HP Lightning wheels...
 

Hey guys/gals, I just bought the HP Lightning Wheels:

http://www.hpracing.com/product.phtml?p=61&cat_key=1

They're in hyper-dark and Before I put them on my car, I wanted to know if anybody has any experience with the wheels and if there will be any issues putting them on my 8. Also does anyone know if the TMPS units that come on the 8 will work with these wheels?

Any advice will help. Thanks :-)

Keep this thread updated man. I'm buying those exact rims once I'm done with deployment (been wanting them for awhile), I'm getting 19's though which from what I can tell are only available on TWO friggin' websites on all teh intarwebz! Let us know what you find out. Great choice on rims!

haha thanks man, yeah i'll def. keep this updated, hopefully other members will have more info. on these wheels...

They're a bit narrower than stock which is strange and no offset/bolt pattern is listed so you might want to check that. Should be 5X114.3 and anywhere from 40-50 offset should work.

TxRx8 has these same wheels. Maybe he can chime in here and give you some opinions.

I do believe they are available in 18x8 & 18x9 with a 35 offset.

There is someone here with a White RX-8 running these wheels.

Wow. I have never seen those before. They look sweet. Any idea how much they weigh?

http://www.wheelspecs.com/main/index.php
http://www.wheelweights.net/

yeah they're not light, but besides weight, I just love the look of the wheels and can't wait to see them on my car, i'm putting them on this weekend, so i'll def. post pics of that..

bump.

Anyone know if the TPMS that come on the rx-8 will work for these HP lightning wheels?

Tpms??

You bought the wheels without finding out first?

Okay............if you are serious about these wheels, this should answer all your questions and quite possibly save you a lot of grief.

See pics at the bottom.....oh yeah, before anyone starts...........the wind deflector is gone! Jeez, I need new pics as some other mods aren't showing! ha ha

First off..and this is not an endorsement, but if you go to www.wheelfire.com the site will allow you to select your make, model, year of car, and AT or MT. Then you can filter by size..............and then by make(HP) if you want to. Here is the exact link to at least what I have in the front.

http://www.wheelfire.com/scontent/Wh...Speed%20Manual

Hope that link works, if not just go to www.wheelfire.com and you'll see.


First my specs:

I do have the HP Racing Lightning EVO dark rims.

18x8 upfront and 18x9 in the rear.

OFFSET on these rims is +38 (more about that later)

Tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Positions........... 225/45/18 upfront and 255/40/18 in rear.


Little bit about that +38 offset. If you go too wide like me at 255 in the rear, you might have just a very slight rubbing on good size bumps. I haven't rolled the fenders yet and may not. I should've dropped to 255/35/18's for the rear and I think I would have been alright.

Okay...so now onto the TPMS. This may not be specific to these rims as I've come to find out(do some searches), but I will tell you that I had an issue in one wheel and expect to eventually have it on all wheels. I was having a leak around where the TPMS is supposed to seal to the rim. I recommend you at least read this thread, but I have the answer for you.....IF you have this issue.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/tpms-gasket-114960/

That first one is where you will see me discussing my issue, except for all those that helped via PM's over the month I dealt with it.

https://www.rx8club.com/nw-rx-8-forum-33/whats-wrong-discount-tire-118453/

That second thread is someone having a very similiar issue in the last week and is on stock rims, just changing tires!


Okay..............so the bottom line is................unless you have the "new" gasket TPMS's(which can be seen in that first thread), you MAY have an issue like I did. No proof the "new" TPMS's work any better to this point, but they look better! See pics in first thread!

Basically(providing you have the older style gaskets on your TPMS) I recommend a second seal. That is...........install the TPMS into the rim with the old TPMS gasket just where it is. Then slip another gasket over the threads and work it carefully down into the rim hole(from the outside of the rim), there's a lip in that rim, you will see it. Then put the big valve nut on and tighten it down. I was considering using a grommet or O-ring on mine, but then I went to Autozone and they have a perfect grommet if you will.

Ask them for Xtra Seal....metal, bolt-in tire valves. They come in a red and black box, and are 3/4" Chrome valves(part number is 17-560). They're made by Group 31 who ever the hell that is. I bought a box of ten cause they were cheap, but you only really need four, since it's the gaskets or grommets you are after.

Here's the one you are after........spin the two nuts off the valve, then remove the next metal piece(a spacer?), then you will see the two gaskets. You don't want the first one, but take that second one that looks like a "T"(from the side)...........for lack of a better description. This is the one you want to put onto the TPMS's after inserting the TPMS through the rim. I would put the narrow end in first thereby having the top of the "T" to the outside, whereby the valve nut supplied with the TPMS would then create a seal between this and the lip inside the rim. Basically, the two gaskets(the original from the inside and the "new" from the outside) will meet at the lip inside the rim. Make sense?

Anyway...........I only had to do this with one wheel as the others are fine, but I figure that I might have to do those eventually as well. That's why I bought the box of valves. I watch them closely because I figure they can leak at a moments notice.

To solve this friggin puzzle, I actually went through two TPMS on that wheel, and Jeff at Wheelfire was gracious enough to send me another rim because we though it was the rim at one time. Yeah, I now have an extra rim! Oh yeah...............and two different tire shops couldn't figure this out, so I finally took matters into my own hands and got it solved. Jeez!

Hope this helps, I know it was long.........I should make a more condensed version and make it a sticky one day. I'm sure a lot of after market rims will have this issue and I'm sure from reading...that even some stock ones do after changing tires. Basically the TPMS gasket sucks. The new one may be better.

Let me know how you make out and send some pics! Good luck!


Dave

Couple more shots....that's it!

Nope..........offset is +38

oh wow! thanks a lot for the info. I really appreciate it and i'll be sure to take many pics :-) because I LOVE these wheels...

thanks again to everyone that contributed to this thread

They look really nice, but do not go with 7.5 wide rims.

RPM 505 wheels look almost exact to HP wheels.. The RPM 505's come in chrome and you can get them 19x9.5 in the rear.. HP EVO's which are what those wheels are called can't go that large in that color. Check this website out to find out more options for them http://wheelsnext.com/default.cfm?ac...hVehicleWheels

Curious.............why you say 7.5 rims when this thread is about the rims themselves anyway.....did I miss something?

Honestly...........I hope you don't have to use the info. That would be the best thing, but just watch out. My one wheel would lose about 2lbs of air overnight just sitting(not too bad), but then when I drove to work(abouot 12 miles) I would lose over 15-18lbs! I carried around an air compressor for over a month! Argh! Let me know how yours turns out. What size did you get....what's your setup, and color of car?

Dave

Really....then what are these?
http://www.wheelfire.com/scontent/Wh...Speed%20Manual

Again, I'm not pushing them or endorsing, but don't think you should mis-lead people.

I have the, +33 offset i believe, 19 x 9.5 in the rear and 19 x 8.5 in the front they were rubbing, I had to roll my fenders.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...8_168_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...8_165_full.jpg

Man I'm sooo pumped to get these rims. They look soo sexy! And chrome is bleh.

I have the 18" RPM 505's on my 8. Got 18x8 with 2.5" lip up front and 18x9 with 3" lip in the rear. They look the same and I'm sure mine cost alot less than the over priced HP wheels. Got them off ebay for $500 + shipping.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/new-wheels-115728/

BTW these come in chrome and black also.