Ratfink

What looks good on a Z?
I know that is a matter of opinion. Some like to see plenty of rubber, some like rubber bands. I won't say anything, but I would like to see a thread on the forum with wheels, and all the different size combos we can find.

So, let's see them.

snwbrderphat540

16-15's are teh best imo just because you keep a more classic look, but still have a shorter tire height for less sidewall flex. here are mine though. 14's unfortunatly





they wouldnt be so bad if i lowered the car, which by X-mas time i should have well done with paint on the way. carparts for X-mas is the bestest ever. new struts springs sway bars my own engine hoist more under body coating and enough paint hopefully and clear for both my Z's so i can up the price on the 260 unless its gone by then.

theramz

I like my 17s on Toyo Proxies. 215 on front and now 245 on the rear.

snwbrderphat540

you have adapters from modern? ^^^^ so you can run honduh lug pattern

Ratfink

Hmmm.. Like the wheels, but I can't tell what they look like on the cars guys.
All I see is wheel. No point of reference with the rest of the vehicle, to prove that it's size fits well with the car.

theramz

I made the adaptors at work. They are 25mm thick, counterbored on the back and have a step on the front for a perfect hub-centric fit.

bjhines

FIRST OFF... The S-30 hubs are LUG CENTRIC not HUB CENTRIC. Your couterbore is nice but THERE IS NO ACCESSABLE HUB PROTRUSION ON THE BACK HUBS.

It is not as much about the "LOOKS" of the wheels as how they work with the suspension modifications you experts are attempting.

The smaller the wheel the better! SMALLER IS LIGHTER, SMALLER HAS LESS ANGULAR MOMENTUM, SMALLER HAS LESS FLEX.

There are a lot of reasons for buying larger wheels. None of you has clued into WHY!!!

SpeciallySpiked

Because all wheels are made of the same material right? Because all wheels have their mass located throughout them at the same parts right? Because they're all structured the same these days huh?

I'm pretty sure that a larger alunimum wheel will be MUCH lighter than a small STEEL wheel. That a smaller wheel with a huge tire on it with a massively tall sidewall will FLEX more. Don't throw out such nonsense without explaining. I'd hope you'd have a reason behind all of this other than to just taunt us about what we do and don't know.

bjhines

Everything else being equal, smaller is lighter. Tis a function of scale. I made no mention of materials or design. There are very light steel wheels and there are very heavy aluminum wheels. This is not an argument, It is fact.




Here are a few reasons for larger wheels. Lowered car, bumpsteer is out of whack...


sectioned struts,



Lower control arms are already repositioned,


all control arms are modified,




Can't raise the rack,



The answer lies in repositioning the steering tie rods to correct bump steer,





This mod will require 17" wheels.

Which sucks, because I have a nice set of 15"x10" lightweights I can't use.




I also had to reposition the differential to make this work.

theramz

Oh contrare! There is a step on the front and the rear hubs. I can actually place the wheels on the adaptors and the will stay square and true without the lug nuts! On the rear I have the disc brakes and use the same diameter that the brake drums used. I didn't like the idea that a knurled, press in axle stud could be as concentric as a diameter that was turned true to the same centers as the bearing diameters and splines. I guess you have to define concentric.
I like the larger diameter tire with the larger wheel because the narrow sidewall has less flex. The larger wheel allows for wider tires that can clear the brakes and the suspension. They work great for the type of driving that I do. I also like the looks.
For autocross like you do, the lighter wheel and tire is best. And they look great on a real race car.

bjhines

There is nothing sticking out of the rear hub to engage the spacers, unless you have figured out how to mount the rear disks on the back of the rear hubs.

theramz

It's been so long I forgot about the rears, my bad.

theramz

Here is a set of rare JDM wheels. They were on the '73 I sent to it's death. This one doesn't have the engine in for this pic so it sits a little high. 14x6 but look better on a lowered car.

theramz

Hub-centric adaptors front, hub-centric to bolt circle cnc machined.

Black260z

My car has 15" rims, but it is lowered quite a bit. I have a little bit of wheel gap, I could fill it with something larger but that takes money lol. I don't mind the look of these wheels anyway.

snwbrderphat540

that would be filled nicely with just the next step up taller tire ^^^ no need for bigger rims if you like those.