Help with Team Dynamics Wheels

[Redskinsjbs]

So in their most recent flyer, OGTS has more wheels that they say fit the GT. Among these are the Pro Race 1 series from team dynamics.
http://www.teamilluminata.com/Shop/T...1blackbig.jpeg

I like the look of these but what wondering what offset would work best because they are pretty wide wheels (15x7)

They come in a varying amount of offsets if you get them from other suppliers online. I found this one:

Team Illuminata

They have a massive selection of these wheels. From what I read in this post (tell me if its outdated), http://www.opelgt.com/forums/66289-post2.html , I should be safe if I get the ET15 wheels, but I was wondering if the ET 25 wheels are safe as well. I'd like to run 205-45 tires on them or maybe 215s if they would fit.

I used this site: http://www.bigcustomwheels.com/info_specs.jsp
to make this table . . .

Wheels: Wheel 1 Wheel 2
Wheel size 13x5 ET 25 15x7 ET 15
BackSpace 101 mm (4'') 116 mm (4.6'')
15 mm (0.6'') deeper.
Rim Lip 35 mm (1.4'') wider


Tires: Tire 1 Tire 2
Tire size 165/70-13 205/45-15
Section width 165 mm (6.5'') 205 mm (8.1'')
Sidewall 116 mm (4.6'') 92 mm (3.6'')
Tire diameter 562 mm (22.1'') 565 mm (22.2'')
3 mm (0.5%) taller.

Rim sizes 13x4 to 13x6 15x5.5 to 15x7.5
Circumference 1765 mm (69.5'') 1774 mm (69.8'')
Revs per mile 912 907.1

Speedometer Assuming that this is OEM tire and speedometer readings are correct When speedometer reads 60mph (96.6km/h) actual speed will be 60.3mph (97.1km/h): 0.5% faster.

Clearance: Package 1 Package 2
Suspension Assuming that this is OEM wheel/tire and there is no any problems with clearance on both sides Package 2 is 10 mm (0.4'') closer to suspension/brakes components. Acceptable for most cars.
Fenders Package 2 will stick out 30 mm (1.2'') farther. Make sure that you have enough room under the fender. If not, consider narrower tires or higher offset.
Wheelwells Package 2 Will fill out the wheelwell by extra 2 mm. Almost no difference

**The black text is stock (I think) and the red text is the specs from the TD wheels and the tire that I'd like to use.

I understand the concept behind scrub radius, and I know that by not centering the tire over where it used to be that I may run into problems like harder steering, but is there anything else that I should watch out for?

Thanks for any help in advance!

Jay Swift

[kwilford]

...I should be safe if I get the ET15 wheels, but I was wondering if the ET 25 wheels are safe as well.

The ET25 wheels should fit, but the ET15 wheels should fit better

...I'd like to run 205-45 tires on them or maybe 215s if they would fit.

I used this site: http://www.bigcustomwheels.com/info_specs.jsp
to make this table . . .

Wheels: Wheel 1 Wheel 2
Wheel size 13x5 ET 25 15x7 ET 15
BackSpace 101 mm (4'') 116 mm (4.6'')
15 mm (0.6'') deeper.
Rim Lip 35 mm (1.4'') wider

...Tires: Tire 1 Tire 2
Tire size 165/70-13 205/45-15
Section width 165 mm (6.5'') 205 mm (8.1'')

Stock tires are 165/78-13, not 165/70-13, so the better tire match (and probably a LOT easier to find) is a 205/50-15

[Aardvaark]

Jay.
Since you don't mention the hub hole and the wheel manufacturer
has a $5 charge for hub centric options. Even though our Opel
are lug centric and don't rest on the hubs, the wheel center hole still has
to clear a 57.1mm dia on some Opel hubs and rear brake axle flanges.
I don't know if the GT has this issue or not.

The reason I bring this up is that the Pro Racing Series One wheels
are approved for SCCA Spec Miata classes and Miata's are hub centric
and require a 54.1mm center hole and may not be allowed to use hub rings
for racing. Dunno.
You might want to check any of this manufacturers wheels for Opel GT fit.
OGTS may be specifying that special hub diameter.

