Trapper
04-26-2006, 04:12 PM
For those of you that absolutely refuse, no way, no how, to try a 120.65 bolt circle instead of 120.00 quit reading now.
However, using Galen and sccaGTO as my groundbreakers, I decided it was not that big a deal. I came from a Grand Prix GTP to the GTO, and they have been interchanging 114.3 with 115.0 bolt circle's with no problems to improve their selection of wheels. I figured I would use Corvette/F-body sizes to do the same.
If money was no object, I would be doing the custom forged wheel many of you have chosen. However, with the GTO as my daily driver, I wasn't about to spend that much in case I had an encounter with a Detroit area pothole.
To cut to the details, go to the Enkei wheel website, racing wheel section, and look at the NT03+M selection. Again because of our lousy Michigan roads, I wanted to stay with 17" wheels to keep some tire sidewall. I bought the 17x8, 5-120, 38 offset for the front, and the 17x9.5, 5-120.65, 55 offset for the rear. The impressive part to me was that for about $300/wheel, you get close, if not equal to, the forged wheel weights, about 18 pounds for the front and 19 for the rear.
I put the OE tires on the front, and bought some BFG KDW (original tread design) 275/40-17's on the rear. The good news is the rears fit with no fender rolling or cutting. I do have a slight inner fender rub on hard right hand cornering, only on the driver's side. No other rubbing at all so far with me and a full tank of gas.
I'm still getting used to the looks, as the reinforcing ring that ties the spokes together makes the wheel appear smaller in diameter. It may have looked better with 18's, but then the rear offset goes to 58, and I am sure that would give some significant inner fender rub, at least on my car. The wheel could be spaced back out, but then you run into the stud length issue.
Given that I cut about 40 pounds of rotating, unsprung weight from the car by spending only $1200 on wheels makes me feel good. I know I won't be nearly as unhappy if one of those Michigan potholes gets me, as I would be had I bought a set of CCW's.
Rocket Rides did the install, and took a picture of the car tonight. They should have it up on their "Customer Rides" section in a few days.
However, using Galen and sccaGTO as my groundbreakers, I decided it was not that big a deal. I came from a Grand Prix GTP to the GTO, and they have been interchanging 114.3 with 115.0 bolt circle's with no problems to improve their selection of wheels. I figured I would use Corvette/F-body sizes to do the same.
If money was no object, I would be doing the custom forged wheel many of you have chosen. However, with the GTO as my daily driver, I wasn't about to spend that much in case I had an encounter with a Detroit area pothole.
To cut to the details, go to the Enkei wheel website, racing wheel section, and look at the NT03+M selection. Again because of our lousy Michigan roads, I wanted to stay with 17" wheels to keep some tire sidewall. I bought the 17x8, 5-120, 38 offset for the front, and the 17x9.5, 5-120.65, 55 offset for the rear. The impressive part to me was that for about $300/wheel, you get close, if not equal to, the forged wheel weights, about 18 pounds for the front and 19 for the rear.
I put the OE tires on the front, and bought some BFG KDW (original tread design) 275/40-17's on the rear. The good news is the rears fit with no fender rolling or cutting. I do have a slight inner fender rub on hard right hand cornering, only on the driver's side. No other rubbing at all so far with me and a full tank of gas.
I'm still getting used to the looks, as the reinforcing ring that ties the spokes together makes the wheel appear smaller in diameter. It may have looked better with 18's, but then the rear offset goes to 58, and I am sure that would give some significant inner fender rub, at least on my car. The wheel could be spaced back out, but then you run into the stud length issue.
Given that I cut about 40 pounds of rotating, unsprung weight from the car by spending only $1200 on wheels makes me feel good. I know I won't be nearly as unhappy if one of those Michigan potholes gets me, as I would be had I bought a set of CCW's.
Rocket Rides did the install, and took a picture of the car tonight. They should have it up on their "Customer Rides" section in a few days.