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Wheel fitment issues with Stillen/AP BBKs

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Old 11-18-2006, 03:44 AM
  #21  
JDMFairladyZ33
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Originally Posted by bullseye
I heard about wheel repair before, but I don't know too much about it. I do not know how I could go without a wheel while it's being repaired, for example. I also believe that repairing a wheel would not be as good as buying a new wheel, as far as structural integrity is concerned. The Tire Rack does not recommend wheel repair, nor would they refer me to a company that does it. I'm not surprised they would not make a referral. After all, they're in the business of selling new wheels. But still... I'm leary.

How does it work? How can anyone repair a bent wheel???
Unless you are really wanting to get new wheels, I would give it a shot. What do you have to loose? You spend $150-$200 and try to get the wheel fixed. If it comes back acceptable then problem solved. If not I think $150-$200 is worth the gamble given your alternatives. I have personally seen some wheels come back in great shape after they were completely trashed.
Old 11-18-2006, 08:16 AM
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bullseye
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I found a local Memphis company called Wheel Workz which sells and repairs wheels. The salesman explained to me they take the wheel, heat it up, and spin it round. The machine trues the wheel at the same time. The same machine cools the wheel, too. Chances are, my wheel(s) will come out as good as new. The cost is $105 per wheel. They told me to come in any day next week Mon-Wed at 9:00am, and they will have me out of there by noon. If I'd only known about this a month ago...
Old 11-18-2006, 09:23 AM
  #23  
Z1 Performance
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Tire Rack is correct inasmuch as there is no solution they offer from SSR. Tire Rack does not do special orders any longer, and as such, even though a solution may exist within the SSR range, what I am sure they are saying is none exist that they have access to.
Old 11-18-2006, 03:10 PM
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Maybe I am missing the point here and overlooked something, but why does nobody suggest the obvious?

LMGT4 nismo wheels come in 18 8.5 and 18 9.5 so there is a minimal increase in rim width, but surely small enough to fit existing tires...
Also they fit the car perfect in terms of offset and fender and so on...

They also come in silver and are of good quality and fit the price (around 2000 from perf nissan I believe?)

And they should clear the AP's perfectly.

What am I missing?

EDIT: Ooops sorry, now I see .. this is about a g35 not a z...

Last edited by pedroosan; 11-18-2006 at 03:14 PM.
Old 11-18-2006, 05:20 PM
  #25  
bullseye
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Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
Tire Rack is correct inasmuch as there is no solution they offer from SSR. Tire Rack does not do special orders any longer, and as such, even though a solution may exist within the SSR range, what I am sure they are saying is none exist that they have access to.
I believe you are right on the money with that remark. I don't dispute it; however, that fact does not mitigate my disappointment. Furthermore, I don't think TTR made a real effort to find wheels that fit my staggered application. Everything they recommended does not preserve my staggered fitment. In view of the lifetime value of my loyalty to them, I think they could have leveraged their relationships to hook me up. Instead, they turned their pockets inside-out and shrugged. I'm having to do a ton of legwork myself, and after about 2 weeks of visiting websites, calling, and sending e-mails, I'm no closer to finding a suitable high-quality set of wheels than flying to the moon.

I thought folks would jump to respond, to assist me with a potential $2,500+ sale. Believe it or not, about 1/3 of the inquiries I made have yet to be answered. (I'm not talking about TTR, here. I'm referring to other sources.) No response at all after two weeks! Screw'em.

Sometime during the last four weeks, someone could have sold me a high-quality set of wheels that fit my application. I would have been happy as a clam, and feeling as though someone new had earned my business. Instead, I'm spending far less with a local company I don't really know to repair what I already have. I hope to Gawd they do a good job...
Old 11-19-2006, 02:33 AM
  #26  
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the problem IMHO is not a staggered fitment, the problem is finding wheels in your narrow range of sizes that also meet your design desires. You may in fact have the only set of wheels that suit all your wants and as such, having the repaired is probably your best bet
Old 11-19-2006, 04:48 AM
  #27  
bullseye
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Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
the problem IMHO is not a staggered fitment, the problem is finding wheels in your narrow range of sizes that also meet your design desires. You may in fact have the only set of wheels that suit all your wants and as such, having the repaired is probably your best bet
I grant you could be correct, but I sure hope not. If you're correct, then the only set of wheels that fit my application are discontinued.

