Opinion on wheel fitment for R33 GTR

[ShanGTR3318]

Hey guys, so im looking at changing my factory wheels to something else. I have a Silver 33GTR. Have had a look at many Volks, Rays, work and Rota wheels. I really like one of the rota wheels; its 18x11 (8p offset) gold with silver lip with a bit of dish. Looks really nice and just pops outside the guards so will probably need stretched tires and guard rolling.

So the question is, do you think 18x11 is over the top? However 18x10 just doesn't look as right as the 18x11 does. :S need opinions

[MIKEGTR]

Buy wheels in the correct offset and they look fine.

Theres a thread in the wheels and tyres section with pictures of wheels on cars, browse thru, see what you like and then find out the offset

[Sidious]

Rota's are usually knock-offs of Volk/Rays designs, and as with like most cheaper wheels of the 18-19 inch size, they are very heavy. Afforable bling, but you get what you pay for.

When you have large wheels, you need larger tyres so they fit round them and perform properly but yet even more weight, sluggish response, poorer steering feel, traction issues, suspension starts to deteriorate quicker, the list goes on.

It's all subjective with the whole "stance" thing, all I can point out is the technical pitfalls of having large rims filling out those arches.

[ShanGTR3318]

Thanks Sidious.

Your reply was what i was after, some of the technical info. To be honest i was shocked at the weight of the Rota wheel. It was actually quiet light and comparable to the Volk and Ray wheels weight (the Cast aluminum ones not forged). Is there really a difference in quality of the metal itself between the brands in your opinion? Im rather confused as many professionals are now saying Rotas are quiet good but there is no technical argument for this. Not that i could find on google anyway.

Larger wheels will logically create those disadvantages that you have mentioned for the whole 'stance' factor'.

[infamous_t]

Rotas aren't much heavier than the wheels they copy, but they aren't as strong due to the way they a manufactured (gravity cast versus forged).
Also it's been mentioned the raw materials Rotas use is questionable.

Most people say Rotas should be OK... not confidence inspiring is it?

Personally I'm not to happy to cheap out on something that, if it fails at speed, could kill me and others.

[ShanGTR3318]

yeah good point.

[Cris]

Originally Posted by ShanGTR3318

Thanks Sidious.

Your reply was what i was after, some of the technical info. To be honest i was shocked at the weight of the Rota wheel. It was actually quiet light and comparable to the Volk and Ray wheels weight (the Cast aluminum ones not forged). Is there really a difference in quality of the metal itself between the brands in your opinion? Im rather confused as many professionals are now saying Rotas are quiet good but there is no technical argument for this. Not that i could find on google anyway.

Larger wheels will logically create those disadvantages that you have mentioned for the whole 'stance' factor'.

Wheel weight is important obviously. However have a think about what you want to achieve. You've mentioned in your original post that you are looking at 18x11 - why this size?

I would suggest starting with the tyre size you desire. As a starting point 265/35R18 are popular on R33s. That would suggest a 18x9.5" wheel. If you want a wider tyre then a wider wheel is a good idea. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.

Once you have selected the size you want you can look at wheels themselves. Any of the Rays forged wheels are good. They are expensive.

Rota wheels are not forged (they are cast) so will be heavier than the Rays. I would expect a minimum of 25% heavier, probably more. As Sidious said heavier is a disadvantage.

The next thought is what are you going to do with the wheels? On a road car (assuming you don't drive like an idiot) you are unlikely to break wheels. In these cases less strong wheels (i.e. Rotas) will probably be fine (ignoring the weight issues). For a track car - I'd be more careful. If you want cheaper track wheels I'd be looking at Compomotive for example.

You do get what you pay for and you need to have reasonable expectations about what you are going to achieve. Rays are good value for money given what they do. Rota likewise.

If it is any help you can get Enkei RP F1s pretty cheaply (in the USA) and they are about the best price/performance balance I can find.

Another thought is rather than new wheels have a look for some second hand forged wheels. There are bargains out there.

[ShanGTR3318]

Well the car barely sees the track and the 18x11 was purely because it just gave the car a amazing stance and a bit of aggressiveness but i don't think its beneficial in any way if at all from the posts above(Its logical and i probably should have thought of that myself).
I have got some Bilstein Adjustable suspension installed and the car looks better sitting a bit lower.
The only hard run the car gets is the occasional touge driving(Not ridiculous driving though). Otherwise its just driven around town and parked up.
I can get Rays out of japan but as you mentioned its not cheap. I haven't come across any second hand sets locally, i may have to be a bit patient. I really don't know if its a good idea going brand new on a set of rays.

Thanks for all your advice though i might be patient about the wheels and watch the second hand market for some good forged sets.

[Cris]

I'm no expert on R33.wheel sizes but you might find 18x11 well cause problems with a lowered car. particularly if you use the correct size of tyres.

to be clear forged wheels are not essential just nice to have. I have a feeling that the 350z rears (the Rays ones) are 18x9 and they are a good wheel. not as light as some but you can pick them up for pennies. You might need to check the offsets though.

[ShanGTR3318]

We tried on 18x11 with some stretch and my god the car looked so amazing! So aggressive, It didn't seem to have any issues but then again i didn't go for a long drive.

The R33 factory wheels in my opinion are a lot better than 350z wheels, i used to own a 350z. R33 stock wheels are not bad at all, i just want another aftermarket set to change the look of the car a bit