Looking at upgrading to a staggered setup of 18x8.5 and 18x9.5. Will 18's easily accommodate a brake upgrade down the road? What do you think of these wheel styles? Is chrome too Bling for a silver car? Any comments on quality, weight, fit, messing with centering rings/spacers etc would be appreciated. Sorry about multiple messages, don't know how to post multiple pics in one message.

Another style

Another.

Last one.

SSR makes a fairly strong and lightweight 18" wheel.
I think they call it a GT1 and the GT3. They have the five spoke design. YOu can check out Tirerack at www.tirerack.com and see the styles on your car. Ronal makes a decent 18" wheel and they are usually heavier and very very strong.

Can you briefly explain how to post a pic here?

ALso the first one you posted looks like it would "fit" the car nicely.

I like the first wheel the best.
My personal preference would be non chrome, but that's just me.
For al the other questions I think you could best ask Manaray.

gsman,

they all looked very nice, except for the last one. may be for blk car, chromes just do not stir my soul.;) if your are on a tight budget, get the first one-vr5.

about the break upgrades, 18s will be fine as long you have the correct offset and the wheel spoke pattern will not hit the big caliper.when you get the wheel, make sure you ask for supra tt offset fittment.

william

I like styles 1 & 2 best. Not surprising that I like 2, because it looks identical to my WEDS wheels (FARMAS DP-V11s). :)

I don't think any wheel guarantees you can do any possible brake upgrade, but certainly asking if a Supra TT brake set will fit is a good thing.

The first and second pics are the Manaray VR5 Quests (1 or 2 piece) versus the Altstadt I (3-piece). How much does it really matter if the wheel is 1,2 or 3 piece? Any difference in weight, strength etc.?

OK, the first wheel is a 1 piece that tries to look like a 3 piece. As good a brand that Manaray might be, faking the funk isn't cool. The second wheel is a Blitz 3 piece. I think someone has or had them on a black GS, with aftermarket chrome (looks hot, IMHO). The third is the Altstadt I. Nice wheel. Check out www.riverside.co.jp . I personally like the SSR "twisted" wheel. They have a pic of it on a GS on their webpage. As for the difference between 1, 2 and 3 piece wheels, 3 piece wheels are usually a bit heavier, but if you damage it, you can fix only the damaged part, as opposed to the entire wheel. Brake upgrades depend on the size (diameter) and offset of the wheel. Ask Bit about centering rings. No spacers. You're spending loot, get the right wheel. I'm sure the wheel pro's will comment soon to correct my errors.

You sure that second wheel is a Blitz? Someone else said it was another kind also. All I know is it looks IDENTICAL to my WEDS wheel, especially the logo on the center cap. Others use the same logo even!?

As far as centering rings, if the rims aren't hub centric or designed specifically for the car they're going on, my high end balancing place says ya gotta have centering rings. Even though the place I got my rims didn't supply them :( my balancing place lucked out finding some for my odd ball center bore size (73mm). The other day I looked at one of the rings carefully - they fit very precisely.

Sorry, I got them out of order. The second is the Altstadt I, third is the Blitz. Doesn't Y2KGS have that Blitz wheel??? I can't remember for sure. Bit, I'm just going by the pic's on GTautosports page.

The last wheel is a BUTT UGLY attempt to copy the SSR Minerva...here's a pict of the real thing...

My PERSONAL opinion....

Chrome - Too much ghetto rap-star bling for me. There are a few wheels that look good in chrome, but most look "cheap" to me (since there are SO many cheap chrome wheels available now)

Manaray VR5 - Despite the name, SKIP IT. I think the wanna-be 3-piece look of a 1-piece wheel is WEAK. There would have be NO SHAME to taking those black wannabe bolts out on that wheel!

Aldstadt 1 - Great wheel but the style is a little played out now. Lot of knock-offs and similar style wheels unfortunately. I had these wheels a few years ago...

Side Note: Bit, I don't think the Altstadt 1's and the V11's look exactly the same...they look similiar, but not the same...but you're right about the center logo...hehehe...those look more similar than the wheels do IMO though...

Blitz Type 03's - Another great wheel but I don't really like it on the GS...

SSR Minerva - These are NICE wheels. Out of the four you posted, I would get these...they're different (I haven't seen an exact knock-off yet rolling around Los Angeles yet) and they're well made...also, the Minervas have deeper than normal looking lips (if you're into the deep lip action)

At any rate, those are just my opinions..there are a lot of good wheels out there so make sure you ABSOLUTELY want the wheels you buy...otherwise, you'll be doing Wheels v2.0 and it gets costly! :)

Thanks for everyones comments.

Manaray the SSR Minerva looks nice, also which wheel styles in chrome do you like? The heard that PIAA will be coming out with a new 3 piece style which looks similar to the split spoke design of the VR5 Quests. How is the PIAA Rozza line?

