T/Atime

Anyone out there running 4 front gta wheels? im looking for some pictures of the rear/ side/ fenders, id like to see the stance be for i buy 2 more fronts.

T/Atime

i guess ill be the first one to be rolling on fronts.
pics please

itsMikey

yeaa post pics please..been thinking about doing this for a while..want more offset in the back..rear are sunk to much

88fastgta

iTrader: (9)

i have been wanting to run all front tires as well... please post pics...

T/Atime

Bump

APACHE JOHN

It's done all the time. I run 4 front 91 Z-28 wheels......get ahold of I think 841Le or something similar he has been running them forever. Same offset as my Camaro fronts and all 85-92 F-body 16's hey at least you can rotate them at home now. I always could but i have a tire changer and balancer. i try not to let many people I have that stuff in my shop. LOL

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

Are the deeper set wheels for the front or for the rear?

T/Atime

The deep is for the front.
There marked on the backside of the wheel. There 0 offset so you can rotate wheels all you want without having to remount and balance tires. Gives the car a more aggressive look too.

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

Opps!

I have been running mine with the fronts on the rear and the rears on the front for 7 years now. I thought that the front wheels had a narrow inset so that they would not hit the fenders when turning.

Funny, the car has won Class Winner for 82-87 Firebird 4 years in a row, and Best Firebird in 2010 at the FbodyGatherings in Atlanta. No one has ever said a word about it...

I always thought that it looks odd.

Everyone at the show has probably been laughing behind my back all this time.

Stuff like that happens when short-bus kids get a cool car...

Thanks for the clarification.

Charles

IMissMy86TA

known about this for a while. switching to black crosslaces this spring but they are the originals with plastidip so I only have 2 fronts and 2 rears else I would.. I would... rotation baby

T/Atime

I emailed classic industries today for two quotes:
Shipping + 2 front wheels
Shipping + 4 front wheels

I'm undecided on how many wheels I buy. I'd like to have four new fronts and run my street Firestone firehawks. Use my old fronts for et streets!!
I think shipping is gonna kill me.

TPI-Formula350-

Some guys reverse the front and rear rims after putting larger front brakes on. The LS1 brake conversion push the front wheels out .3" and if you use GTA rims you need a .150" spacer. So the front wheels would be pushed out almost 1/2" on both sides. Being the rear rims have less offset ppl switch the front and back rims to correct the offset back to 0. I just finshed my LS1 brake conversion and I'll be reversing front and back rims by this weekend.

Here are some pics of TGO member Mike_C GTA with rims reversed.

T/Atime

this gta^ looks mint!! i want it!
this has just inspired me to preform a ls1 front brake swap. ill take the money from 2 new wheels and put it towards brakes instead!
the swap looks like alot of fun.

paul_huryk

Using all fronts on your car pushes the rear track out about 1", making for better handling and also ease of rotation.

TPI-Formula350-

The front rims on the rear push out less then an inch(unless you mean between both sides?), it's 16mm or .62". Not much less then you said. I just finished switching front with rear rims today after LS1 brake change, here are some pics from today.

T/Atime

Tpi your car is an animal!! It looks like its all business. Good job!

mike_c

iTrader: (13)

Thanks man! I highly recommend the LS1 front swap, it's one of the best things I've done to my car to date. Definitely save your money and put it towards the brakes and you'll already be halfway there.

Having the wheels reversed isn't the "correct" look, but it just looks more natural to have the deeper wheels on the rear rather than the front IMO.

TPI-Formula, car looks awesome! How do you like the brakes? Did you end up needing spacers on the front?

Restrorob

iTrader: (7)

Charles,

I believe you'll get that regardless how the wheels are on these cars, People that know how they should be would laugh if on backwards AND the ones that don't know any better would laugh having the wider "looking" wheels up front.

The first time I walked up on my GTA, My first thought was some "dummy" had the wheels on backwards.....




This whole wheel swap thing is getting confusing !

