Hey fellas! I destroyed one of my rims on a club drive this afternoon (ok, it's just bent and still repairable, but I figured it must be fate telling me it's finally time for some aftermarket rims). I hit a rock about the size of my fist doing 50 or so up through the mountains. DOH! Fortunately the owner of an BEAUTIFUL FD, Mike, loaned me his spare so I could limp home.

Anyway, I've spent the last few hours staring at rims and I can't decide what I want. I know rims are a very "personal" decision, but I'm hoping for a few comments/suggestions anyway. Here's what I'm looking at:

Volk LE37T (ala VividRacing's RX-8)
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/vrle37tt.png
(Drool). I love these rims.

Volk SF Challenge:
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/volk_sfchallenge-silver.png
Very nice. Plus I don't know anybody with them on an 8 yet....

Buddy Club P1 Racing II
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/buddyclub_p1racingii.png

OZ Canyon 2
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/oz_canyon2.png

OZ Crono
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/oz_crono.png

5Zigen 5ZR Copse
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/5zigen_Copse.png

5Zigen Hyper 5ZR
http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/5zigen_hyper5zr.png

I suppose that's enough for now. Any other suggestions are welcome of course.

could you please post some approx. prices for the wheels?

It's tough because most retailers don't post prices on their sites. These are approximates for 18x8.5. Here's what I could do:

LE37T: $550
SF Challenge: $560
Buddy Club: $???
OZ Canyon 2: $???
OZ Cronos: $350
5Zigen 5ZR Copse: $549
5Zigen Hyper 5ZR: $???

Go for a staggered pattern. It makes the car look much more aggressive. And go with a 19" wheel.

And yes, the Volk Racing RX-8 is rolling on SF Challenges, and they're 19's.

Those Volks look a lot better on the car, the thumbnail pics don't do them justice.

Ahhh, I didn't notice. The Volks are definitely the top 2 contenders at this point. The calipers on the Volk RX-8 really add a lot the look.... I like the blue on the titanium.

I'm not getting an rx-8 till sometime before summer, but seeing that pic of the volk sf challenges on that 8, thats what im gonna go with :)

I'd rather have the LE37's but they are way too expensive. I've seen the 5Zigen Copse for less. So I'd personally would go for the COpse.

hey rotormotor -

sorry to hear about your little mishap. :(

as for the rims...for me it was a toss up between the SF challenge and the canyon 2. i voted for the canyon 2 just to be different. ;)

p.s. - can't wait to get that computer preview! ;)

I started really liking the OZ Cronos but unfortunately they're only available up to 18s and I really want 19s now... :D
I've got another hour until the wheel shop opens up to decide, but I think I'll go with the LE37Ts.

P.S. The computer was supposed to get installed on the 16th but I was invited to shoot in a major pool tournament that weekend and probably won't get to it. Well, if I lose my ass the first day I may get to it on Sunday, but it'll likely be the weekend after. ;)

Well, it's all said and done.

I wound up with the 19" LE37T's in the gunmetal finish. 19x8.5 up front and 19x9.5 in the back. They'll be wrapped with Nitto NT 555s, 235s in front and 265s in the rear. They'll be here on Wedensday which means 2 more days of bumming rides to work and not exceeding 50 MPH when I absolutely have to drive the 8. Booo.

The good news out of all of this: I actually hit 22.5 MPG (city and hwy combined) with nice gentle starts, since it's really easy to spin the spare tire, and staying at or below 50!!! :p

One last comment: never accept a first quote! The first quote I got was for $4260!! :eek: I called around and got another quote for $3400. I called back the first place that quoted me the $4260 and they brought it down to $3250. They came down over $1000 because I made one other phone call! It's still WAY more than I was hoping to pay, but it's not not that bad for 19" with good tires.

Originally posted by RotorMotor
It's still WAY more than I was hoping to pay, but it's not not that bad for 19" with good tires.

Not to be a downer, but before it's really too late - Nitto 555s are really crap tires, no where near being good tires. If you want a performance tire and not just something to keep the rims off the ground, see if you can get something else - even if you just have to take delivery of the wheels and buy tires separately...

The wheels will look great, though!

Regards,
Gordon

Really? I had Nittos before on my previous car and thought they were great, but I've never taken any of my cars down to the track...yet. Do you have any suggestions? It's not too late to change it.

