Help me decide on a wheel...

[CSiJason]

Here are 4 of my favorite wheel designs i've found so far that I may order for my GTO. The top three are forged multi-piece wheels and are custom made to order. The bottom are cast wheels made in China for an Australian wheel company but are designed to work with the Monaro/GTO.

All wheels are pictured as 18" sizes.

These are from AVUS Forged called AF-502 and are about $1000 each! I doubt i'll get these at this cost. They are a full three piece wheel. I would get this as pictured with a silver painted finish. I could get 18x8 and 18x9" sizes in these.

http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/attachment.php?attach mentid=8329&stc=1


This wheel is one I like as an alternative to the above wheels from ZE Forged. They are closer to half the cost and are available in 2 or 3 piece depending on the width. Three piece are more than the two piece however but still less than the AF-502's. I would get this with a brushed aluminum finish with a clear coat. I can get 18x8 and 18x9 or 18x9.5" sizes in these.

http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/attachment.php?attach mentid=8330&stc=1


This is a little something I like but i'm not sure how well it would 'fit' on the GTO since it seems so flashy. Same notes as above for the ZE Forged. This is called Toxic and is a two or three piece wheel. I would get it with a brushed finish with clear coat. I can get 18x8 and 18x9 or 18x9.5" sizes in these.

http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/attachment.php?attach mentid=8331&stc=1


Last but not least, from XHP Alloy, the Saber which are a one piece cast wheel and only available in 8" widths with the right lug pattern for the GTO. This has a machined face and a gunmetal finish on the insides of the spokes. (looks silver in the picture) These are less than $200 per wheel but not nearly as quality as above nor are they forged or multi-piece. (The others being rebuildable if damaged.)

http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/attachment.php?attach mentid=8328&stc=1

[kctowboy]

I like the High Octane the best... (2nd Picture)

[Doric]

I like the High Octane the best... (2nd Picture)
Same here, although I wouldn't personally choose any of them.

[ctaylor45]

I like the High Octane the best... (2nd Picture)

Second that!

[CSiJason]

I'm swaying towards the Hi Octane myself now that I photoshopped them on my 'test' car. I think a set of those in 18x8 and 18x9.5" would be sweet and since they are custom, i can get the necessary offset to fit them with minimal trouble.

[Sk8fe]

Same here, although I wouldn't personally choose any of them.

Ditto. Hi-Octane...

I prefer some lip and a nice deep dish. :)

[detaildude]

Yup, I like the Hi-Octane as well Jason.

[CSiJason]

Looks like thats what i'm gonna have to get then. ;)

I'm now debating 19x9 in the rear and 18x8 in the front... Thoughts?

[kctowboy]

Wider is Better ! hehehee

[GMMillwright]

Looks like thats what i'm gonna have to get then. ;)

I'm now debating 19x9 in the rear and 18x8 in the front... Thoughts?

High Octane -- no question. 19X8 in front and 19X9.5 in the back if you can get the right offset.

[Sk8fe]

19's are cool, but replacement rubber is significantly more expensive. It depends on where you live and the overall general quality of the roads or you will be bending rims left and right, which gets even more costly. As you plus the size the ride quality will get a lot rougher as well. Living in PA I would never consider 19's -- roads are just not that great to begin with and winter doesn't help. I have 18's on my other P-car with low-profile 30's on and it is hard trying to be careful all of the time and PA roads can make it feel like a very rough ride. Just my two pennies on the table. If you got the squid go for it. 19's definitely have show-appeal. :)

Tom

[CSiJason]

High Octane -- no question. 19X8 in front and 19X9.5 in the back if you can get the right offset.

I can get the right offset since they are custom made to spec. The only drawback of half sizes is the cost since half sizes (8.5", 9.5") MUST be three piece which cost a good bit more where as the two piece are only full sizes (8", 9", 10") but cost less. Though I'm told they look exactly the same so mixing them wouldnt be a problem. I'm debating 9.5's in the rear but I would want to be sure the wheel fit with minimal modification or rubbing. Its hard to say how wide of a tire I could go with using 9.5" rears though since i've heard some people suggest 275's is max regardless but I bet you could stuff something better than that under if the offset was right.