I read you need 1/4" spacers to run rears up front, Now I read guy's doing it for years with no mention of spacers. Then there's talk of changing brakes and no mention of spacers, Now brake change with spacers.

So...... What's the bottom line on this wheel swap deal ???

TPI-Formula350-

Thanks Mike, I've only driven the car up and down the driveway with the new brakes. It snowed here and I just don't want to clean the salt and snow off the car so I'll wait till its all gone before driving more, So far they seem great. I did end up using an 1/8" spacers.

TPI-Formula350-

If your doing the LS1 brake conversion with 16" OEM rims you only need 1/8" spacers with GTA rims. 16" IROC, Formula, ect rims don't need spacers

T/Atime

So I guess you have a couple options when doing this swap to accept the gta wheels.
1. Using a 1/8" spacer
2. Using your old rotor and having it machined only leaving the "hub hat" to slip on over your new ls1 rotors

New wheels studs would be in order correct?

IROCgiraffe

iTrader: (3)

Can anyone post the cliff notes on why the offset's of the wheels are the way they are? Like posted above, you would think you would want a wider track in the rear. Is this also the case with the IROC wheels?

Restrorob

iTrader: (7)

Thanks TPI, That covers the brake upgrade...... But, Do you still need spacers without the brake upgrade ?

TPI-Formula350-

your going to need spacers if you switch the front with rear rims without the brake conversion. The LS1 brake conversion take up some of the distance you'd need for spacers. With the LS1 brake conversion your having your stock rotors machined down into hubs. Then your going to install the LS1 rotors over the face of the hubs(old machined down rotors). The thickness of the LS1 rotors adds a .3" offset, so now your can reverse the front with rear rims, but GTA rims require an additional 1/8"(.150") spacer or they will rub on the LS1 caliper. Yes, you will also have to goto longer studs-Dorman 610-323(54mm).


If you wanted to switch the front and rear rims without doing the LS1 brake conversion you would need a spacer. I'm sure .3" would be more then enough for any OEM 16" rim being thats the thickness of the LS1 rotor. Also the GTA rim guys wouldn't need the an added 1/8" to the .3" spacer because they wouldn't have caliper clearance issues. You will still need the longer 54mm studs.

TPI-Formula350-

GTA rims require your options 1+2 as well as 54mm studs with LS1 brake coversion.

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

As for clearence issues, there does not appear to be any problems having the GTA wheels switched front to rear. I have not used any spacers. I have three sets of GTA wheels, one set is not dimpled and the other two are dimpled. I assume that the Z-28 wheels are similiar. I had a set of Formy wheels, and all four were the same. They did not appear to be spaced differently, unless I just completely missed it?

My 86 is all original and totally stock with stock sized tires. The wheels have been reversed for seven years, and there have been no problems. We do drive the car a little, and it has been out on the Tail of the Dragon (US129) many times. Nothing rubs or hits on the car.

On my 83 TA that came with the 14 inch turbo finned wheels and stock sized tires the tires rubbed the front sway bar in a full turn on both sides. My 82WS7 with the 215-65-15 does not have any clearence issues. The 86WS6 with the GTA wheels does not rub anywhere. My experience with the 83 is what made me think that there might be a clearence issue.

I am going to put them in the correct locations, now that you all have educated me about these things.

Charles

paul_huryk

Yes, I was referring to the total change (adding up both sides).

Great looking car, BTW...

2007xl50

I'm not running 4 fronts, but I have the I have the fronts on the rear and the rears on the front. The only thing I had to do to make it work was run a 1/4" spacer on the front. IMO it's look so much better than the stock FWD drag racer look LOL!

T/Atime

Sounds like a few members can get away with running a 1/4" spacer. Others, myself included, run In contact with tie rod end and weight on inside of wheel.

2007xl50

I have weights on the inside of the wheels as well and with the 1/4" spacer it's fine. Infact the drivers side for some reason did not rub at all unless I went to full lock with no spacer. I just got some spacers from Summti Racing for under $20.00 and IMO it was the best 20 bucks I have ever spent on a car. I just looks so much better and correct IMO.

