Big wheels for 1964 buick riviera

[Alooyz]

Hey guys, 

 

Thinking of buying new wheels for my 1964 Buick Riviera and woundring what is the biggest size i can go with??!! 

Found us mags 

20*8 front

20*9.5 rear

 

Do you guys think they will fit without any modifications?? 

 

Ali

Edited February 19, 2018 by Alooyz
Spill check (see edit history)

[sixxer]

Finally something I can help answer! So I can get more pics later this week but I have US Mag 20x8.5 up front and 20x9.5 in the rear. Sooooo, my suspension body is pretty modified but I can help with some pointers. First is the hub bore and axle center on a 63 won’t clear. I bought my wheels through discount tire. Not only did they have the cheapest price and didn’t charge any shipping they also sent them out to get machined FOR FREE!!!!! I have disk brakes all the way around so you may have to run a small spacer to get around the drum rivets but I’m honeslty not the best to answer that. I will get you tire size info later today when I get home. I went a little small on the front tire to 100% sure they wouldn’t run but I could have upped it once I saw it together.

Here’s some older pics I’ll attempt to get a couple current and from different angles.

[Alooyz]

2 hours ago, sixxer said:

Finally something I can help answer! So I can get more pics later this week but I have US Mag 20x8.5 up front and 20x9.5 in the rear. Sooooo, my suspension body is pretty modified but I can help with some pointers. First is the hub bore and axle center on a 63 won’t clear. I bought my wheels through discount tire. Not only did they have the cheapest price and didn’t charge any shipping they also sent them out to get machined FOR FREE!!!!! I have disk brakes all the way around so you may have to run a small spacer to get around the drum rivets but I’m honeslty not the best to answer that. I will get you tire size info later today when I get home. I went a little small on the front tire to 100% sure they wouldn’t run but I could have upped it once I saw it together.

Here’s some older pics I’ll attempt to get a couple current and from different angles.

Looks beautiful in these wheels

Thank you for your reply

Still looking for more answers 

[Seafoam65]

                     I agree those wheels look nice, but those tires do not have enough sidewall to be practical to actually drive on them.

The slightest pot hole would result in a bent rim, and they would ride as rough as a buckboard. I have customers who have  had wheels like these, and usually after

the third bent rim in six months or third tire losing it's bead and going flat in a short period of time, they go back to  normal tires that actually have a sidewall.

Of course they have to scrap the giant wheels in order to do this, so it turns out to be a very very expensive lesson in the realities of tires with no sidewall.

[Barney Eaton]

Seafoam is right on.........the big rims are cool but if you are going to do anything but show the car, don't go larger than 18"...that will leave you some side wall for ride and protection of the rim. '

Especially if you live in a area that freezes and thaws...that creates bad roads and they can damage even stock rims.

[Alooyz]

1 hour ago, Seafoam65 said:

                     I agree those wheels look nice, but those tires do not have enough sidewall to be practical to actually drive on them.

The slightest pot hole would result in a bent rim, and they would ride as rough as a buckboard. I have customers who have  had wheels like these, and usually after

the third bent rim in six months or third tire losing it's bead and going flat in a short period of time, they go back to  normal tires that actually have a sidewall.

Of course they have to scrap the giant wheels in order to do this, so it turns out to be a very very expensive lesson in the realities of tires with no sidewall.

Thank you Seafoam and Barney, 

Actully i live in Middle East (Saudi Arabia) and the streets are designed for off road vehicles ? so now i think im going with the stock wheels better than fixing the rims every few days ?

 

[65VerdeGS]

All good advice, i'm sure.  But man - those 20" wheels sure do look sharp on that car!

[Hazdaz]

Go with 18s on the front and 20s in the back and you'll be fine. 

[Alooyz]

1 minute ago, Hazdaz said:

Go with 18s on the front and 20s in the back and you'll be fine. 

Do you think it will fit correctly without any modifications? 