Go with a 245/35/19 & 275/35/19 combo. And go with some Bridgeston S0-3's. Not much more in price over the Nittos.

Originally posted by RotorMotor
Well, it's all said and done.

I wound up with the 19" LE37T's in the gunmetal finish. 19x8.5 up front and 19x9.5 in the back. They'll be wrapped with Nitto NT 555s, 235s in front and 265s in the rear. They'll be here on Wedensday which means 2 more days of bumming rides to work and not exceeding 50 MPH when I absolutely have to drive the 8. Booo.

The good news out of all of this: I actually hit 22.5 MPG (city and hwy combined) with nice gentle starts, since it's really easy to spin the spare tire, and staying at or below 50!!! :p

One last comment: never accept a first quote! The first quote I got was for $4260!! :eek: I called around and got another quote for $3400. I called back the first place that quoted me the $4260 and they brought it down to $3250. They came down over $1000 because I made one other phone call! It's still WAY more than I was hoping to pay, but it's not not that bad for 19" with good tires.

Originally posted by RotorMotor
Do you have any suggestions? It's not too late to change it.

EXA4DRIVER's suggestion of the Bridgestone S-03 is excellent - you can't go wrong with them. The Pirelli P Zero Nero is also a great choice, the Kumho MX, Michelin Pilot Sport, or the Yokohama AVS Sport would all be great to good choices, and any of the above will blow the tread off the Nittos. Seriously, if you do have the chance - get any of the above instead!

Regards,
Gordon

As with many polls, the order in which the choices are listed, directly affects the outcome (as you can see by the results).

I just put the best looking rims (IMO) at top so they'd get more votes.... ;) I think they also, incidentally, are listed in order of price, most expensive to least expensive.

Sorry RotorMotor...i have the SF Challenges for the 8....gotta good deal from importhookup...

Sweet. Are you happy with them? Those were tight rims also, I just dug the darker finish. My LE37Ts should be here tomorrow! :D

well...i haven't gotten them yet...i ordered them the week before i took my 2 weeks off for X-Mas holidays and figured they would be here sometime during my last week..NOPE...should be any day now...importhookup said they arrived in Georgia yesterday so hopefully when I get home they will be on my door step...sad thing is....i gotta save up for the tires...19" are still steep for rubber...so i get to look at them for a while...

Originally posted by XeRo
Sorry RotorMotor...i have the SF Challenges for the 8....gotta good deal from importhookup...

Just curious, what size combo did you go with? And how much did you get them for?

I really like the Volk LE37T, I went ahead and put them on my silver, check it out:

Sunlight silver (stock) + Volk LE37T (http://www.golfreservationshawaii.com/other/Dcp_2921_with_VOLK_LE37T.jpg)

not sure if I like it tho :confused:

The rims came in and were installed last night. The whole time they were installing them I was kicking myself for spending so much damn money on rims, but when it was finished I was more than happy! It just makes the car cry out for the rest of the mods I have planned for the short-term though (Mazdaspeed, Ings or Carisma nose, coilovers and and powdercoated calipers). The rims look really great, but the car really needs it's stance lowered a bit for it to look "right". I'll try to get some pics this afternoon.

Originally posted by EXA4DRIVER
Just curious, what size combo did you go with? And how much did you get them for?

Front: 19x8.5 +42 offset
Rear: 19x9.5 +48 offset
+ center caps

Talk to Vick at Importhookup.com

got em for $2239 shipped..and that's without tires...

I know YIKES...I spent that much on wheels ....

Originally posted by XeRo
Front: 19x8.5 +42 offset
Rear: 19x9.5 +48 offset
+ center caps

Talk to Vick at Importhookup.com

got em for $2239 shipped..and that's without tires...

I know YIKES...I spent that much on wheels ....

Thanks! I actually know Vic. His shop is only about 15 miles away from where I live. I've been buying wheels from him for a while now. Definitely good deals!

Another question, how's the fitment with the +42/+48 offset? Is it pretty flush with the body, or are they sunken in the fender? Thanks again!

here's the kicker...i haven't put tires on yet, 1) cause I don't have the money right now, being that it's after x-mas and I have a wife and a 6 month old daughter. 2) I'm debating on Eibachs and JIC coilovers...

from what it looks like the rear is going to come pretty close to the rear fender when the springs are on...front looks like it may be a little further inset or just the same as factory...but the tires will make all the difference ...

