Square tire set up 1LE Advice Please Help!

[summit1le]

I am planning on getting a dedicated set of wheels and tires for the track for my 1LE, I know the stock set up uses a 10 inch front wheel and a 11 inch rear wheel. My question is? is there any reason that I need different size wheels if I change to a 19 inch set up with 295/30/19 all around or 305/30/19 all around? For example should I get a 19*10 front and a 19*11 rear? Is there any benefit to this? having different size wheel with's with the same tire size. The Z/28 uses a 11.0 front with a 11.5 rear. Very confusing!! Please Help

[Avalnch]

Our Gen5's can't have enough front end grip. The "Zed" runs 11" wide wheels up front for a very good reason. I have a 11" x 19" square setup and it's awesome.

For a dedicated set of track tires, I highly recommend going 305/30/19 with 11" rims. The 10.5" wide rims will work, but stretching out the tires will work the tires more efficiently by eliminating roll over of the sidewalls.

[summit1le]

Thanks for the tip, I was more curious as to why they use a different size wheel front and rear with the same size tire. Is there some additional benefit of running this way

[grocerygetter]

Effects oversteer

[Synner]

Originally Posted by summit1le

Thanks for the tip, I was more curious as to why they use a different size wheel front and rear with the same size tire. Is there some additional benefit of running this way

Maximizing traction to get all the power down with the most wheel/tire possible. Keeping the tire stretched a bit more on a wide wheel improves responsiveness by minimizing sidewall flex.

The slight difference in front/rear size, and its understeer, can be tuned out with a proper adjustable swaybar setup. Pretty much every factory car comes with a little to a LOT of understeer because its considered safer for an amateur (or idiot).

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by summit1le

I am planning on getting a dedicated set of wheels and tires for the track for my 1LE, I know the stock set up uses a 10 inch front wheel and a 11 inch rear wheel. My question is? is there any reason that I need different size wheels if I change to a 19 inch set up with 295/30/19 all around or 305/30/19 all around? For example should I get a 19*10 front and a 19*11 rear? Is there any benefit to this? having different size wheel with's with the same tire size. The Z/28 uses a 11.0 front with a 11.5 rear. Very confusing!! Please Help

Chevy probably staggered the 1LE wheel widths because those sizes already existed for the ZL-1 and because doing so causes a small amount of understeer (rather than a larger amount when the tire sizes are staggered as well). Al O clearly identified the use of ZL1 front-size tires all around on the 1LE as having been done to reduce understeer.

I'm more or less with Avalnch concerning the idea of using as much wheel width as you can reasonably fit all around, with same-size tires. 19 x 11 should be a safe choice, at least with 305/30's and if you aren't lowered significantly with springs. Z/28 size wheels with their 1/2" width stagger would certainly be do-able, assuming that they become available across the parts counter (or that their offsets become available for aftermarket wheel construction).

There is one caveat I can think of.
11" wide front wheels may require offset enough different from 11" rear wheels that front to back wheel rotation becomes impossible. IOW, two sets of 1LE rear wheels may not work up front at all, or may work there with a thin spacer. I don't know which or even if either problem exists for you like it did for me, but you'll have to at least consider the possibility.


Norm

[Dropspeed]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Al O clearly identified the use of ZL1-size tires all around on the 1LE as having been done to reduce understeer.

Norm, unless I am reading this wrong I think you need the word front in there....ZL1 uses 285/305 and the 1LE uses 285/285.

-Matt

[Norm Peterson]

Fixed, and thanks. Usually I catch stuff like that.


Norm