17" wheel recommendations.

[Beastlee]

Ok, so due to some idiot not knowing that the inside marking of the tyre is supposed to point towards the car, not away from it, I now need to replace the tyre...if only it were that easy, they are all worn and I need 4.
We were supposed to be waiting out for summer to buy some 17" wheels but as this has happened Heidi is going to sort me out the cash to buy them now. I have looked a the thread about what fits and now I just need to get some recommendations on brand. I don't need designs as I know what I like on them so please just offer brands with correct fitments in the range.
I want to buy some quality wheels that are are light and will not affect the unsprung weight adversely so does anyone have any recommendations? In reality I'd like Enkies but the Germans really don't seem to be into them so not as many about. I need to be able to source them in Germany or possibly somewhere in the UK that would sell tax free to me.
Any help appreciated.

[White Lightning]

I have always liked OZ and MOMO wheels ... :afro:

The Oz Superleggara's that I have got at the moment are 17" and at the time when they were new they were the lightest 17" alloy you could buy. That's one of the main reasons I wanted them. There are some pics in my gallery (along with some pics of when I had the EVO VI wheels fitted which I have now sold).

Are you likely to be fitting Brembos at any stage? If so, you need to factor in that some wheels will not clear Brembos.

[Beastlee]

Wayne, I must admit Oz are one of my top picks and I like the idea of the Superleggara's weight advantage. I'm just on the site now looking at their options. As they are Italian and I'm onthe continent I hope to get tehm cheaper again ;)
I do intend on Brembos at some point so will have to consider very carefully.

[White Lightning]

I do intend on Brembos at some point so will have to consider very carefully.

Thought that might be the case that's why I mentioned it. I know for a fact that mine will not fit over Brembos but that may be due to the offset more than the shape of the wheel. Are Superleggaras still available then? I had a feeling they had been replaced by a new design. Ultraleggaras or something ... :thinking:

[Beastlee]

Oh yeah and they are sexy, I like the idea of black wheels on my dark green car for that aggressive look ....
uploaded/4273/1203944636.jpg
The wheels are listed at http://www.ozracing.com/at-team/wheels/racing/ultraleggera/en

[White Lightning]

Nice ... :pimp2:

Looks like they have thinner spokes than the Superlegs ... so I guess they must be lighter again!

[Beastlee]

7.74kg for a 17x8 wheel, I can't remember the standard weight though.

[steve the pirate]

I went for gunmetal 18's of these with yokohama parada spec 2 tyres.

http://www.kei-wheels.co.uk/KEI+Racing+RSS_c33633_33635_5869.htm

love the grip I am getting too.

[Turbo_Steve]

Lee,

Rota GTRs (18"). These are too wide, but if you get slimmer ones they will fit. Excuse the height of the car...I only put 2 on :)

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27602

[WildCards]

Buddy Club
BBS
Enkei
Volk

[Beastlee]

Steve and Steve and Steve, 18s is just a size too far for me, It's still a practical family car that needs to do 800 mile round trips of Germany on occasion. I like the Kei ones but those Rota's don't float my boat I'm afraid, although they did have some I liked. Will check out Buddy Club and Volk as there's nothing from BBS that's caught my eye and the Enkeis would have to be from an Evo.

The Oz ones are still top choice ;)

[yetphoenix]

I had a set of 18x8 on my legnum ,look really nice on a black legnum. Had to take them off when richy rich was fitting my brembos.Now on my wife's toyota verso kerbed/Grrr

[bradc]

Ultraleggera's are nice, just do it :)

[Beastlee]

What about these? Anyone know the make?
http://cgi.ebay.de/DMS-8-x-17-Alufelgen-mit-LK-5-x-114-3-und-ET-38-NEU_W0QQitemZ180217247487QQihZ008QQcategoryZ9888QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[bradc]

oooh I like those a lot, but the deep dish on them probably means they won't fit over brembo's

[Beastlee]

I'm seriously reconsidering Brembos in favoutr of slotted discs with Carbotech pads LOL

[bradc]

they will stop the car very very well, and you do get to use the wheels you want.

what you don't get however is sexy calipers :)

[Beastlee]

:p :p

Like I can get hold of facelift hub carriers let alone for decent money. I may know where I can get some calipers for a reasonable price though but couldn't afford them and the wheels this year.

[Nice But]

Do they not have an Evo club over there? I just got my evo IX wheels from the MLR for £200....... mind you they stick out slightly from the arches at the front /pan

[Beastlee]

Not that I know of, Germans aren't big on Evos and most companies won't insure them.