Local roads are in a perpetual, horrendous state of repair here in Memphis, which works against my getting long service life out of my wheels. I bet the local Memphis wheel repair guy(s) are busy all the time. It would not surprise me to find our local city officials have an ownership stake in the wheel repair business. J/K!



Does anyone know what offset I need, or how to measure that? I've had folks call me to say they don't have the right size wheels for my application, but they will not tell me which size will fit. If someone knows what size will fit, why can't they make a set of wheels for me?

Please advise.

Thank you.
Old 11-19-2006, 04:57 AM
  #28  
bullseye
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By the way, the local wheel repair service company also sells tires and wheels. My salesman made an attempt to get me interested in a new set of wheels. Honest to Gawd, he tried to sell me a set of cast 20" wheels with a chrome finish. He said that type of wheel would not only add some style to my ride, but also hold up better against the rough roads around Memphis. He was dead serious. All I could do was blink at him with my mouth agape. I finally managed to say something like: "I have a much stronger preference for stealthy wheels."
Old 11-19-2006, 01:52 PM
  #29  
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there is no right or wrong answer as to which offset - as with any car there is a range that works. That range is far narrower on a G35 sedan as it is on a Z or a G coupe. It's even narrower because of your brakes. The other issue is spoke design - some wheels might have the right offset but because of spoke design, may not have the inner wheel clearance for the caliper. This is why it's no surprise you've struck out thusfar - such a wheel that fits your exact parameters simply may not exist any longer, or might be like finding a needle in a haystack
Old 11-19-2006, 07:38 PM
  #30  
bullseye
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Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
there is no right or wrong answer as to which offset - as with any car there is a range that works. That range is far narrower on a G35 sedan as it is on a Z or a G coupe. It's even narrower because of your brakes. The other issue is spoke design - some wheels might have the right offset but because of spoke design, may not have the inner wheel clearance for the caliper. This is why it's no surprise you've struck out thusfar - such a wheel that fits your exact parameters simply may not exist any longer, or might be like finding a needle in a haystack
I've been hearing the needle in a haystack theory for about two weeks, now. Does anyone know what offset range is appropriate for my application? (Please tell me.) Step 1 is finding out the proper offset range. Of course, the dimensions of my brakes are known, and available with a blueprint on Stillen's website. That is Step 2. Step 3 is SOMEBODY looking at spoke designs that offer the appropriate combination of proper size, offset and brake clearing spokes. If manufacturers provide dimensions and blueprints for their wheels like Stillen does its brake kits, then it should not be too difficult to identify a style or two that will fit. Experienced wheel retailers may have a good idea where to start looking, but I can't seem to get anyone interested enough to look. Strange...

I must be very lucky. When I bought my SSR wheels back in 2002, I did not contemplate adding a BBK. I bought the wheels because I happened to like the style. When I added the BBK in 2003 or 2004, the wheels fit over them like they were made for the purpose. There is plenty of clearance. It never occurred to me I would have great difficulty replacing them.
Old 11-20-2006, 12:16 AM
  #31  
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Default Repair

Originally Posted by rlhayden
Have you considered getting the wheel repaired by someone like Wheels America for $129?
I had some 8K tech art rims on my 996 when i ran over a curb doing about 100 (I was pretty lit that night)/ Two of the rims were bent beyond what I thought anyone could repair--but they were not--you'd be surprised what modern wheel repair can do--and structural integrity was never an issue.
Old 11-20-2006, 01:02 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by derekinthez
I had some 8K tech art rims on my 996 when i ran over a curb doing about 100 (I was pretty lit that night)/ Two of the rims were bent beyond what I thought anyone could repair--but they were not--you'd be surprised what modern wheel repair can do--and structural integrity was never an issue.
A prime example of what wheel repair shops can do. Hey keep us updated on how it turns out. I am curious to know.
Old 11-20-2006, 03:42 AM
  #33  
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I can tell you in advance that the manufacturers do not publich the CAD drawings for their wheels.

