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New Wheels for the GTP

Burbman

Burbman

New member
Well, after my third bent torque star causing a vibration at speed, I decided to pull the trigger on these:

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18x8, 42mm offset. Going with Michelin Pilot Sport 245/45-18 tires. Ordering the whole thing mounted and balanced from TIRE rACK.
 


Hoping I don't have any rub issues with the W-Body trailing arms and Vogtland springs, but looks like the 42mm offset will put the wheel where it needs to be. Never had 3 bent wheels inside of 6 months, hoping I'm not asking for more trouble with 245 tires...
 
I finally had some time to put these on the car Saturday. The 42mm offset was perfect, if you factor in the amount that the tire sticks out from the rim, the inside face of the new 245/45-18 tire is exactly where the old 225/60-16 was, so suspension clearance stays exactly the same. On the outside, the new tire is about 3/4" wider than the OEM size, so it sits closer to the fenderwell. I am running Vogtland springs so the car is lowered, but tires aren't even close to rubbing. If I loaded the car with luggage and passengers it might be close, but not convinced they would rub.

Also went with Gorilla black chrome lugs, the "every one is a lock" is overkill, but I like the nice clean acorn look of the lugs. These wheels are also hub-centric with a 70.3mm center bore.

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Worth noting, I was concerned about ride quality going to a lower profile tire with the stiffer Vogtland springs and GMPP sway bars. Each tire/wheel combination is about 10 lbs heavier than a stock torque star and Goodyear tire, so unsprung weight is up 40 lbs overall. I was surprised that the car rides better with this new set up. Where I had a lot of bounce before, these tires stay planted on the road, and it smoothed the ride out quite a bit.

As expected, steering response is off the charts, so much so that the wheel is almost a little twitchy.
 
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