[Turbo_Steve]

Lee, I wasn't advocating 18's just the manufacturer.....and agreed the GTRs aren't the best looking wheels on a legnum. Looked evil on the 300 though! :)

[Nikola]

have you tried wolfrace? not to everyones taste but they look good on my vr4 in my opinion, check out my gallery

[Beastlee]

OK, so it looks like I'm getting the Team Dynamic Pro Race 1.2 in a 17x8.0 ET38. They apparently weigh in around 9.5kg per wheel which seems prety good, although not as good as the OZ Ultralegerras which are not available in the UK in my size and colour right now.
Here's a pic :
http://www.rimstock.co.uk/downloads/prorace12silver.jpg

I can't get my arches rolled so I'm not sure if I shoud go for the 235/45/17 or 225/45/17 now. Still not decided between the F1 Asymettrics or the Vredestein Sessantas either. Need to decide as Demon Tweeks will be calling any second to sell me the wheels. £525 for the 4 wheels and another £300 for the tyres...should look nice though!

[WildCards]

Are Demon Tweeks the cheapest Lee? They're normally known for being quite steep for most products. Give the Sessantas a try.

[Beastlee]

The tyres will be from Camskill and a fantastic price for either.

The wheels are from D/T only because they can do them VAT free where most other companies refuse to make the effort. THe only other place so far was POTN and they want an additional £185 for the same thing so D/T seem pretty good so far. Tax off I get the wheels for £446.

[WildCards]

Tax off I get the wheels for £446.

See You Next Tuesday

[Beastlee]

That's the Team Dynamics ones although I'm still not sure about them. As for the guy at D/T he has neglected to call at 9AM like he was supposed to.

The wheels are supposed to be about 9.5kg each...not as light as the OZ ones but do you consider them 'light'? I've still never seen the offical wieght of a standard 16" alloy yet.

[bradc]

neither :) The EVO 8 wheels are about 9kg and the 7's are 10kg

[WildCards]

Well, to put the weight into context, the standard 205 1.9 GTi alloys were 8kgs if Speedlines or 9kgs if SMR's, and they're 15x6". So yes, 9.5Kgs for a 17" wheels is light.

[Beastlee]

Wooho, just waiting on POTN to call me about the Ultralegerras but if they haven't done so shortly I will kick D/T to send me out the Team Dynamics.

[Beastlee]

Well D/T suck. I originally asked for the OZ wheels but they reckoned they would have to get them shipped from Italy but couldn't get my size either. So they then recommended the others.....which they can't get for 3 weeks!!!!
So they just calle dme back after I told them poke off and they now have Matt Graphite (See pic further up) OZ Ultraleggeras in my size but they now want 750+VAT for them!!!! I told them to go screw themselves.

[WildCards]

www.performancealloys.com has them for £768 inc VAT Lee. Would they do them VAT free for you?

[WildCards]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/550177.htm
or
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/525106.htm

[Beastlee]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/550177.htm
or
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/525106.htm


First ones are a waste of time TBH they won't split and they want collection only.
Second ones have an e-mail from me but I doubt they are still available after 42 days.

I want to kill the guy a D/T right now.

[Beastlee]

www.performancealloys.com has them for £768 inc VAT Lee. Would they do them VAT free for you?

POTN is still cheaper at £700 and I know they will take the VAT off that price. I need to start looking in Germany as the prices are starting to become comparable.

[Beastlee]

Have tried other suppliers, it appears OZ will only make the Ultralegerras in an ET45 fitment now! How useless for most cars.

[MikeKey]

Enkie RP-03 s?

[stuey]

i'd personally buy an EVO fitment set from uk ebay, just check the'll ship to germany by courier, sounds like less hassle..

[Beastlee]

Mike, they're OK but a little pricey. I'm looking to pay about £500-600 max unless it's the right set of OZ wheels.

Stu, ebay is a definite no. Not only do I not get them VAT free I don't trust them with anything. If the wheels turn out not to be as advertised can you imagine the grief of getting them back from Germany let alone the UK. I imagine eBay and Paypal would wash their hands altogether!

[Beastlee]

Well, I am back in play again. Neither of the Pistonheads advertises even responded to my e-mails and POTN just plain don't give a crap about customer service. They haven't answered their phone or my e-mails for two weeks now. I had heard bad things about them in the past from other suppliers and clubs but now I know for sure. I told them exactly what I thought of them.

So D/T and POTN are a waste of space, however....., I managed to get in touch with RareRims.co.uk about some Rota Torques (as per Caveman's car). They were very very helpful but were unable to sell me my fitment in silver...so I went for bronze instead. Excellent price and only 7.9kg a wheel! I turned down the wheel and tyre package as the tyres were a bit steep and not the ones I want. I think the postage is a little steep at £80 for a courier service for 32kg to Germany but if they get here safe then I'm more than happy.

I'm still in negotiation with Camskill as they recently changed their policy about BFPO. Scott is tryting to sort things so hopefully I'll be getting some Eagle F1 Assymetrics to fit on the car. I finally decided on 225/45/17 as they are £18 cheaper a set and there's absolutely no chance of rubbing...so I'm told.

