<VV> RE: Lookiing for FC wheel rims

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

Ahh, the famous "Corvette" suspension -- from all appearances, it is 
pretty much the same as every other fifties and early sixties Chevrolet 
with an independent front end, so if anybody has any exact data, I would 
love to hear it. Yes, spring rates were different, shocks were 
different, and most Vettes (say, after '58?) ['56, at least, had a 
straight axle] had a front stabilizer, but upper and lower A-arms and 
balljoints were pretty much the same in the entire Chevrolet, Corvette, 
and FC Corvair line.

Now, this rubbing the ball joint hooey -- ain't no way a 14" rim hits 
that ball joint, and you aren't gonna get a  five hole 13" rim bolted 
down tight over the brake drum.  What is a clearance problem IS the tie 
rod end -- even a 16" wheel, if it has too much wheel hanging back 
behind (inside -- call it back spacing, offset, width, whatever...), 
they can rub or worse, not seat on the hub from interference with the 
tie rod end.  Of course, this can be fixed with different/modified 
steering arms (or a wheel that fits), but I think we were talking about 
stock.

If you install a dropped spindle for say a '57 Chebbie on your FC, well 
then maybe a 14" wheel will hit the ball joint, or maybe you could adapt 
up some weird zerk fitting so it would rub, but normal stock, no way!  
Yes, I believe FC's had their own special wheels, but numerous (not all) 
other stock 14" GM wheels fit without interference, unless they are deep 
enough to hit the tie rod end.

And, in the interest of maybe trying to get more info from other places, 
I'm going to cross post this to Corvantics -- 
http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/listinfo/corvanatics

PS: I have a '61 van setting up next to a '63 rampy for visual 
comparison -- the rampy's lower front control arms are bent though.

Thank you,

Bill S