I have the 19x9.5 with the 45 offset on the rear and the wheels are just about flush with the top of the rear fender. It's got the Nitto NT 555 tires (Flame on, I know... I didn't know any better, but I will next time around). I haven't had a chance to push them and won't until they're broken in a bit, but the tires look great IMO.

Originally posted by RotorMotor
I have the 19x9.5 with the 45 offset on the rear and the wheels are just about flush with the top of the rear fender. It's got the Nitto NT 555 tires (Flame on, I know... I didn't know any better, but I will next time around). I haven't had a chance to push them and won't until they're broken in a bit, but the tires look great IMO.

It's all good bro :) I'll take Volks on Nittos anyday. Volks on Nittos is better than no Volks at all :) Now go post some pics :D

don't like the volk te37's for the mere fact everybody has them.

I finally got out to take a few pics. Some of them are a little dark and there was a smudge on the lens, but here they are:

Side:

Side 2:

Rear wheel:

Front wheel:

Rear view (nice & wide :D ):

Finally, the 3/4 view:

Outstanding pics. especially the backend shot. Exactly the look I'm looking for.

How do you like the ride of the Nitto 555's? And excuse my newbie question, what did you mean by the "Flame on" comment.

thanks again for taking the time for the pic's.

I like the Crono because it is not overstated and has what would appear to be a brushed appearance and not a "ricey" look like a couple of the other options. The Volk would be my next choice due to the main reason above...not overstated.

Awesome! Now all you need are some HKS Hipermax Coilovers and you're set :) And when your Nitto's wear out, go with a 245/35/19 front and 275/35/19 rear combo. More contact patch, and the car will look a lot more aggressive.

Originally posted by jerrymac
Outstanding pics. especially the backend shot. Exactly the look I'm looking for.

How do you like the ride of the Nitto 555's? And excuse my newbie question, what did you mean by the "Flame on" comment.

thanks again for taking the time for the pic's.

Thanks! The flame on comment was referring to my choice of tires. Better choices would have been Michelin Pilots or Bridgestone S0-3s but I'm a little behind on the tire scene. I'd had Nitto's on a previous car and liked them, but apparently they're not nearly as good as I thought they were.

great rims

are you gonna lower the car?

Oh, most definitely. I'm still debating between springs and coilovers. Here's the problem: I'm all about performance and I would love to take this car to the track, but I know nothing about tuning suspension (or anything else automotive for that matter). I definitely want the better parts, but I'm not sure that I can really justify the extra $1300 for coilovers considering I'm not going to know what the hell I'm doing in the first place. I wish there was a tuner school for guys like me that really want to break-in to tuning but don't have any history or really any friends that are into it....

You seem like you know what you're doing Mike, what's your take?

Originally posted by RotorMotor
Here's the problem: I'm all about performance and I would love to take this car to the track, but I know nothing about tuning suspension

I'm not mike, but here's my take: if you're seriously into performance and want to get the most out of track driving, the absolute very best investment you can make to go faster is: driving schools.

Invest in the nut behind the wheel first! That's where all the speed is, and you'll gain speed in every single car you drive, not just the one that you sunk thousands into suspension and brakes. Invest in learning to be a better (smoother, faster, safer) driver, and then worry about your car. The basic RX-8 is very capable and will be a great tool for track days as is. Take a school or two (Bondurant, Skip Barber, etc.), then start signing up for track days and get some seat time behind the wheel. Hang out with and learn from the experienced track drivers (hint, they won't be driving cars that look like they starred in Fast'n'Furious!), then ask for advice about setup from the experienced drivers. At the track days, ask to ride along with drivers in the higher (more experienced) run groups, then pick up driving tips and tuning tips.

Regards,
Gordon

I would LOVE to take a course, but my goodness those schools are expensive!!!! It would be so awesome to take one of Skip Barber's classes at Laguna Seca though. I've suggested that the So. Cal RX Club do something along the lines of a performance driving seminar, but nothing came of it. I'm sure that any cheaper schools won't have the same caliber instruction, but maybe I'll start off looking for something a little easier on the pocketbook.