I'm more likely to get 18" in the front also since I kinda like the bigger wheel in the rear thing like Corvettes, Porsche and other exotics and sports cars use. Plus the back in is larger so a larger wheel in the back would be more to the same scale.

[CSiJason]

19's are cool, but replacement rubber is significantly more expensive. It depends on where you live and the overall general quality of the roads or you will be bending rims left and right, which gets even more costly. As you plus the size the ride quality will get a lot rougher as well. Living in PA I would never consider 19's -- roads are just not that great to begin with and winter doesn't help. I have 18's on my other P-car with low-profile 30's on and it is hard trying to be careful all of the time and PA roads can make it feel like a very rough ride. Just my two pennies on the table. If you got the squid go for it. 19's definitely have show-appeal. :)

Tom


I hear ya... I'll be keeping the stock wheels for off season duty of course. Almost regardless of what I do, i'll probably get 18's in the front. I'm sorta debating the 19" rear thing still. I like the idea but the super low profile rubber would really kill ride quality and like you suggest, 19" tires are pricey and less brands / styles are available at that. Being on the rear, they'd get smoked off nicely in a years time i'm sure. Though i'd probably run drag radials on the factory wheels for racing. Our roads arent great but they arent horrable either. Being forged wheels, they are significantly stronger than a cheeper cast wheel so road damage is less likely.

[Pulse Red GTO]

Yep the second set it sweet looking!!!!

[Sk8fe]

Agreed, forged wheels are stronger, but hitting an unseen PA pothole even at 45mph will take its toll! Unfortunately, I know. :( Bottom-line, wheels are a personal thing, so you gotta take your Goat in the direction you want her to go; blaze your own trail, and everything else is just a grain of salt. Me, I'm all about deep dish rims like the kind you see on BMW's and Porsches. But for me I am going to wait until I can save up enough to get the AP-Racing 6-piston front and 4-piston rear big brake kit and then get 2 or 3 piece wheels custom made to fit that setup and hopefully get me a little deep dish action to boot. It just may be a while as those AP-Racing brakes don't come cheep...

Tom

[Yeller Jakett]

I like the High Octane the best... (2nd Picture)
Yea, Ditto!

[jasonblair]

Hi Octanes look the best. Go with the 19's! I know some people talk about the 18's being more functional, but dang it.. sometimes you just have to go for the over the top looks!

[Sk8fe]

Hi Octanes look the best. Go with the 19's! I know some people talk about the 18's being more functional, but dang it.. sometimes you just have to go for the over the top looks!

I disagree. It is a lot of squid to spend on show and no-go. Initial outlay of money to get that setup is substantial. Having a staggered setup will obviously mean that he can no longer rotate his tires, which means that he will be chewing up and going through tires like a kid goes through a pack of gum. Being in the 19" arena means expensive replacement rubber and limited choices. All factors that must be considered. But, to each their own. That's what makes the car hobby so cool! We all have a car disease... :)

I know from personal experience that going plus 1 does not affect the driving characteristics of the car as much as going plus 2 does. Bottom line, the car was not engineered to have 19's on it; especially up front. The steering wheel will feel a lot heavier and require more input; moreover, it may add to premature wear of those components. I like his idea of going with 18's up front and 19's in the rear like the new C6 Vette. That I think is more Player. Again, just my two pennies on the table. :)

Tom

[CSiJason]

I was thinking about going with the new g-Force KDW-2's which have a more aggressive pattern and are said to be very good by people who have tried them so far. Of course they are only a summer tread however. (fine with me) In 19" sizes they are about $240-260 per tire and in 18" sizes they are about $160-180 per tire. Not a drastic difference (like $400 each for some brands) but I can deal with that. I'm still thinking a 19x9?? in the rear and an 18x8 in the front would keep the ride halfway soft but look good. Perhaps I'll go with a higher profile tire in the rear to make it almost match the front. I'd just have to get the PCM reprogrammed to keep the speedo correct.

