Working on backhalfing my 86 z/28 and wondering how much tire to allow for.

Car will start out low hp maybe 400 to 450 hp sbc with . Car probably will weigh in around 3200 lbs. Will be footbrake and delay box switching when need.

How much tire and which tire susggestions welcome. My thoughts are 9" will be more than enough,for now,would like to allow some room for more in future when power level gets bumped and I know me it will. Figure if can sit up for 9's now and allow enough for 12's in future I should be good. Thinking I will have to run minimum back spacing now and more latter to allow tire to move inward for wider while keeping decent look for now.
Oh yea going with 9",spool and 4 link. 6 point cage(moly),while keeping street car look and lazy mans comforts.

Suggestions.

Sounds like a solid plan.

sounds like a stupid plan, a back halved car with 9" tires that might someday have 12" tires

Build it right the first time, if you are back halving it now, do so for a 14" tire and be done with it otherwise don't back half and just run a 9" tires with aftermarket bolt on suspension. Numerous 3rd gen Camaros running 11's to low 10's in stock eliminator on 9" tires, launching wheels up like this one...

If it fits 12s put 12s on it. When I started racing, I was in a tube chassis camaro that maybe made 400 horsepower with a 350 crate motor in it. The car ran 10.6-10.7 with a 15/32 hoosier on it. The car was absolutely deadly with that combo. Sure it would have been faster with smaller tires, but why bother? On that note I'm also a firm believer that if it has doors it should have hoosiers.

quote:

Originally posted by top189h:
If it fits 12s put 12s on it. When I started racing, I was in a tube chassis camaro that maybe made 400 horsepower with a 350 crate motor in it. The car ran 10.6-10.7 with a 15/32 hoosier on it. The car was absolutely deadly with that combo. Sure it would have been faster with smaller tires, but why bother? On that note I'm also a firm believer that if it has doors it should have hoosiers.

I agree with putting the larger tires on it for several reasons. That car is heavy with the small 9 inch tires the sidewalls will not last long and why set up for bare bones minimum if you have room for real tire?

How fast do you plan on going. Fairly heavy car low hp to start. It's your car and you know the plans for it. I wouldn't argue that room for a bigger tire never hurts resale value and room for expansion, however plenty of room to go fast out to 12". My friends COPO was designed with 10.5", its fast and deadly consistent. What was the limiting factor in your original plan for 12".

Ed is right. Why backhalf it in the first place to run a 9inch tire and if you are cutting it up why not make it so you can at least run a 14-15inch tire.. Anything less is a waste in my eyes.

I definitely see your point on if your doing it go big and be done. It sounded like he isn't planning on going fast very fast... 6 point cage, etc.

What happened to the FED?
Did you give up on that?

lets hope so!

Maybe all FED up with that?

Since you're doing the work anyway(I assume) why not make it large enough to increase tire size if you want to go quicker down the road? Running on a 9-10" tire doesn't hurt anything. At least not at 3200lbs and 400hp...But if you get an itch and want go bigger/quicker, a tire change makes the car ready for a bigger engine..

JMHO

Many feel a great set up for bracket racing is lower power and bigger tires...very consistent and will hook in a mud puddle...mine is sorta set up this way...3250 with me in it, 500 or so to the rear wheels, back halfed with 14 x 32's out back...runs 6.50's in the winter and 6.60's in the summer on 93 pump gas...