Jump to content
TEAM SHELBY FORUM

Wheels wheels wheels


chris1049

Recommended Posts

Ok, confused here. I want the alcoas (dont we all) but I've seen different wheel/tyre (or tire depending on where you are) combinations. What does a staggered set do? I guess it has a wider offset on the back or something? also some rears are 285 and some are 295. I need to get them right as I'm shipping them in from the US to the UK.

 

Do the wider ones catch anything? is staggered a better choice? any help here would be good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, confused here. I want the alcoas (dont we all) but I've seen different wheel/tyre (or tire depending on where you are) combinations. What does a staggered set do? I guess it has a wider offset on the back or something? also some rears are 285 and some are 295. I need to get them right as I'm shipping them in from the US to the UK.

 

Do the wider ones catch anything? is staggered a better choice? any help here would be good.

 

I went with 295 originally,and with the ford lowering springs had some rubbing,switched to 285 all is good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What does a staggered set do? I guess it has a wider offset on the back or something?

 

 

All "staggered" means is you have wider rear tires than front.

 

The Alcoa Staggered tires are 10" rear and 9" front.

 

The offset is the same, from what I remember (45mm????).

 

 

Phill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Define Staggered Wheels

Most racing teams keep a huge stock of tires on hand to change stagger as needed. Wheel staggering is common practice among circle track racers; it is one major factor affecting a performance car's handling balance. However, staggered wheels can range from between useless and downright dangerous on the street. Street cars especially with ABS systems have the same size diameter tire from front to rear and side to side. The width of the tire can be different from front to rear, rear usually wider for a good looking stance and as long as they fit with in the finders outer limits it is usually legal in most states.

Theory

The curves on a racetrack are essentially sections of a circle; a car traveling near the inside edge of that race track follows a shorter circumference around that circle than those near the outer edge. So the car on the inside edge will make it around the track faster. Tires work the same way. The tires on the left side (inside) of a circle track car turn slower than those on the right side (outside) since they have a shorter distance to follow.

Necessity

Circle track cars typically have a "locked" rear axle, meaning that they lack a differential gearing unit that would allows the left and right tires to turn at different speeds. If those rear tires were forced to turn at the same speed, the faster outside tire would spin uselessly on the track while the inside tire would push the car toward the wall. Front-wheel speed matching is necessary for stability under braking when racing.

Wheel Staggering

Staggering is the practice of using a taller diameter (longer circumference) tire on the outside wheels of a circle-track race car than on the inside. The big tire's longer circumference means that it can rotate slower while still covering the same distance. Tire stagger must be matched specifically to a specific track's turn radii. Car engineers use complex formulas to determine the difference in tire size that will offer the greatest differential effect on a particular track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Chris, Peter here a fellow UK person, Give a buzz to the guy in the UK with the Orange Shelby GT500, He has the Alocoas and they stick out a tiny bit more than I'd like, I think this would give you and me a good baseline for what the car looks like with a particular offset. I always find an actual car with a setup, even if you don't like it brings you closer to what you want.

 

Are you ordering your wheels seperate from the car or getting them installed before shipping?

 

Remember that if you ship RORO that you won't be able to put the wheels in the car, they don't allow it, only a jack and spare. Plus I put 2 rear tyres alone in my car to haul them back from a show, the stock size, it was just about all I could fit in with the rear seat down so don't expect to get all four in there if you were thinking of it. You can sometimes ship a box with a roro car (I used to do so from the UK to the states so it may go the other way.

 

Regards: Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Peter.

Ive had a quote for Toyo tyres in the UK which wasnt too bad so I'm going to just ship over the wheels as its expensive to ship them made up. My cars in a container on the sea right now, expected Nov 5th. I did consider getting the wheels put in there with it but it was too complicated to sort at the time.

 

Whos in the UK with the orange GT? I'll get in touch to check the sizes etc as I'm wanting to put 295's on the back if they go on without catching. Surrey mustang do some great rear lights also clear fronts and side indicators so I'm going with them for the conversion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had my work done at surrey, his own rear lights and lowered the car.

 

NOTE: if the car is lowered you have to put on an adjustable rear panhard bar as lowering the car moves the rear axle to the left. Your rears won't fit (more than likely) if you lower w/o putting on the panhard bar.

 

Also I would NEVER put side market lights on the car if I had my choice, They make the most awesome side mirrors with the blinkers already mounted in them, You have to see them and you will never drill the hole for the side marker lights, also they sell mirror glass with the signals right in the glass like late model GM trucks.

 

(note to non UK folks, We have to have side marker lights put on our imported cars due to the laws over here, Quite a few of the Jap cars have them to make them look more imported, Usually they drill a hole above the shelby emblem and put on a triangular or round light above it. Does not look that great)

 

Can't wait to see your car and the alcoas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...
...