[kctowboy]

I wouldnt worry too much about the oversize in the rear Jason... Just remember, all of us in the 70's and 80's with muscle cars, didnt give a hoot about rotation of tires, and most couldnt because we ran 50's in the rear and 60's in the front on Cragars or Slot Mags.... I say go for it!

[Sk8fe]

I was just thinking that if you are entertaining the notion of 19's, isn't the orange Woodward Dream cruise GTO sometimes on the top banner have custom 19's? I would take a set of those over the Hi-Octanes! :) Dude, you definitely seem to know your wheels. I track an 04 STi at Driver Ed. and seat-time days. PM me if you could help me determine what is the widest wheel I could fit on that with competition rubber for the track! :) Sorry, not to hi-jack your thread, but is wheel related... :)

Tom

[Snafu]

I'm considering doing that same type of staggered setup to mine...18x8.5" up front and 19x9.5" in the rear. I totally agree that there is more car in the rear and espcially with no fenders, it really throws off the perspective.

I may just order a set of 19's and a set of 18's for the rear and see which I like better seeing as they're not custom (company might be cool enough to let me send one set back, or they'd just go for sale here or ebay).

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to grind off that fender lip...thought about rolling, but no shop around here would do it. I'm worried I'll crack the paint, but if it's ground off, then there's no worries.

(my wheels should come off backorder from mfr. in 2 weeks :banghead: )

[Sk8fe]

I'm considering doing that same type of staggered setup to mine...18x8.5" up front and 19x9.5" in the rear. I totally agree that there is more car in the rear and espcially with no fenders, it really throws off the perspective.

I may just order a set of 19's and a set of 18's for the rear and see which I like better seeing as they're not custom (company might be cool enough to let me send one set back, or they'd just go for sale here or ebay).

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to grind off that fender lip...thought about rolling, but no shop around here would do it. I'm worried I'll crack the paint, but if it's ground off, then there's no worries.

(my wheels should come off backorder from mfr. in 2 weeks :banghead: )

Yo man, keep me in the loop on this! I love the deep dish wheels you have photoshop'd on your car. Are those the wheels you expect to get in 2 weeks? :)

I always though that "rolling the fenders" meant just the lip that you will be grinding off. So instead of grinding it, they cut it in several places and use the roller to "fold" it under so it is smooth. Is that not the case? Do they actually stretch the metal (and paint) and bend the fender outwards and upward?

Tom

[Snafu]

Thanks. Yup, same wheels...can't wait! I too love deep dish. I'll post a bunch of pics when I'm done.

When rolled, the lip is usually just folded in and up by a rolling tool (redneck method is a baseball bat using the tire as your leverage point). Depending on lip thickness, construction, and paint this can cause cracking due to the stress. Grinding it off keeps you from stressing the material and paint. You just have to coat the newly exposed area with undercoating and paint so it won't rust. If you feel the front fender, it will feel folded...it is basically rolled when they make it; the rear however, is not.

[Sk8fe]

Funny you should mention that (baseball bat). Last September I was at the track running my STi in a total soaker slop-fest (last rain storms of whatever huricane was passing through) and there was a cat there in a Porsche 928 S4! I was all over the place in my AWD Scoobie and thought; man, not the day you want to be out here in your high torque, RWD, V8 Porsche. I made a lot of friends that day as I was the only cat who brought a car tent (QuickShade) that day. :) The car was black with tan interior and looked (and sounded) awesome. Nice deep dish wheels, pro exhaust, but the cat admitted to rolling his rear fenders with a baseball bat! I'm like what!??? Dude, just hand me the keys I'll take your 928 before you butter your girl up -- doing clown moves like that! There was a lot of carnage that day, but surprisingly his 28'er made it through the day unscratched! Good for him. :)

Tom