The offset range that fits on a sedan - no idea, probably better off asking on one of the G35 boards quite honestly. If I had to guess I'd say that given the wheel width you want to use, something in the high 20's to mid to high 30's, but keep in mind it is relative to pad height, as well as width.

What you are asking someone to do is extremely time consuming.

Yes you are quite lucky that the existing wheels clears the brakes - reparing them is your best bet.
Old 11-20-2006, 12:34 PM
  #34  
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Can someone please explain to me why the nismo lmgt4s would not solve the problem for the original poster?

They would match all the requirements (color, quality, price, fitting ap bbk, ...)
except their width is +0.5 to what the original poster wanted.
This should not be an issue for using existing tires?
And it should fit the g35 ?

Is the problem that the nismo wheels don't fit the sedan?
Old 11-20-2006, 12:37 PM
  #35  
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look at the sizes he wants though - totally different from the NISMO offerings in both width and offset

sedan gives you alot less room to play vs the coupe
Old 11-20-2006, 01:00 PM
  #36  
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My suggestion is get on tirerack.com. input your model with "track" option. that will display wheels with a "high disk" application which will allow for aftermarket brakes. SSR makes a GT2 which is fairly lightweight while being forged for strength. Going with a staggered setup such as:

18x8.5F +(20-30)
18x9.5R +(20-30)
or
18x9F +(20-30)
18x10R +(20-30)


either combo is interchangeble from front to front or rear to rear. keep in mind these are conservative recommended offsets if you dont want to modify your fenders. your current tires will fit either of these combos with a slight bit of stretching of the tires. Of course if you decide to go wider tires in the future, these will give you a larger choice of tires, and probably add more to your handling. Another benefit, is resale value as most people looking for rims will want a wider than stock offering.
Old 11-20-2006, 01:03 PM
  #37  
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he has a G35 sedan, not a Z ^
Old 11-20-2006, 03:34 PM
  #38  
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Good news...!

This morning, I went over to Wheel Workz, a local Memphis company which specializes in retail tire/wheel sales and wheel repair. (Before last Saturday morning, I did not even know they were in Memphis.) I got there about 9:00am, and they took my car into their shop at once. While I waited, the owner of the shop gave me a short tour of the entire facility: the warehouse, his bent wheel repair center, two wheel paint booths, a wheel lathe room (to dress wheels to remove curb damage), and steam/pressure wash booth. I was very impressed.

By a little after noon, they had repaired my 3 slightly bent wheels, remounted and spin-balanced them, and had me on my way. The charges came to $105 per wheel, plus tax. After driving for about 20 miles today, I'd say the ride is as smooth as a strippers a$$. I conclude the wheels were repaired very well.

Right now, I'm just about as happy as could be.
Old 11-20-2006, 03:59 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
I can tell you in advance that the manufacturers do not publich the CAD drawings for their wheels. What you are asking someone to do is extremely time consuming.
I agree: I was asking someone to perform a time-consuming task. But then, I was not trying to buy a box of popcorn. If someone had taken up the task of helping me, they could have made a pretty good sale. The last set of wheels about which I inquired cost over $1,000-each. That company more than likely will have assumed the role of supplier for my future tire and wheel purchases, too. After all, I've been buying tires and wheels from The Tire Rack for almost a decade.

I don't know how many companies to which I sent inquiries over the last three weeks. I lost count. But none of them -- not one -- seemed any more interested in helping me locate a properly sized, staggered set of wheels than flying to the moon. Only two companies responded at all, Stillen and TTR. But neither company had wheels in-stock to fit my application... and told me so.

I guess it is more time-efficient to be an order taker... than an order maker.

I'm not too bitter about it, but I still worry about damaging a wheel and not having a replacement wheel in mind. I guess I could revert to OEM brakes, and put the stock wheels back on the car... NOT!

I'd still like to identify a stock set of wheels I can go to if need be, or a company that can accept my special order for the proper fitments. I'm not going to hold my breath...

Thank you for all the feedback here, especially to Z1 Performance, who was very communicative. I appreciate it!
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