[Msquared]

C4 Corvettes had directional wheels that faced the correct direction on each side (only the A-Mold 5-spokes were not directional - all others were from 84-96). From 93-96 the base models came with "sawblade wheels" like in post #3 with staggered widths, too. So they did indeed have four different wheels on a car. But since the OE tires were directional anyway, you still weren't going to be able to rotate them at all with the staggered setup, even if the wheels were non-directional.

FWIW, I never noticed the SS having the spokes swept one way on one side and the other way on the other. Go figure...

Originally Posted by 50MileSmile

The loading on the suspension will be different and could cause premature wear on the moving parts; we’ve seen this on autocross and track cars and higher-mileage street vehicles. Also, the alignment can be off enough to affect tire wear patterns. Finally, the car (and hopefully you) are tuned for considerably more rubber to be on the road than 8.5s can provide. I’m not saying you’ll fly off the road driving to the grocery store, but at speed the car’s responses to your inputs certainly will not be the best they could be.

None of this is true at all. Wheel and tires widths don't affect the loads on the suspension, except acceleration loads. In this case, narrower tires (and probably less sticky rubber) will reduce the loads on the suspension because the car won't be able to corner, brake, or accelerate as hard. If you put super-sticky tires on a car not built for them, then maybe - but this is the opposite case. Tire and wheel width have nothing to do with alignment or tire wear. I don't even know what "tuned for considerably more rubber to be on the road than 8.5s can provide" even means.

[Zr8000]

After market has many options

[50MileSmile]

Originally Posted by Msquared

None of this is true at all. Wheel and tires widths don't affect the loads on the suspension, except acceleration loads. In this case, narrower tires (and probably less sticky rubber) will reduce the loads on the suspension because the car won't be able to corner, brake, or accelerate as hard. If you put super-sticky tires on a car not built for them, then maybe - but this is the opposite case. Tire and wheel width have nothing to do with alignment or tire wear. I don't even know what "tuned for considerably more rubber to be on the road than 8.5s can provide" even means.

i shouldn't write messages like this when I’m falling asleep watching a NASCAR race. Sooo...

Of course, just changing wheel size will not change the alignment, since alignment is really measured from (and dependent on the position of) the hub, which doesn’t change just because you’ve swapped wheels and tires. However, if the alignment is off before the switch, a wheel-and-tire change can amplify any handling or tire wear problems that already existed (and even may have been undetectable), so in a perfect world the alignment should be checked.

Also, going to a different wheel width can affect suspension loading, bearing wear, handling and traction - although it’s fair to say those problems usually are more evident when the wheel offset is incorrect or you go to a wider-than-stock wheel-and-tire combination. In this case, since the OP is using a complete OEM wheel-and-tire combination, those issues should be greatly minimized - but there will (should) be a noticeable difference in driving feel because the wheels and tires are narrower and a different profile than the ZL1 suspension was designed to handle.

[JROC]

Well, it's certainly been done before.













I can show other examples if you wish.

I think they look pretty good BTW, especially on the LT1's.

[Juise99]

Originally Posted by Msquared

C4 Corvettes had directional wheels that faced the correct direction on each side (only the A-Mold 5-spokes were not directional - all others were from 84-96). From 93-96 the base models came with "sawblade wheels" like in post #3 with staggered widths, too. So they did indeed have four different wheels on a car. But since the OE tires were directional anyway, you still weren't going to be able to rotate them at all with the staggered setup, even if the wheels were non-directional.

FWIW, I never noticed the SS having the spokes swept one way on one side and the other way on the other. Go figure...


None of this is true at all. Wheel and tires widths don't affect the loads on the suspension, except acceleration loads. In this case, narrower tires (and probably less sticky rubber) will reduce the loads on the suspension because the car won't be able to corner, brake, or accelerate as hard. If you put super-sticky tires on a car not built for them, then maybe - but this is the opposite case. Tire and wheel width have nothing to do with alignment or tire wear. I don't even know what "tuned for considerably more rubber to be on the road than 8.5s can provide" even means.

My thoughts exactly

Originally Posted by 50MileSmile

i shouldn't write messages like this when I’m falling asleep watching a NASCAR race. Sooo...

Of course, just changing wheel size will not change the alignment, since alignment is really measured from (and dependent on the position of) the hub, which doesn’t change just because you’ve swapped wheels and tires. However, if the alignment is off before the switch, a wheel-and-tire change can amplify any handling or tire wear problems that already existed (and even may have been undetectable), so in a perfect world the alignment should be checked.

Also, going to a different wheel width can affect suspension loading, bearing wear, handling and traction - although it’s fair to say those problems usually are more evident when the wheel offset is incorrect or you go to a wider-than-stock wheel-and-tire combination. In this case, since the OP is using a complete OEM wheel-and-tire combination, those issues should be greatly minimized - but there will (should) be a noticeable difference in driving feel because the wheels and tires are narrower and a different profile than the ZL1 suspension was designed to handle.

The load is carried/transferred to the suspension at the hub so the tire size and width only affect how and where that weight is carried on the tire to it's relative position to the vehicle. None of the tire size aspects mentioned here, especially going narrower will change the alignment. So with the track alignment (which I have) more weight is loaded on the inside lip of the wheel. All the narrower tires are doing is moving the weight bearing to the outside, since these wheels are not as deep. Vehicle characteristics and the actual math of the alignment are two different things. I was fully aware the car will feel different, and be under-tired. I don't pretend to know everything, but your statements about this were just flat out wrong.

Originally Posted by JROC

Well, it's certainly been done before.













I can show other examples if you wish.

I think they look pretty good BTW, especially on the LT1's.

Noe find pictures of these exact same cars from the other side and tell me what you see.

[z28deuce]

Originally Posted by JROC

Well, it's certainly been done before.













I can show other examples if you wish.

I think they look pretty good BTW, especially on the LT1's.

The 4th-gen Z28 used the same wheel on the left and right sides. I had a '94 and that was one of the reasons I replaced them with aftermarket wheels. The OEM wheels and tires (directional Goodyear GS-Cs) are still sitting in my garage.

The 1st-gen Viper wheels used unique castings on all 4 corners, mirror image lefts and rights and narrower fronts/wider rears, so they looked the same from both sides and worked the same as far as pulling air in and across the brakes. I worked in the factory where they were made at the time.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[JROC]

Originally Posted by z28deuce

The 4th-gen Z28 used the same wheel on the left and right sides. I had a '94 and that was one of the reasons I replaced them with aftermarket wheels. The OEM wheels and tires (directional Goodyear GS-Cs) are still sitting in my garage.

The 1st-gen Viper wheels used unique castings on all 4 corners, mirror image lefts and rights and narrower fronts/wider rears, so they looked the same from both sides and worked the same as far as pulling air in and across the brakes. I worked in the factory where they were made at the time.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Good to know. Pretty sure the 93 Cobras used left and right castings as well.

Other examples I think don't use seperate left/right castings would be a K1500 Z71, also the wheels used on the 97-99 (and on some later) F150's with the Off-Road package and STX trucks. Can't remember but I think your GEN1 Ford Lightnings used the same castings for all 4 corners as well. Also some of the Ram 1500 wheels from the same era has sweeping spokes in both a 5 and a 3 spoke design. I don't think they used a different left/right specific wheel either.

[Rock-It Man]

You will find that most tires are also not right or left specific.

Yet the car doesn't fall off the edge of the road!

[MrChrisLS3]

There was no pass given on the directional wheel issue, it was discussed. But that discussion was muted out by the much larger discussion of the SS front end.

[samurai]

It's like this on many cars that have asymmetrical wheels. Just take a look at the Audi TT RS