You could consider checking out one of the Miata clubs - San Diego or SOCALM (check the club listings at www.miata.net to get their web sites). Both clubs do track days, sometimes at Streets of Willow, and always have instructors from within the experienced ranks of the club. A LOT of the Miata guys are very experienced at suspension tuning - oh, also check out www.good-win-racing.com . Brian Goodwin operates this shop for Miata performance parts, and has recently bought an RX-8 and expanded to RX-8 performance parts. He gets involved in lots of track days, and could give some advice and guidance on hooking up with some.

Regards,
Gordon

Gordon, you are the man. Thanks for all of the info!

my thoughts are to go with springs
I have eibachs and they cost 400 installed

coilovers are better but 3 times as much
however coilevers can be adjusted and springs can't

Nice choice on the rims! I'm looking at some of the same ones my self, but in 18" (19s are too much unsprung weight, and on the roads we have around here I'd destroy 19s in no time.)

But, to all you people recommending the staggered set-up.. yes, it looks better, but what is it doing the handling balance?
The RX-8 is already a touch understeery, and having that much contact patch in the back would just make it worse, would it not?

Love to hear some feedback on that, and I've got the time since I'm still looking at another couple months before my RX comes out of winter storage..

Originally posted by Redshift
Nice choice on the rims! I'm looking at some of the same ones my self, but in 18" (19s are too much unsprung weight, and on the roads we have around here I'd destroy 19s in no time.)


Thanks. Considering that the Volks are about 7lbs. lighter that the stock wheels, I'm too worried about the extra pound or so that the 19s are over the 18s. Besides, it would take a whole hell of a lot to convince me that wheel weight is going to make any acceleration difference to anybody other than professional drivers. 99% of us simply aren't talented enough for it to matter that much.

Besides, on a recent club drive I was barely keeping up with a guy that easily weighs 100 pounds more than I do, so until he goes on a diet to improve his acceleration, I won't worry about a few extra pounds here and there.... :D

You point about destroying the rims is well taken though. These are going to be a lot more expensive to replace if I go hitting other rocks, but I suppose that's a risk I'm willing to take.

Here's an interesting post about wheel weights:
http://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/1032814.phtml

Originally posted by RotorMotor
Here's an interesting post about wheel weights:
http://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/1032814.phtml

They say:A 10 lb reduction of wheel/tire weight will result in a total overall apparent effect of reducing vehicle weight by about 65 lbs and at absolute maximum, 80 lbs.

Yup, that's entirely consistent with the analysis presented in similar debates over at www.miataforum.com . Max equivalent is 2:1 ratio.

Still - even a couple of pounds is noticeable on a Miata - both on acceleration and ride/responsiveness. That said - going with 19s that are significantly lighter than the OEM 18s is not a bad tradeoff at all! :D

Regards,
Gordon

Congrats "rotormotor" on the new rims.

Im considering 19" volks ,but I was wondering about handling.
Is their a substantial differance ,positive or negitive by running the stagered set-up?
For me handling is where its at .Dont get me wrong, the volks I think are a perfect complement to the rx-8.

thanx for any replys in advance

---04 nordic green 6speed gran tour pak----

Hammy, I can't honestly say that I've noticed a difference in handling, positive or negative yet, but I haven't had a chance to really push the car since I've put the new wheels on yet either. If anything, I expect better grip with the wider wheels all the way around. Haven't noticed much of a change in acceleration either, but I didn't expect to. I mean, it would be so minute a change that you'd at best need a real track timer/accelerometer to know that the difference was there.

I think you're referring to Redshift's staggered setup comment. He's talking about having different offsets on the front and rear wheels (correct me if I'm wrong Redshift) and some recommendations that other people were making. I don't have a staggered setup on my car so I can't answer your question.

Rotormotor, thanx for the info, I missunderstood the "staggered set-up"

Are you going to roll the lip for when you lower you 're rx-8? I read about "vividracing" sugesting to do it?
If so whats the best way to do it?


------04 nordic green/6speed------

I missed Vivid's suggestion on that. Can you post a link?

I read about it on their web page and I think I also saw it somewhere on this forum as well. I look around for it

http://www.vividracing.com/index.php?src=news&prid=121&category=Project%20RX8

------04 nordic green/6speed------

Are they referring to rolling the lip of the fenders/wheel wells??? :confused: Holy crap! I hope I don't have to do that!!! :eek:

Any rubbing issues with your setup? Have you had to roll your fenders? Thanks