If you have already investigated this issue, ignore my blathering.

[Redskinsjbs]

@kwilford - Thanks for the fast reply! So today I will call up the guys and see if they have some 15x7 ET 15 wheels left. I wasn't too worried about tires. The place I go to get my tires (Radial tire in Chevy Chase, MD) caters to absolutely every car imaginable. No matter what, there is always either a classic or a supercar getting tires there everyday. And they dont charge much more than the other guys (on average about an extra 1 - 2%) but they do do free balancing and rotations for the life of the tires. Which is sweet if you are like me and tend to wear tires unevely

@Aardvaark - They have a lot of different hub hole options, so I figured that I would just get one which is larger than our opels hubs. Thanks for the measurment though, I had been looking for a definite one. And if I find that the hub doesn't fit, I think that could just use a friends engine maching tools to enlarge, right?

[Redskinsjbs]

Ok, just a final check before I sign off on the new wheels:

Wheel model: Pro Race 1.2
Size: 15x7
Offset: +15
Color: black
Stripe: red
Hub Centric Bore: 57.1
Bolt Circle: 4x100
Lug Style: conical

(This is copied directly from my quote)

[Redskinsjbs]

Alright, well, here is the story. I had scrapped that previous plan because I felt that I could better spend my money at the time. It turns out that I needed it but now I am back in the market for the wheels.

I re-thought my original decision and I am going to go with the same wheels but in silver and not black. However, I now have a dilemma.

I went up to the local wheel and tire place, they have a great reputation and everyone with an expensive car voids their warranty by using these guys because they are that good. I happen to be pretty good friends with one of the big bosses, and he says that I should use ET30 and not ET25 or ET15 as suggested by you folks. He seems to think that the wheel and tire package would rub on the outer fender if I went with that low of an offset.

So here is the big question. Do I trust the wheel guy, who has 35 + years fitting wheels and tires and was once an owner of a GT? OR, do I tell him to shove off and find me those ET15 wheels that I want?

The ET15 wheels were 10mm further out plus the extra 12mm added because of the 7 inch wheels, which totals 22mm or about an inch for those of us who don't have their metric conversion hats on. The good thing about them is that they allow a larger wheel not to encroach at all towards the inner fender, which, of course, is where all of the suspension doohickeys are located. The bad thing is that the added inch is now towards the outer fender and may require some rolling of the fenders . . .

The ET30 wheels that he suggest would add maybe 1/2 and inch to the outer fender side of the wheel, nothing to worry about; but it would then transfer the problem to the other side and add close to an inch next to the suspension stuff.

All I can really say is . . . HELP!

I have to admit, and this is kind of letting the cat out of the bag, I have now added the intermediate lowering spring from OGTS, so I have absolutely no clue about how much room I have to work with.

[opelspyder]

You cannot run the 30mm offset safely -more than likely, you may, that is for a front wheel drive car offset. Your friend is wrong in suggesting to go with that offset, an 8 inch wheel needs a plus 12 mm offset, so staying with a 15mm in a 7 inch wheel will be fine. It might not look as good either. I have a set of the Team Dynamic Black wheels on the Opel GT I restored recently and they fit fine. Why are you trying to think outside of the facts. Also the wheel offset gets you too close to the suspension in the front, and the inner wheel well in the back. A 15 off set would not come close to the fender lip, even in an 8 inch wheel. I had 15x7 in a zero "0" offset and they didn't rub the outer fender lip. Save yourself the trouble and stick to the 15mm offset, and don't waste a bunch of money buying the wrong spec wheel
Keith
(Currently questioning my status as a Redskins fan)

[Redskinsjbs]

Ok, I will tell him in the morning that I require the 15mm wheel.

and Kieth, do you remember the exact dimensions of the TD wheels that you put on that customer's car?

