FullThrottleV6.com - 5th Gen V6 Camaro, Firebird, Grand Prix, Regal, Grand Am and Mustang Tech Forums FAQ

A common question for the F-Body is “will this wheel fit”?

Remember that when you add weight to a part that has to be turned by the motor, it is far worse than adding weight to any other part of the car. The stock wheels are 16 inches (except for some models of the V8) because that provides a light weight with plenty of tire to absorb some of the shock from obstacles.

The 17-inch wheel is popular because it provides good looks with manageable weight. There is enough tire left on the wheel to absorb considerable shock from obstacles when compared to the 16 inch wheel.

18-inch wheels are pushing it in terms of weight, especially with a V6. Tire sidewall begins to decrease significantly here, and road obstacles will have to be taken with more care.

Going above 18 inches in a V6 is asking for a slow car. Not only will your car be slow, but also you’ll have so little sidewall on your tire that you might as well be riding on a layer of rubber. The extra weight will counter any extra “performance” you’ll get in cornering from the low profile tires.

Here’s what to look for:

Bolt Pattern

5 x 4.75 inches

or

5 x 120.65 mm


Front Wheels/Tires

Width of Wheel (inches)	Offset (mm)	Width of Tire (mm)
7.0	+35 to +40	215, 225, 235
7.5	+35 to +45	215, 225, 235
8.0	+38 to +55	225, 235, 245
8.5	+38 to +45	235, 245, 255
9.0	+38 to +56	255, 265, 275
9.5	+38 to +56	255, 265, 275
10.0	+38 to +48	265, 275

Rear Wheels/Tires

Width of Wheel (inches)	Offset (mm)	Width of Tire (mm)
10.0	+38 to +54	275, 285
10.5	+38 to +50	275, 285, 295
11.0	+45 to +56	315

Wheel offset is the distance from the center of the wheel to the mounting surface (where you install the lugs).





The above picture shoes the different types of offsets.

Positive Offset
Positive Offset is easy to remember because one is pretty much always safe with positive offset. It is generally used in most factory configurations and in most wheel configurations overall. Positive offset occurs when the mounting surface is toward the street (visible) side of the centerline of the wheel.

Zero Offset
Zero Offset is when the mounting surface is perfectly even with the centerline of the wheel. This configuration is uncommon.

Negative Offset:
Negative offset is the “deep dish” style of wheel. This occurs when the mounting surface is toward the inside (not visible) side of the centerline. This configuration can cause stress on the chassis and is purely aesthetic.

Stock offset for 93-02 F-Bodies is 56 mm.

Wheel Backspacing
Wheel backspacing is the distance from the mounting surface to the backside of the rim. Measuring from the mounting surface to the rear (not visible) side of the wheel will determine backspacing. Thus, negative offset or “deep dish” wheels will almost always have low backspacing, where positive offset will produce a larger backspace.