TPI-Formula350-

I'm almost a 1/2" with the .3" LS1 rotor and 1/8" spacer. I was also looking to correct the offset to where the real front rim was. Also have to go this way with LS1 brakes.

My understanding is a 1/4" spacer would work without LS1 brakes but the offset would be deeper set into the wheel well.

2007xl50

Not sure since I have the stock brakes. I can tell you that without the 1/4's spacer the front wheels did sit in a bit far for my likeing, but with the spacers on the front it looks like it should have from the factory.

thomas1976

I tried the fronts in the back but did not like it, looks goofy, the rims are too narrow and stick out the fenders, allowing to see almost behind the wheels.

I find it looks a little less goofy on the pre-91-92 models, the side skirts go straight down and hide the empty space behind the wheels a little better.

TPI-Formula350-

I've had it for reversed for a week and it's growing on me more every day.

thomas1976

Does not look too goofy on your formula either, there seems to be a little more rubber then with a stock tire.

The rear of the formula has an european accent of 90's street-autocross stance, that does not look wery good with trans am ground effects.

TPI-Formula350-

It probably helps that my car is lowered 1". I also have a slightly wider then stock tire-255 drag radial out back.

Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

If that isn't car of the month then I don't know what is. Someone nominate him already...

karl's-92'-z28

iTrader: (5)

The first thing I did with mines was to swap fronts to rear & vise versa. Fronts did need spacers to clear the putter tie rods from rubbing the inside of the rim. My rims are the dimpled version. I know that on some camaros with rear drum brakes, they came with spacers. You can use those also for the front. I know some people use spacers for the front & some don't. I'm not sure if the dimpled & dimpled versions make a difference.

karl's-92'-z28

iTrader: (5)

Isn't he running 255/50-16 on all 4 rims? That's what I'm thinking of doing.

WolfmanTA

Here is a pic's of mine! Cheers Bro...

2007xl50

No stock looks goofy-kinda like a FWD drag racer. More offset on the front look awful IMO. I will never have my TA wheels in the correct postion ever again-just looks to good the way I have it now.

thomas1976

Mainly I can not disagree with your quote, except that I prefer 4 fronts, the rears do not look right on the front.

However on 91-92 firebird models the front "GTA wheels" look a little goofy on the rear, for my eyes.

devianb

My old Firebird had 4 fronts. I liked it.



When I bought my Trans Am [stock brakes stock height] it had the fronts on the rear and vice versa with no spacer in the front. I had 3mm of clearance between the rim and tie rod. On full lock the lip of the strut would come into contact with the inside of the rim, otherwise no problem. There wasn't any contact with the ball joint that I could see.



Here is where you can see the mark left from strut lip touching rim at full lock.

mike_c

iTrader: (13)

Sorry my response is kinda late, but yeah, I have 255/50/16's on all 4

Keoman

iTrader: (3)

So if I am reading this right, you need to have 4 "rear" wheels (89' J65 GTA or Iroc) on your car to return to a completely stock offset on every wheel with LS1 front brakes?

T/Atime

you got it!

T/Atime

ive been looking for 2 used fronts for over a year now. not willing to over pay and not wanting to travel or ship them.

today I found 2 wheels!! im having the seller deliver the wheels tomorrow for an extra 25$ to my job site. great deal!

I cant wait to rotate wheels once a season and have the look ive been after for years. lowered 1'' with the wheels. cant wait!

id still like to eventually do a brake swap. the "extra" front rims at this point can be used for drag radial or something useful. id like to do a prop valve mod too.

KITTvsKARR

iTrader: (3)

Tried putting my 87 Black cross lace rims on my 85 camaro to notice they were different rims (this was my first experience with that) as one set rubbed on the suspension like stated.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

That seems a little off to me. The thickness of my rotor for my LS1 swap was nowhere near the difference in offset between my front and rear wheels. Probably half the offset, maybe.

Anyway I run four front wheels. No one would ever know.

T/Atime

Check out my rims I restored in the back yard.

4 fronts!!!