-RS-ZR1-Z06-OEM-RIM-WHEELs-Refinishing-Better-than-NOS-/110787351365?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item19cb70d345