[steelman]

The key is overall diameter and sidewall height. I have some very tall 17" tires on mine. Still enough sidewall for a good ride, but still proportioned right.

 

[Hazdaz]

The 18s will rub only a little on full-lock when turning the wheel, but you should be fine.  These old cars have so much room under them that its a crime not to bump up the wheel size. 

[RivNut]

1 minute ago, Alooyz said:

Do you think it will fit correctly without any modifications? 

You can find wheels with the correct offset, width, and back spacing to achieve the look you want. But to get a tire on the wheel with enough side wall height to 1) give you a comfortable ride, and 2) not bend a rim on a small expansion joint, the tire will not fit into the wheel well or you'll have to suspend the car as you would an off road vehicle.  From the guys I know who are running non stock tires and wheels, 17 inches is the ideal size for looks and ride.

[Alooyz]

3 minutes ago, RivNut said:

You can find wheels with the correct offset, width, and back spacing to achieve the look you want. But to get a tire on the wheel with enough side wall height to 1) give you a comfortable ride, and 2) not bend a rim on a small expansion joint, the tire will not fit into the wheel well or you'll have to suspend the car as you would an off road vehicle.  From the guys I know who are running non stock tires and wheels, 17 inches is the ideal size for looks and ride.

Thats help alot, any 17 inch suggestions? 

[RivNut]

Go up and re-read a thread that I bumped up. It's called "anyone fitted these to 1st generation Rivieras ."

 

 

 

 

[sixxer]

5 hours ago, Seafoam65 said:

                     I agree those wheels look nice, but those tires do not have enough sidewall to be practical to actually drive on them.

The slightest pot hole would result in a bent rim, and they would ride as rough as a buckboard. I have customers who have  had wheels like these, and usually after

the third bent rim in six months or third tire losing it's bead and going flat in a short period of time, they go back to  normal tires that actually have a sidewall.

Of course they have to scrap the giant wheels in order to do this, so it turns out to be a very very expensive lesson in the realities of tires with no sidewall.

 

Respectfully disagree on some of this good sir... I have never bent a larger diameter rim but I’ve also spent my life in low vehicles always “on the lookout” so to speak. Also you should really take more into account before saying it would ride rough. I enlarged the front spring pockets to fit the largest diameter air bag possible. I went with an air bag brand with a stiffer sidewall to help run at a lower pressure. Also added bag spacers top/bottom front and rear to add even less pressure to the bag. Remember, the less pressure needed to air up the better the ride on the whole. Then I went to a company called Varishock and got a set of double independently adjustable bump and rebound shocks. It took some dialing in but I now have a car that glides quite amazingly over bumps but is reasonably stable for being a land yacht in a corner. Now did all this cost more money than I’m willing to tell my wife, you betcha. Can it be done with quite fantastic results driving back and forth to work a couple days a week - yes. It’s never once been to a show ironically, only normal driving.

 

[Barney Eaton]

If you are going to change wheels on a "driver"  there are more things to consider than just the rim diameter.......not everyone (even at the tire shop) know a lot about aspect ratios, off-set or back spacing and tire size to make an educated decision.

Here are a couple of pictures that show some of the changes.........  the second picture does not point it out, but first notice the overall diameter is the same, but they changed the rim diameter.    Since it doesn't say it could be a jump from 15" to 16"  or 17 to 18

Edited February 20, 2018 by Barney Eaton (see edit history)

[sixxer]

I completely agree, it took LOTS of work to make sure I could fit my wheels. My suspension/brakes have been modified so I had no know formula to go off of what “might” fit.

 

I just get my feathers all ruffled when people say it can’t be done yet here’s a car that does it, yet they still say it doesn’t work well. I don’t doubt you can have problems slapping a random combo together. 

 

http://www.jegs.com/p/Percys/Percys-WheelRite-Wheel-Fitment-Tool/761153/10002/-1

 

I bought one of these guys to help make sure my entire setup would have proper clearances and go full lock to lock at ride height. Nobody in their right mind would expect full lock in the stance I posted. I have the plastic version appears this is the metal, worth every penny.

