wheels

[buckeye455]

i was thinking about putting 18 inch torq thrust II on my 73 centurion convertible wondering what offset would work . has anybody dealt with the sizes on this issue.thanks buckeye 455

[72tunaboat]

I have 18" Coddington wheels on my 72 Lesabre and have even lowered the car. I have been driving it for about 8 months with these mods and have had no issues other than a little harsher ride. The rims are all 18x9 with the front backspacing at 5 1/2" and the rear at 5 1/4". I believe it is possible to go as wide as 10" in the back, but check your backspacing before ordering your rims. The tires are 245/45/18 front and 275/40/18 rear. Hope this helps you out

[buckeye455]

thanks for the information , im just not sure if you mean the front offset is5 1/2 from the rim mount surface to the inside edge of the rim? your 72 looks great with the wheels, rides a little harsher? is that because of the lowering or the wheels & rubber?

[72tunaboat]

if you place a straight edge acros the backside of the rim and then measure from there to the inside face that butts up to the drum or rotor, that is your backspacing. The ride was affected mostly from lowering it, but the lower profile tires contributed to it as well. I plan on rebuilding the suspension this spring, so maybe that will help.

[Smartin]

Tuna - even though this is a Centurion forum, we'd love to hear about your LeSabre. Most of us are all-around full size junkies...and have owned our fair share of LeSabres as well.:beers:

[EEE]

if you place a straight edge acros the backside of the rim and then measure from there to the inside face that butts up to the drum or rotor, that is your backspacing. The ride was affected mostly from lowering it, but the lower profile tires contributed to it as well. I plan on rebuilding the suspension this spring, so maybe that will help.


What's your plans for suspension a rebuild, and how did you lower it?

[72tunaboat]

Kimson
I searched pretty hard for some shorter springs, but didnt have any luck, so i cut the front springs and used some cheap spring compressors on the rear springs. It was a quick fix, but i'm still trying to find shorter springs. Maybe i can find something from a different model of car. Ive pondered the idea of using airbags in the back and airstruts in the front, but its pricey. I only lowered it because after i put the bigger wheels and tires on it, it didnt look right.
As far as rebuilding the suspension, i want to replace all of the bushings and balljoints. I already replaced the shocks and the idler arm, but will check the remaining steering components for wear. I will probably use rubber components rather than the poly bushings, because I've read some things about them giving to harsh of ride. I have found some bigger aftermarket sway bars, front and rear, for the 71-76 impala/caprice. I would think that they should fit the buick as well.
If money were not an issue, I would go with air ride complete suspension with their sway bars and control arms. I would also like to put disc brakes in the back.