TIRES
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,105
From: Central North Carolina
RE: TIRES
I have heard 305s will fit but I don't know about 315s. Here is what I do know.
The stock rear wheels will carry a 315 BRG drag radial with no problem: when I took the stock wheels off my 2002 ZO6 my son put them on his street-strip Camaro and that is what he has been running for months now: no problems. (You have to take a big hammer and beat the hell out of the inside of the wheel well to push it back, but then this size tire WILL fit on an F-body.
But . . . I run 345-18 BFG drag radials on the vette now, on 18x12 inch wide FIKSE wheels (i.e., they are and inch and half deeper than stock. In order to fit that wheel-tire combination, we had to install the Lingenfelter mini-tub kit which extends the wheel wells in about 2+ inches on a side. When we first had the bigger tires on they rubbed during cornering until we got the inner liners perfectly aligned. There is a thick finger's worth of clearance when the car is sitting still, but when the suspension is twisted over in a corner there is very apparently very little.
From this, you could infer that nothing but the stock size will fit, since a 345 is two inches (50 mm) wider than a 295 and the 345 needs 2 full inches of tubbing to fit. However, drag radials have squarer tread faces than normal tires -- for example the road surface contact area on the my 345 drag radials is a full 1/2 inch+ wider than the road contact patch on a 345x18 Michelin Pilot Sport -- they have more rounded shoulders (I know, a friend as those on his vette and we put them, mounted and inflated, back to back to see.). Thus, from this I would expect that the clearance around any drag radial will be a bit tighter -- about 12-13 mm I'd say -- than for a road-race or street tire of the same size. I'm fairly certain a street or road race 305 will fit, but maybe not a 305 drag radial.
Hope this helped.
The stock rear wheels will carry a 315 BRG drag radial with no problem: when I took the stock wheels off my 2002 ZO6 my son put them on his street-strip Camaro and that is what he has been running for months now: no problems. (You have to take a big hammer and beat the hell out of the inside of the wheel well to push it back, but then this size tire WILL fit on an F-body.
But . . . I run 345-18 BFG drag radials on the vette now, on 18x12 inch wide FIKSE wheels (i.e., they are and inch and half deeper than stock. In order to fit that wheel-tire combination, we had to install the Lingenfelter mini-tub kit which extends the wheel wells in about 2+ inches on a side. When we first had the bigger tires on they rubbed during cornering until we got the inner liners perfectly aligned. There is a thick finger's worth of clearance when the car is sitting still, but when the suspension is twisted over in a corner there is very apparently very little.
From this, you could infer that nothing but the stock size will fit, since a 345 is two inches (50 mm) wider than a 295 and the 345 needs 2 full inches of tubbing to fit. However, drag radials have squarer tread faces than normal tires -- for example the road surface contact area on the my 345 drag radials is a full 1/2 inch+ wider than the road contact patch on a 345x18 Michelin Pilot Sport -- they have more rounded shoulders (I know, a friend as those on his vette and we put them, mounted and inflated, back to back to see.). Thus, from this I would expect that the clearance around any drag radial will be a bit tighter -- about 12-13 mm I'd say -- than for a road-race or street tire of the same size. I'm fairly certain a street or road race 305 will fit, but maybe not a 305 drag radial.
Hope this helped.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,105
From: Central North Carolina
RE: TIRES
Ed Potter, a Lingenfelter, explained it so brilliantly this way: "It's really easy the second time you do it."
There is no welding. There is some serious bonding (glueing/fiberglassing). The kit tells you what type of glue to buy and that is a key.
You take off the wheels and tires on both sides.
You remove the carpeting from the interior of the trunk, and the inner (plastic) wheel well liners from each side.
There is a template that you use to cut. You cut the inner wall of each wheel well out and the floor of the trunk back about 3 inchs on each side. have to be a bit careful that the blade is not too long, but no real problem here.
The kit has two fiberglass pieces that you glow on, one per side, that extend the wheel well arch into the trunk another two inches.
Then, you have to replace some parts in the shock absorber mounting brackets, so they will clear wider wheels.
Then, the kit has two complete, new inner fender liners -- just like stock but deeper. You shove and push them in and use the plastic screws to fasten them in.
Put the wheels back on.
Put the carpet back in the trunk. It doesn't fit that well, but . . .
I had a body shop do this just to make sure it was done well.
If you want more info and picture, if you go to the Lingenfelter site, there is somewhere where they have downloadable instructions and this is one of the sets.
There is no welding. There is some serious bonding (glueing/fiberglassing). The kit tells you what type of glue to buy and that is a key.
You take off the wheels and tires on both sides.
You remove the carpeting from the interior of the trunk, and the inner (plastic) wheel well liners from each side.
There is a template that you use to cut. You cut the inner wall of each wheel well out and the floor of the trunk back about 3 inchs on each side. have to be a bit careful that the blade is not too long, but no real problem here.
The kit has two fiberglass pieces that you glow on, one per side, that extend the wheel well arch into the trunk another two inches.
Then, you have to replace some parts in the shock absorber mounting brackets, so they will clear wider wheels.
Then, the kit has two complete, new inner fender liners -- just like stock but deeper. You shove and push them in and use the plastic screws to fasten them in.
Put the wheels back on.
Put the carpet back in the trunk. It doesn't fit that well, but . . .
I had a body shop do this just to make sure it was done well.
If you want more info and picture, if you go to the Lingenfelter site, there is somewhere where they have downloadable instructions and this is one of the sets.