 

We test drove a Tesla Model X a couple weeks ago and it had 22” wheels! Crazy low profile tires too - times have certainly changed.

Edited February 20, 2018 by sixxer (see edit history)

[RivNut]

17 hours ago, sixxer said:

 

Respectfully disagree on some of this good sir... I have never bent a larger diameter rim but I’ve also spent my life in low vehicles always “on the lookout” so to speak. Also you should really take more into account before saying it would ride rough. I enlarged the front spring pockets to fit the largest diameter air bag possible. I went with an air bag brand with a stiffer sidewall to help run at a lower pressure. Also added bag spacers top/bottom front and rear to add even less pressure to the bag. Remember, the less pressure needed to air up the better the ride on the whole. Then I went to a company called Varishock and got a set of double independently adjustable bump and rebound shocks. It took some dialing in but I now have a car that glides quite amazingly over bumps but is reasonably stable for being a land yacht in a corner. Now did all this cost more money than I’m willing to tell my wife, you betcha. Can it be done with quite fantastic results driving back and forth to work a couple days a week - yes. It’s never once been to a show ironically, only normal driving.

 

It appears that you've done a lot of research and work, and spent a few bucks to achieve the look and ride that you want. Good work!

 

I have a set of 8.5 x 20 rims on which are mounted 245/45ZR20 tires.  They are the same diameter as the stock 225/75R15 tires which are mounted on 15 x 6 Buick rally wheels.  I run the 20s only in the summer because theyre not M&S rated.  I've done not one other thing to make room for them nor have I modified the suspension, it's basically stock.  So here's my pitch.  The 20s give the car a lot of bling but the ride is much harsher.  I've never had to compare braking capabilities, thank God.  The 20s do corner a little better, but I believe that's more because of the fact that the Z rating and its much stiffer sidewall. But that stiff sidewall is what gives the car the harsh ride and keeps the wheels from being bent when I hit a pot hole, but they're speed rated to over 160 mph.  The 20s do rub quite a bit at full lock, but I only experience that when pulling into a 90° parking stall.  Around town, the 20s are livable, but on longer trips, the harsh ride can get on your nerves after a while.  The only other factor is the replacement cost.  Both have advantages and disadvantages based on your habits, needs, and ego.  Do what you feel you need to in order to satisfy your desires. BUT don't just do what someone says what works for them and hope it works for you.  Take your car to a professional shop and pay to figure it out the first time.

 

[CTX-SLPR]

These cars already have a pretty awful scrub radius leftover from the original bias play tires needing to be "pushed around" rather than pivoted on the point of rotation.  If you have to push the wheels out farther, it's just getting worse.  However fixing it would require longer control arms to push the kingpin axis out closer to the middle of the tire and shorten up the scrub and should improve tire clearance at lock since it rotating more about it's center vs being swung around the inner sidewall.

 

Definitely agree though that too little sidewall is going to give you a less compliant ride.  I think 18's with a 45-55 series sidewall look pretty good.  19's would match the original OD better but there is still more rim with no more sidewall.  We'll see what I end up with on mine because 15's won't clear anything more than 12in brakes and 15in tire selection is pretty bad.

Edited February 21, 2018 by CTX-SLPR (see edit history)

[jsgun]

On ‎2‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 4:49 AM, sixxer said:

Finally something I can help answer! So I can get more pics later this week but I have US Mag 20x8.5 up front and 20x9.5 in the rear. Sooooo, my suspension body is pretty modified but I can help with some pointers. First is the hub bore and axle center on a 63 won’t clear. I bought my wheels through discount tire. Not only did they have the cheapest price and didn’t charge any shipping they also sent them out to get machined FOR FREE!!!!! I have disk brakes all the way around so you may have to run a small spacer to get around the drum rivets but I’m honeslty not the best to answer that. I will get you tire size info later today when I get home. I went a little small on the front tire to 100% sure they wouldn’t run but I could have upped it once I saw it together.

