Back in the day, it you had a classic C2 Corvette Sting Ray (1963-67) or C3 Corvette Stingray (1968-82) and wanted to run a slightly wider wheel and tire package, it used to mean significant modifications to the rear suspension or, worse yet, cutting up the back of your Vette’s body.
That’s why these offset trailing arms from Van Steel Corvette are so nifty.
They’re offset by two inches which, Van Steel says, lets you fit a wider tire on a stock rim or run a wider aftermarket rim with more backspacing—without any permanent modifications.*
* 15 to 17 inch wheels must use a shortened spring. 1963-79 Corvettes running wheels with 4.5 to 5 inch rear backspacing require a custom offset sway bar. See precise fitment details at the bottom of this article.
These offset trailing arms don’t relocate the wheel bearing assembly, and allow you to keep your stock axle half-shafts, transverse leaf spring, and strut rods. Better still, the Van Steel Corvette design uses spherical bearings to improve both handling and ride quality, and the bearings are PTFE-lined for longevity (yet can still be replaced easily).
Best of all, they’re direct bolt-ins, with no further chassis mods required.
Larger/Wider Wheel Fitment Guidelines
While these offset trailing arms do create a bit more room in your Vette’s rear wheel wells, Van Steel Corvette reminds you to double check for proper spring and sway bar clearance if you’re running wider than factory wheels, and if you plan on fitting wheels with more backspacing.
Its suspension experts also add that, depending on wheel diameter, you may need a shortened spring and narrowed sway bar, and that these trailing arms are not compatible with coilover conversions. Get precise wheel fitment information below:
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