Camaro Wheels Bought - Where To Fit?

Flip Martian · July 26, 2010, 08:54:28 AM

For longer than I care to remember I've had bead leak in the front offside alloy. Got quoted over 500 quid to supply and fit a new wheel from Paragon, where I get the Camaro serviced (not really them, more the supplier they use charging daft money I think).

ANYway...trawling ebay paid dividends - set of 4 original used 16" chrome alloys from another 1999 Z28 with barely used tyres (higher speed versions too, not the bog standards mine has currently) for 299 quid. Seems he had same problem as me but instead of replacing 1 wheel, he's had all 4 replaced by some "very modern" (ahem) sporty looking alloys.Not so good for his camaro but good for me...3 of the 4 are in great nick.

Anyhoo - who best to fit? Does anyone know anyone local to MK that would remove my dodgy wheel, take the tyre off 1 of my new ones and fit the wheel (and supply a new standard 235/R16) to my car for a decent price? I'm not really keen to go to kwik fit/fast fit etc as I might with a standard 4 wheeled box.

Plan on keeping the others as spares (and could conceivably replace all 4 tyres on my camaro with the speedy ones I suppose) but if anyone needs one or 2, feel free to get in touch also.

Ta!

Roadkill · July 26, 2010, 09:18:53 AM

I always use "Tyres Direct" in Water Eaton Ind Estate.

Give them a call and explain what you're after :

01908 367770

Titsy · July 26, 2010, 09:56:14 AM

got any pics of the rim type as I was thinking of picking up a couple of spare rims to put some drag radials on...

EDGE · July 26, 2010, 11:46:21 AM

do you really want 16" drag radials? 15's are surely the way to go :)

FUBAR · July 26, 2010, 12:30:01 PM

they ~~may not~~ probably won't fit over the brakes tho

EDGE · July 26, 2010, 01:28:05 PM

they should be ok on the rears, the discs are usually piddly little things as stock...

Flip Martian · July 26, 2010, 01:59:03 PM

Quoting: Roadkill

I always use "Tyres Direct" in Water Eaton Ind Estate.

Give them a call and explain what you're after :

01908 367770

Cheers, will give them a bell when I get a minute then!

Quoting: Titsy

got any pics of the rim type as I was thinking of picking up a couple of spare rims to put some drag radials on...

All I could do is take a pic like the one here at the mo' as the tyres are still on the wheels - may not be much use? :-
http://www.wheelsandcaps.com/w_selection.asp?syn=&_SUPPLIERSKU=ALY05056U&WandCRETURN=&_YEAR=1999&_MAKE=CHEVROLET&_MODEL=CAMARO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.wheelsandcaps.com/w_selection.asp?syn=&_SUPPLIERSKU=ALY05056U&WandCRETURN=&_YEAR=1999&_MAKE=CHEVROLET&_MODEL=CAMARO

Big Mouse · July 26, 2010, 03:59:19 PM

Quoting: EDGE

do you really want 16" drag radials? 15's are surely the way to go :)

BFG and M/T make a drag radial for a 16" rim that should fit ok, its a little bit taller but not that it would make any difference.

They're not cheap anymore though - I just bought a new pair of M/Ts for the camaro, 315's not 235,s but you'll find there won't be a lot of difference in price.

£481.00 the pair including taxes and they last around 20-25 runs depending on your burnout - I've been trying longer rolling burnouts which seem to work well for the camaro but they'll strip them in 15 runs. Frosty used to do one set per meet!!! Average of 8 runs.

Titsy · July 26, 2010, 04:01:59 PM

M/T sell ET Street Radials in 255/50R16, the stock tyre size is 245/50R16. So a close match although 1.54% increase in circumference...

Quoting: Flip Martian

All I could do is take a pic like the one here at the mo' as the tyres are still on the wheels - may not be much use?

How much would you want for two rims? you could have the tyres back once removed if you wanted, or wait until you've killed the tread on some on the car and sell a pair with dead tyres...

Titsy · July 26, 2010, 04:05:28 PM

FYI, Clearance between the brake calipar and inside of the rim is only the width of my index finger (about 1/2"), so 15" will probably clash...

Titsy · July 26, 2010, 04:07:34 PM

Sorry to hijake your thread here Flip...

Ray any suggestions on skinny rims and tyres for the front, could do with reducing my rolling resistance...

Flip Martian · July 27, 2010, 08:43:37 AM

Quoting: Titsy

How much would you want for two rims? you could have the tyres back once removed if you wanted, or wait until you've killed the tread on some on the car and sell a pair with dead tyres...

£150 for the pair? Would like the tyres back though. 3 of the 4 rims are fine and all have 4 nuts and the nut-cover-thing-I-can't-remember-the-name-of. No locking wheel nut though.

Big Mouse · July 27, 2010, 09:55:35 AM

Quoting: Titsy

Ray any suggestions on skinny rims and tyres for the front, could do with reducing my rolling resistance...

Several companies make front runners, Weld, M/T, Centreline are probably the best names in the business - depends on how much you want to spend and how much difference you really think it will make to a relatively stock car.
Cost wise you're probably looking at $400-500 to buy a pair of wheels and another $250-275 for a pair of M/T Sportsman fronts.

IMHO you'd be better off just inflating the front tyres to 40psi for a run and spending the money saved on a stronger diff to handle the traction the drag radials will inevitably produce.

I managed a healthy 11.5 et out of the camaro with 1.50 short times fitted with just stock tyres at the front, Nittos on the rear and a set of traction bars but when we came to cut the car up for the conversion we found the diff was hanging on by a thread

philoldsmobile · July 28, 2010, 08:25:20 AM

diff is always a weak spot on any camaro, get a 9" in there, you're going to end up buying one eventualy anyway....

Titsy · July 28, 2010, 06:19:11 PM

It's got a gurdle on it, I know that's not going to hold it forever, but I've still got the original axle as a spare, so i'm not going to cry to hard if I lunch it... A nine inch is on the cards (said the Bishop to the Actress), but not right now...

Flip Martian · October 02, 2010, 05:29:24 PM

Got my wheel fixed eventually and collected the car today. Lack of free time up here meant I ended up taking the camaro back to Paragon and leaving it with them for 10 days so they could put the new wheel on while I went away on holiday. Cost of fitting the new wheel and stripping off the tyre to give it me back - 20 quid.

They are brill! And I can drive the camaro now for more than a day without pumping up the tyre.

Roadkill · October 04, 2010, 04:40:02 AM

Quoting: Flip Martian

And I can drive the camaro now for more than a day without pumping up the tyre.

Bonus !!