Let's see how things progress.

[WildCards]

Rota Slipstreams and Grids look good from RareRims.

IU thought RareRims made they're own wheels? So why can't they just paint one set silver instead of bronze?

[Beastlee]

I need in-stock stuff. I was surprised they didn't have Silver considering they say they have 10000 wheels in stock! Silver was the only colour missing but hey, bronze should be good against the Finesse Green.

[chewy121]

http://images1.fotopic.net/?iid=ytv6bw&outx=600&quality=70

i got myself a set of these depends o ntaste i suppose

[Beastlee]

Ah yes the Wolfrace Jap models. Not too shabby.

[Beastlee]

/woot /woot2

My wheels arrived this morning, along with spigot rings, alloy wheel nuts and a set of locking nuts. The rims come in a double walled box with a soft, elasticated edge cover on the outside face. A centre cap is also included inside each box.

I'm amazed at how deep the centre point is but it looks great. Will post up a pic of one in the flesh. Just awaiting my tyres, which are on their way, and then I can see about getting them fitted.

Can anyone confirm the spigot size I need, want ot make sure the ones in the box with be the right fitment.

[bradc]

you mean centre bore? You want 67.1mm

[Beastlee]

Thanks Brad, that's exactly what I have been sent.

[Beastlee]

Just called in to a local alloy wheel specialist. They will charge me 50€ (£40) to fit and balance all 4 wheels. They do alloy wheel repair etc so should be trustworthy with my new kit ;)

Will look at getting the alignment checked once the wheels are on the car.

[Beastlee]

Ok so I went to the wheel guys earlier and they fitted and balanced the wheels, fantastic deal for 60€! I was offered a choice of valves and went for alloy ones as they recommended them. I know they aren't top choice here but see what you think....
uploaded/4273/1216066180.jpg
Note they also fitted the tyres properly with the spot near the valve. To add to this they also supplied some black wheel weights which I think fit in perfectly with the wheels. I've never seen this offered in the UK.

Here's one of the wheel and tyre off the car.
uploaded/4273/1216066511.jpg

The next two show the differences in size.
uploaded/4273/1216066666.jpguploaded/4273/1216066771.jpg

I have an issue with the width though, I think the fronts are too wide and I certainly couldn't have gone for 235s!
uploaded/4273/1216067311.jpg

Finally the finished product:
uploaded/4273/1216067782.jpg

Anyone think my car looks lower than standard? I tried to look for markings on the shocks or springs but nothing was forthcoming. I'm still undecided about how it looks but I'm positive.

I have to say I took it for a run to the petrol station, taking it very steady. on the way back I took it onto the autobahn for a single junction. The feel was good and the car picked up well but the most noticeable difference was once we got up to 80mph at which point the wheel was perfectly steady. I've had wobble for a while when up at that sort of speed and it got worse over 100mph. There was no such wobble at all, so I'm hoping the newly balanced wheels have solved some issues.

[stuey]

Look great. I noticed big difference when i went from original 205/55/16 to 225/40/18's...
that front sticking out is not too bad, my old 8.5" wide wheels were like that.

The problem with bigger wheels is it makes the gap between the tyre and arch look even bigger..

[esemte]

They look really good. What width and offset you go with?

[CANDEE]

Very nice Lee!

They are sitting right on the guard, which is where they should be :P

[bradc]

The front might be a little bit lower than stock, but 8G's seem to have varying ride height, especially at the front.

Looks great by the way :)

[Beastlee]

Thanks folks, I'm thinking it still sits a little high but I won't be lowering it as it's firm enough as it is!

esemte they are 17"x8.0" ET35 with 225/45/17 Eagle F1 Assymetrics, in this case they are the 94Y XL (Extra Load) ones. I think the XL tyres have stronger sidewalls which is always good on these buses LOL.

[Beastlee]

@CANDEE, Yeah I think they sit nicely but I'm not sure about the UK legalities for it. I know in Germany they like to have super wide rims and stetch the tyres out past the wings but I'm sure I'd need wheel arch mouldings if I want it to be UK legal.

[Throbbe]

@CANDEE, Yeah I think they sit nicely but I'm not sure about the UK legalities for it. I know in Germany they like to have super wide rims and stetch the tyres out past the wings but I'm sure I'd need wheel arch mouldings if I want it to be UK legal.

In the UK it's the tread that needs to be inside the arch.

So you can get away with silly stretches.

[Beastlee]

Yep I see loads of them on the roads here, mostly Polos, very few Saxos.

By the way in the UK it is illegal to have your tyres stretched like that. The Police will have you under a rule based around the fact the manufacturer would not gain a safety cert for the car with them fitted so they are therefore unsafe and not insurable, hence not legal.