Thanks,

Jay

PS. I am not questioning my status as a Redskins Fan; only whether or not I should watch the entire length of the massacres on TV.

[Redskinsjbs]

It seems that OGTS (at least from their catalog as of October 1st) is offering the TD wheels with a 15mm offset. I guess that I will be calling them in a couple of hours...

[gvy]

Sometimes some pictures can help you deside.
You should not take 15x7 ET30. You probably will have problems on the inner side , and it just wouldn't look good.

So just have a look

This one is 7x15et 16 with rims 205/50/15

7jx15et16.jpg

And this one is 7x15et13 also with rims 205/50/15

7jx15et13.jpg

7jx15et132.jpg

Dont they look good.
I even like it wider et0

Geert

[Redskinsjbs]

Sometimes some pictures can help you deside.
You should not take 15x7 ET30. You probably will have problems on the inner side , and it just wouldn't look good.

So just have a look

This one is 7x15et 16 with rims 205/50/15

Attachment 23977

And this one is 7x15et13 also with rims 205/50/15

Attachment 23978

Attachment 23979

Dont they look good.
I even like it wider et0

Geert

WOW!

The stance of these cars is WAYYY better than the stance of my car. I think that the current wheels on the car must be high-offset ones. I am definately going to look in to this tomorrow.

The good news is that my buddy over at the Tire place has the correct offset wheels (15x7 ET15) and he will get them in for me next week.

He explained to me his reasoning behind his original idea about the offset on the wheels (moving to a ET 25 or ET 30). Remember, he never actually saw the car, so he was doing all of this from memory. He owned both a GT and a Manta back in the early 70s, and he said that he switched up their offset figures. *I think* that the Manta has a ET35 or ET37 offset, and the GT has an ET25.

So, he did move the offset the correct amount, he had just started with the wrong offset. I am also pretty confident that as soon as he would have put the high offset wheels on to my GT, he would have seen the issue very quickly. This is a man who sets up autocross and track racers with their wheels, using 5 and 10 mil spacers to get the scrub radius and track width exactly right. He insists on keeping an on-the-car balancing station because he can balance a car's wheels better for smoother high-speed operating. He does not do alignments and he does not operate any shop. All he does in wheels and tires.

So, in a couple of weeks I will post some photos here of the car with its new wheels attached (And I will put up some before photos too).

[Redskinsjbs]

So today I finally got my Team Dynamics Pro Race wheels! They are 15x7 ET +15 in silver and don't they look nice?!?!

These wheels completely change the look of the car! They are pushed out much further in the wheels wells, giving the car a much more aggressive stance. And, personally, I think that they give the car a sportier look.

What do you guys think?

Oh, and my tramlining problem is gone! As well as the light steering at higher speeds!

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...1_881340_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...9_188738_n.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6819586_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._3070055_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._3815163_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6908117_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs031...._6830257_n.jpg

[OrangPeEL]

Yep- those look nice!

[MICAH1]

Yeah Jay,
Those wheels do look great. Another step closer to perfection.

[SpringGT]

Very nice addition, Jay!
Bob

[Aardvaark]

Oh, and my track-lining problem is gone!

Tramlining?
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=47

The new wheels really set it off nicely!

[Redskinsjbs]

[quote=Aardvaark;207427]

Oh, and my track-lining problem is gone!
QUOTE]

Tramlining?
Tire Tech Information - Tramlining: Coping with the Ruts in the Road

The new wheels really set it off nicely!

I knew that it was called something like that!

Thanks for the compliments everyone. Whats even better is the place that I go to to get tires still can do on-the-car wheel balancing. As a result, even at 90mph, the car is as solid as a rock, no vibrations whatsoever!

[hrcollinsjr]

...the place that I go to to get tires still can do on-the-car wheel balancing.

The down side is, you're not suppose to rotate your tires for increased tire life. If you have to remove the wheel for any reason you'll need to make some kind of temporary mark on the wheel and a stud so that you can put the wheel back on the way it was balanced.

Harold

[MonkeyNutZ]

Those look perfect, what size tires?