Here’s some older pics I’ll attempt to get a couple current and from different angles.

 

Curious, what did you do for the disc brakes, especially the rear?

[Don Quijote]

On 2/20/2018 at 12:28 AM, steelman said:

The key is overall diameter and sidewall height. I have some very tall 17" tires on mine. Still enough sidewall for a good ride, but still proportioned right.

 

 

Can you give more specs of your wheels and tires? They look great! And is there anything else done, lowering or so?
I have a -64 and this is the stance I'm looking for my ride to have.

[sixxer]

On 2/20/2018 at 10:47 PM, jsgun said:

Curious, what did you do for the disc brakes, especially the rear?

Sorry buddy, just saw this post. Modified Scarebird to accept different/larger front calipers. On the rear is an off the shelf “clamp style” caliper axle bracket from Speedway welded to the axle tube. The rear is using a standard Chevy truck floating calipers that would normally go on the front. For parking brake I have 2 mechanical calipers mounted on custom brackets. I never drove the car with drum brakes because it was undriveable when I bought it, but it stops great now so I haven’t paid much attention to the drum/disk controversy. I HATE drum brakes so even if it braked exactly the same as before it was worth it.

[steelman]

My wheels are Billet Specialties GS47s, 17x7 front with 225/55/17 rubber and 17x8 rear with 255/55/17 rubber. These are custom made to order, you will not find these wheels on a shelf in any store. My car also has a complete Ride Tech air bag system, front and rear. It does look really good with this stance, but you can't drive it this way. It this picture it is "aired down" and sitting almost with the frame on the ground. I have to air it up to drive it, and at ride height is about 3" lower than stock 63 Riviera height. Most people don't want to go to the trouble or expense to do this just for "the look". Did I mention it was expensive, because it was. But their systems are engineered very well, and work very well when completed. But it takes more than basic knowledge and basic tools to install this system. I don't want to discourage you, just making sure you know all the facts. There are a lot of shops that can install a complete system if that is what you want to do and don't feel like you can do it yourself. Just be prepared, cause it ain't cheap!

[Don Quijote]

Thanks for this info. Just as I thought, nothing stock here. How ever this very good information.

[Paul K.]

To answer the original post and to come full circle with the topic... 15" wheels. ?

[DaveC6970]

I started looking into 15” wheels, even bought a few different types, but ended up returning them when they didn’t fit. The issue with 15” aftermarket wheels is the backspacing, most of them have too much backspace to clear those finned brake drums. I could have made them work with spacers but didn’t want to go that route. The 18’s I just put on my car were a decent compromise I think. They clear the brake drums and still allow for a reasonable tire sidewall. The ride is firmer but the shorter coils probably have as much to do with that as the tires do. I still have my original wheels with turbine wheel covers when I want a stock look/ride.

[fitz_1973]

what offset did you guys user for 17" rims? 

 

 I am new to this, I just bought a 1964 Riviera yesterday.

[RivNut]

Offset  or back spacing?  Take your car to a shop tha specializes in wheelsl. Measure the distance inside the wheel wells.  What's the distance to the edge of the fender to the face of the axle. Do the wheels you're looking at have a large enough center hole to clear the hub?  Are the rivets on the brake drum going to interfer with the seating of the wheel?  Way more questions to be answered than "what offset..." Re-read all of Matt's (Sixxer) comments and think about all of the other things he's done beside just mount wheels on lugs.  Find an article that explains the difference between offset (negative, positive, or neutral), backspacing, etc. and other terms that are applicable to tires and wheels.  You mention only wheels. What size tires are you going to run. 

 

There are a lot of things you'll want to make sure of about putting a 55 year old car on the road before wanting to change wheels.  Does it steer and stop?