Manaray and anyone else who is an LA local, any recommendations on a wheel store with good prices?

Manaray, isn't there a picture of the Minerva's on a GS?? I know I saw it but can't remember where, and I know if I've seen it, you've seen it. It's a fu&ked up pink color. That would give him an idea of what they would look like.

Manaray and other LA locals, any wheel store recommendations with good prices?

Thanks,

gsman,

so have you decide which wheel you like?;) in la i know a good source for lowenharts/l-sportline. if you like other wheels, i would go outside cal like

www.gtautosports.com

dave imports them dir from japan, and you do not pay taxes. email hiom but be patient for response. he will get the wheels you want at good prices.

william

GS4will,

I'm still trying to narrow down my wheel choices. I did call Dave at GTautosports and he is looking into a new PIAA 3-piece split spoke design similar to the Manaray Quests. Do you suggest I just get the rims from him and buy tires/mount locally? Who has good tire prices? Also, I am thinking about getting an L-Sportline side skirt and wanted to know who you recommend?

Thanks,

GSman
 

GSman,

please check your PM, got some good sources for you

william:)

Zushwa - Yeah, I have that picture...but it's on a Nissan Cima (a car not available in the U.S.A...bastards)...I'll post it later...

Chrome - I think wheels that don't have a LOT of continuous surface area look ok in chrome (like "mesh" style wheels). However, I don't like chrome for more than just the ghetto bling-bling aspect of it. I don't like chrome because it adds a LOT of unnecessary weight to the wheel (you can get wheels in a high polished finished rather than chrome to get the bling...) and chrome chips easily...even quality chrome jobs...

GSman - LA shops...you can try Sprewell (www.sprewellracing.com) or F1 motorsports (www.f1motorsports.com)

GT Autosports is good for getting JDM style wheels if you can ever get ahold of Dave...he SERIOUSLY needs to look into getting some help over there...

If you want PIAA wheels, Steve Ganz @ Carson toyota (SupraTRD on Club Lexus) can get them for you too...check with Steve first....he's our resident parts supplier!

wheels you can also try E-Mail to Hiro.

http://store.yahoo.com/lexusparts/

Look for his Email there.

You can go to Sprewell Racing but IMO they don't install things right at all. Buy the wheels and go to a tire/wheel shop and install/balance them.

Manaray,

I've been debating about chrome for awhlie, personally I like classy, not too flashy style of rims, not the all out bling bling. However, the rim that I am deciding on do not seem to have high polish available, only chrome or silver, unless you know otherwise, so, what is your opinion of silver finish?

the rim I am looking at is the Weds Kranze Cerebus, 3 piece,

Lex430 - Personally, I would go with Silver with the high polished lip...I think it's a classy looking combination...great choice on the wheels...it's just too bad Zenetti *****ed up the Cerebus's image by bring out a cheap ass fake of it....oh well, at least you're getting the OG wheel that's a REAL 3-piece! 19", right? :)

Globe - RE: Sprewell - have you had problems with their installs? I've seen a TON of their jobs (I was around when DAZZ was there!) and they've done some killer work (fender mods and such)...the only they do, that bugs me, is that they're just a little too willing to install Benz wheels on a non-Benz car (you know, all the wanna-be Rap stars and basketball players that want "Lorenzos" on their Lexos...)

They did my intake and spoiler installation. I ended up going to 2 other places to re-do the installation :mad:

my friend's exhaust was installed by them too. Not centered. Crooked. Scratched.

And yah the Benz wheels on non-Benz things too.

Dazz was great. Seriously. I was there too when my bro went to Dazz for things for this E-klasse.

Globe and Manaray,

i know exactly what you guys are talking about:eek: :confused: last time wei and i went there and were looking at some nice hart wheels, and two guys there were trying to tell us how COOL the 3-piece Brabus rims would look on Wei's GS. and we were like....:confused:

haha Will, I know. the guy is like oh.. try the Carlsson, oh how about Brabus monoblock, oh this Losiuner is the best for GS.. haha ...

personally I think as long as the wheels looks fine, fits your style, great quality, I really don't care whether it is a Benz rims or BMW rims tho.

hehe Work equip!! coming!

Googled "Altstadt center caps" and found THIS as the first result.

This thread is sixteen years old. What the ****.

Riverside no longer exists. The Altstadt has been out of production for probably as long as this thread has been dead. Second hand market is the only place to get center caps, so try Croober, UpGarage, Yahoo Auctions, and JDM wheel parts brokers.

Go factory IS350 staggered. Keep it original looking. Will clear big brake set up. & if you get chrome, you can protect the chrome using ceramic coating 9H. Look it up.

Someone didn't read the thread...

I read the posting. His concern was chrome too bling for silver cars & it's not. + factory wheels looks better & have a better resale value than aftermarket wheels.

The point being made was the thread and that post you replied to are from 2001.

Synco357, please start a new thread about the center caps you seek if needed.