[Turbo_Steve]

It's all based on the idea that the bodywork could touch the tyre at speed, which would be disasterous! It's also to try and reduce the amount of damage to a pedestrian if they roll over your bonnet (cos they ran out in front of you). The shape of the car is designed to roll them over the car, over the wing and deposit them on the ground with the minimum of internal injuries. Having the wheel sticking out tends to grab at the skin and tear them open, even at fairly low speeds.

I think they look absoloutely awesome, Lee, am really jealous, though I have to confess the sticky-outy-ness would annoy me. Facelift arch extensions when she comes home, then? :)

[Throbbe]

Yep I see loads of them on the roads here, mostly Polos, very few Saxos.

By the way in the UK it is illegal to have your tyres stretched like that. The Police will have you under a rule based around the fact the manufacturer would not gain a safety cert for the car with them fitted so they are therefore unsafe and not insurable, hence not legal.

Construction and Use regs? Never actually known anyone done for stretched tyres though, and it's very common on modded VW's. I got through several MoT's, albeit with a fairly mild stretch (first pic). I also briefly did the outside the arches thing, but it just wasn't sensible on a daily driver (and looked arse!).

[bradc]

Here you can stretch the tyres too as long as the tread is in the arches, just like on my car :) 235 on 9.5" is reasonably stretched, dunno if it would be legal or not in the UK

[Beastlee]

It was on a UK Police forum, there's no official rule but it just depends on the copper that pulls you over. It would seem there's a few with a bee in their bonnet about it, if they want to they could get you on the above regulation.

[Beastlee]

Throbbe, they don't look that stretched, I think we're talking the ones on that Saxof**** where the rims actually stick out past the edge of the tyre.

[Turbo_Steve]

Tyre past edge of the arch is definitely an offence under construction and use.

[Beastlee]

It's also an offence to my paintwork, there's a lot of gravel rash all over the sides. I've also noticed how badly the front bumper has rashed since being over here.

[Turbo_Steve]

:( Poor Finesse Green Paint!

[Beastlee]

Just to let you all know I found a definitive nswer on the arches issue:


Final answer - - -

Council Directive 78/549/EEC of 12 June 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the wheel guards of motor vehicles

2.1.2. The rear of the wheel guards must not terminate above a horizontal plane 150 mm above the axis of rotation of the wheels (as measured at the wheel centres) and furthermore the intersection of the edge of the wheel guard with this plane (point A, figure 1) must lie outside the median longitudinal plane of the tyre, or in the case of twin wheels the median longitudinal plane of the outermost tyre.

2.1.3. The contour and location of the wheel guards shall be such that they are as close to the tyre as possible ; and in particular within the part formed by the radial planes referred to in 2.1.1, they shall satisfy the following requirements: 2.1.3.1. the projection - situated in the vertical plane of the tyre axis - of the depth (p) of the outer edge of the wheel guards, measured in the vertical longitudinal plane passing through the centre of the tyre, must be at least 30 mm. This depth (p) may be reduced progressively to zero at the radial planes specified in 2.1.1;


In short, the wheel must NOT protrude more than 30mm past the edge of the mudguard.

Full website for the legislation can be found here (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31978L0549:EN:NOT)

Of course this is their interprotation of what is written above, I actually read it that the arches must be between zero and 30mm furhter out than the wheel.

[Beastlee]

and in additon:


Regarding wheel width, they must not protrude more than 30mm beyond the wheel arches. (Council Directive 78/549/EEC)

Regarding the fitting of the tyre "Each tyre fitted to the vehicle shall be of a nominal size appropriate to the wheel to which it is fitted." Sec16(4 The Motor Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2001'. The fact that the fit was outside manufacturers recommendations should be very persuasive to convince a court that the tyre was not fitted in a manner suitable to qualify it as 'approved'.

Section 40A RTA 1988 states "A person is guilty of an offence if he uses, or causes or permits another to use, a motor vehicle or trailer on a road when...the condition of the motor vehicle...or of its accessories or equipment...is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person." Evidence to support this offence would include measurements of your wheel and tyre, and statements from the manufacturer or a tyre expert, indicating the potential risk of fitting outside their recommended parameters, namely, overheating, grip loss, unpredictable performance and behaviour etc etc.

If your vehicle was involved in a collision, especially one involving injury, where the cause led to the loss of control of your vehicle, dangerous driving may be considered, especially strengthened by Sec 2A(2) where "A person is also to be regarded as driving dangerously for the purposes of section 1 and 2 above if it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving the vehicle in its current state would be dangerous."

[Turbo_Steve]

?? Which forum is that from? 5ive-o?

[Beastlee]

It's actually http://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/.

They seem pretty OK there and gives you a good insight into how a lot of them think.