Does anybody know if 15x8 Corvette rally's would fit in the back of a 65 chevelle coupe.. If so what is the biggest tires I can use. thanks

You can use 8's in the back with 4.5 inches-5 inches of backspace.(5 works great, 4.5 is good) With that you can run a 275-60-15 or so, one guy on here got a 275-50-15(which is wider due to the shorter overall sidewall) on a 5 inch backspace and rolling the wheel lips.
So yes, an 8 would work with 4.5-5 inches of backspace and a 275 is about biggest you'll be able to get without some mods.(wheel lip basically)


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Russ (or Steve)
1965 Malibu 283/PG/A/C (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/SteveD64SSside.jpg)
Now 350/TH350 with some goodies
My Homepage **(Updated 5/16/2002)** (http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/chevelle/)
Team Chevelle Member #71

Steve or Russ, I stay confused about how to measure back space & offset. A stock 15"X 8" Corvette rally is 8" from bead to bead, If you measure the back space from the bead its 4". Some say you measure back space and offset from the back edge of the wheel, Then its 4 5/8". I am told a Corvette 4" back space will rub the outside well lip of a 64/65. But a 4 1/2" or 5" will work. So I guess you need to know how the wheel was measured. Still confused, Bob J.

the 275x60x15 will work with the right offset. Different tire manufacturers have different Section widths. The widest part of the tire side wall mounted and inflated. 11.2 inches is about the max you can get up inside the 65 wheel well.

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1965 Chevelle
Maroond


Maroon 65 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/marooned65.jpg)

I have done extensive work trying to fit the absolute widest tires possible in the back of my '65 chevelle. I went with a 7" wide rim to try and keep the tire in as much as possible. I ordered 15X7 with 4.5" BS rims, and they fit pretty good, but not perfect. I now have just ordered custom 4.75" BS rims from wheel vintiques (corvette ralleye). They should exactly center the tire in the wheel well.

Joe

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1965 Chevelle SS

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bob Johnson:
Steve or Russ, I stay confused about how to measure back space & offset. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Measure backspace by laying the wheel down flat on it's face with the back of the wheel facing up toward you. Lay a board across the wheel, laying on the outermost rim. Then measure vertically down from the board to the wheel surface where it would mate up to the brake drum. That's backspace.

Offset is a completely different thing. It is a measurment of how far from perfect center the rim will sit in relationship to the bolt-up surface. Offset can be a positive or negative number, depending on whether the wheel dishes more to the inside or the outside.


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Bob Von Kaenel
70 SS 54k orig miles

So the 15" X 8" Corvette wheel has a 5/8" Neg. offset?