VC wheel width

[Sutter]

Good evening folks and sorry if this has been covered previously but I am currently building a VC LS3 conversion and I am up to the point of choosing wheels and tyres that will accommodate the brake conversion (need minimum 17s to clear brakes). I just wanted find out if anyone can tell me if 17 x 9inch will fit on the rear that’s running the VL Borg Warner rear end without scrubbing the guard or needing rolling or tubbing. Its got pedders and king springs suspension and is not lowered aggressively so as to pass engineering. Plenty of mates saying no way stick to 8 or 8.5 but thought someone here might be able to tell me from personal experience. Anyway any advice is welcome.

 

[vc commodore]

I don't have personal experience, however VL diffs are slightly wider than the VC diff, so I seriously doubt 9" rear rims will fit without modifications to the body

 

[Sutter]

I don't have personal experience, however VL diffs are slightly wider than the VC diff, so I seriously doubt 9" rear rims will fit without modifications to the body

Yeah mate that’s been the general consensus so might have to stick with 8s, thanks.

 

[Immortality]

Your best bet is to do a bit of measuring, fitting bigger rims is all about getting the correct wheel offset.

Put the car up on jack stands under the chassis, drop the diff and pull out the springs, find a set of rims with no tyres fitted and put on the diff, then jack the diff up into the wheel wells and start measuring. Been a semi-trailing type suspension you do need to account for the fact that when one wheel goes over a bump that the diff will tilt both wheels and when the suspension fully compresses the diff will move sideways a touch (arc of the panhard rod).

 

[gtrboyy]

Google image fr1 simmons you'll see cars with similar size rear wheel width...they look horrible with wide rim too narrow tyre.

 

[Vin999]

Yeah mate that’s been the general consensus so might have to stick with 8s, thanks.

dont be to concerned VL diffs are about 10mm bigger both sides, not much really. The other concern depending on wheel offset/larger tyres/rims with any diff used is tyre scrapping on lower control arm near the handbrake bracket Also concern is about height of car as in lowering with fatter tyres, as said earlier, lower height will hit top body wheel arch.

Another way to get the largest combo under the stock wheel arches is to shorten the diff /axles this way you and diff builder can measure/cut what can fit for your situation. No tubbs, stock look and great for legality. Ring Geelong Diffs and speak to them, done heaps of rear end vl conversions and advice is free.

 

[Smitty]

Good evening folks and sorry if this has been covered previously but I am currently building a VC LS3 conversion and I am up to the point of choosing wheels and tyres that will accommodate the brake conversion (need minimum 17s to clear brakes). I just wanted find out if anyone can tell me if 17 x 9inch will fit on the rear that’s running the VL Borg Warner rear end without scrubbing the guard or needing rolling or tubbing. Its got pedders and king springs suspension and is not lowered aggressively so as to pass engineering. Plenty of mates saying no way stick to 8 or 8.5 but thought someone here might be able to tell me from personal experience. Anyway any advice is welcome.

I can tell you... 17 x 8.5 wheel with 245/40 slicks(or semislicks) on a Holden large Salisbury
and lowered about 18-20mm from standard needed the seams folded up to stop rubbing
(on my VK racecar). Now ... ok but you cannot get our hand up between tyres and guard inner

I tried 17x9 but had to jack the rear up a fair bit (I have an adjustable height spring setup on the rear)
to stop it rubbing on the guard all the time . This also was only about 1mm maybe less... from the
lower control arm and the tyre distortion caused the tyre to rub

I use a 17x8 rim with rain tyres as they are 225/50s and the taller tyre offsets the gain from the narrower width
very tight also

The Borgie rear is 12-14mm ( I think ) wider so no... a 17x9 will be a major PITA!