Fiberfab Chevette TD question

[guiman]

Does anyone know if it is possible to change the chevette 14″ wheels to 15″ wheels – is there clearance?

[Bill Hursh]

I have 14″ tires on my Chevette kit and the front tires just clear the bumper. The bumper would have to be pushed forward in order for me to increase tire size. The back may allow enough room?

Bill

[guiman]

Thanks for your speedy reply. If I keep the 14″ wheels, can I ask what size tires you use? And can I ditch the fake (rusty) wire wheel hubcaps that came with it? If so do you know where to get authentic-looking hubcaps that would work with the chevette wheels? guiman39259.1743055556

[Bill Hursh]

I don’t. My car has smooth chrome wheels with a spoked basket which bolts on where the hub cap commonly goes. They arn’t real spokes but they do look 10 times better than the cheesy spoked hubcaps. I think MG magic in Fla can help or try any auto/ speed shop and you should be able to find them.

Good luck, Bill

[guiman]

Bill, I’ve gotten my Fiberfab TD now, and compared it to the picture of yours, and (besides the fact that yours is in much better shape overall), the tires on yours definitely look better – mine actually poke out past the fenders. My car has 195 75R 14’s on it, and not only do they look wrong, but the right front tire also scrapes the bumper at full left turn. I assume we have the same 14″ wheels; mine also have the spoked basket (unfortunately my spokes have rust). Can I ask what size/brand tires you have?

Thanks!

Jeff

guiman39279.4450347222

[Guests]

Depends on the kit, I am using 15″ toyota scion wheel they are 15″ and have the correct number of holes in them like the original td.

Have to make lugs to hold on the td hub caps.

Dodge

[Mark Hendrickson]

The problem you are experiencing is the BACKSPACE is WRONG…way too little! 

I have a set of those 13″ chrome “basket” wire rims. I removed them. They were on the car when I bought it. They stuck out to far too (to little backspace). They weren’t event the right bolt pattern either! They were Chevy Vega bolt pattern, 4 x 4.25″. That converts to 4 x 102.??mm. Even though they will bolt up, being only +2mm off, they were NOT RIGHT!

There are several factors to consider when mounting wheels. Backspace and offset affect handling and safety as well as fit.

I’m sure you know that just because a wheel is 4 lug, it doesn’t mean you can mount any 4 lug wheel to any car with a 4 lug pattern. I suspect because the Scion and most other foreign cars are FWD, their wheels have a large backspace. RWD cars usually do not have as much backspace as FWD. 

Wheels can also be lug centric or hub centric.

The Chevette, the first all metric American produced car, has a 4 x 100mm bolt pattern and uses a 12mm stud.

If you look in this website’s Photo Gallery at the “Pink MG”, I mounted a set of US Wheel, series 97, Modular, 14″ x 6″ wheels. http://www.uswheel.com I used a P185/70R-14 HTR T4 Sumitomo tire. These wheels have the correct backspace and other measurements to make them fit properly. They do not rub anywhere and are just under the fenders, not sticking out at all.

If you are going to use a  4 x 100mm x 14″ wheel, be sure the backspace is close to or exactly the same as the stock Chevette wheel was. As I said, the US Wheel was less than .125″ difference.

Pink MG39524.5698958333

[phillip boerner]

Hey, I looked up the wheel site ,,,didnt find any 4x100mm x 14 size for that

wheel series 97?????mytdtoy39546.8780439815

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