Neil64

Hello everyone,

I am considering switching to aftermarket wheels from the OEM 17x8s and want to get educated on wheels such as:

different materials
cast vs. forged
different cast methods - what's better
sizing - read rominl's sticky and that pretty much cleared up things but afraid anything bigger than 17's will ruin ride quality and bend.
hub bore sizes
use of hub centric rings - when to use and when not to
brands to avoid
finishes

As wheels are such an important component I want to make a well informed purchase and not have to buy 3 sets of wheels before I am satisfied.

Can anyone recommend a good website, magazine, book ,etc. to get educated?

Then I have to consider lowering which is another can of worms


Thanks...

Neil

Seize

A good place to start would be the "Wheel Tech" section at tirerack.com

Here's the link

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/index.jsp

AZDesertGS

iTrader: (4)

Hey....whats wrong with buying 3 sets of wheels before getting it right???? haha

I'm an idiot

GS300Rich

Neil, contact D2Autosport and be done. He will help you from beginning to end

phunkyGS

neil...i didn't know much about wheels when i first got on here either. i just spent tons of time going through the wheels forum and did a load of advanced searches. and like rich said, d2autosport (derrick) will be of great help to you.

having a wheel addiction and saying you bought three sets of wheels before you got it right are completely different.

face it, bro, the new hr2s probably won't be your last...wheel junkie.

Eternity3G

Just ask... There are many knowledgable people here!!! I'm not a bible, but I'll do the best to help you out...

djjt

i'm new to this as well.. but here's what i learned:
cast is what most afterwheels are made of. there are different processes for casting wheels... some casts are very strong and other casts suck... leaving weak metal moldings and weak areas formed unevened in the wheel... which can lead to cracks (air) there.

Forged wheels are made differently and they are made a lot stronger... and also alot more expensive. that's all i have to say about those haha

i don't know of the different methods of casting.

yes, the bigger the size, the harsher the ride... i'm getting 19s tomorrow. wheels for them by monday and i'll see how it goes, its a 3 inch upgrade for me.

i need hubcentric rings, those depend on your rim. or else classic GS vibration at magical speeds will occur =)

i heard lots of people have axis, which is what i'm getting. D2 autosport also has specials on some of their wheels which look VERY VERY NICE btw... from MRR (HR2s are beautiful)

chrome, duh... brushed, duh, etc. etc. etc.

gluck!

note, if you live in places with potholes and lots of bumps... the bigger the tire you have, the higher chance of getting flats on low profile tires, bubbles in them, bent rims and driving out of your lane to avoid potholes you'll see too late. haha

LexFather

This is a beautiful post! try searching too, we have discussed in here the differences and who to buy, what to do, not to do, etc.

Its a lot of reading but well worth it!

LexFather

http://www.bbs.com/index.php?id=154&L=2

BBS is one if not the most reputable brand, used by most all race teams and F-1 cars. They describe many things here

http://www.bbs.com/index.php?id=154&L=2