18" wheels to clear 380mm brakes
03-20-2014, 01:37 PM
#32
Racer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
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Thank you for all of the feedback. Based on input and experience from users, it was obvious I had two really great choices in Finspeed and Forgeline, and I've decided to order Finspeed Wheels for my GT3. The wheels are in production as we speak, with a promise of receipt in time to attend my next scheduled event!
Once received and fitment is tested and confirmed (no issues anticipated), I will post photos and a description of my rationale for selecting Finspeed.
Once received and fitment is tested and confirmed (no issues anticipated), I will post photos and a description of my rationale for selecting Finspeed.
01-18-2015, 06:04 PM
#33
Finspeed Wheels!
I just realized that I had intended to post photos and additional info - nearly a year ago, oops! In summary, I really like my Finspeed wheels, I am completely satisfied with Finspeed's expertise, in-house Haas CNC machining capability, turn-around time, build quality and warranty. As a result I recommend Finspeed with the highest possible level of endorsement.
Background: I had originally ordered two sets of custom wheels from a different company; that experience was a total failure and supreme disappointment. The wheel width was off by 1/4" which caused interference with the front main spring to the extent that the wheel would not turn (9" front wheel measured 9 1/4"); switching to the next narrower inner barrel cleared the spring but it was just enough smaller in diameter that it contacted the caliper, scraping the paint and again preventing the wheel from turning. This fiasco caused me to miss events at COTA and VIR, it took many weeks to resolve, and even then the company wouldn't take them back, they stuck my dealer with them (thank you, Paul M. at Radial Tire for taking good care of me!). I prefer not to publicly post the wheel maker's name, but I will respond to PM.
Fast forward to happier times: Thank you to those on RL that introduced me to Finspeed. My experience working with Daniel at Finspeed was superb! He is very knowledgable, he freely shares his experience and recommendations, and he helped me build wheels that met every criteria: proper fitment, strong, light, attractive and easy to keep clean. He also committed to producing my custom wheels in a short time so that I could attend my next scheduled event!
Here are some details of what I ordered and how Daniel assisted.
Sizes: 9x18 with 49.5mm offset Front and 12x1 63mm offset Rear. And there is ample clearance of the 380mm rotors/calipers. Note: these are true/accurate sizes and they work fine; however, I run a 5mm spacer on the rear so if doing it again, I would go to 48mm Front and 58mm Rear.
Style/Model: A 10-spoke version of the F11. From an aesthetic perspective I prefer an odd number of spokes, but I learned from past experience in cracking lug pockets that it is critical to have an integral number of 5 spokes so that all lug holes are evenly centered in the meat of a spoke (in fact, two of us that used Fikse Profil 13's in the past had each cracked lug webbing on several wheels). I explained this to Daniel and he said that he understood the issue and that he had designed a ten-spoke version that addressed this issue but wasn't on the website; and it was the wheel he recommended for my application.
Options: RT hollowed centers, Ultralight Pro machined spokes, and knurled bead seats; these options increased the cost, but were worth it to me. The first two reduced weight and improved the appearance, the latter addressed a former nuisance. I have had issues with Hoosiers slipping on the rim in the past, and while the knurling didn't eliminate the problem completely, it helped significantly and it eliminated the time consuming and messy process of prepping and using hair spray (don't laugh, it works). The fronts never move, the right rear rarely moves and the left rear has not moved more than 6 inches.
Finish: I had been using a clear anodized finish on my previous wheels. For my taste, it is by far my favorite finish for appearance and ease of keeping clean. Daniel had experienced big issues with quality control and longevity with black anodized wheels in the past (after they go through heat cycles they tend to turn purple). As a result, they do not anodize any color at this time. However, they did come up with an innovative alternative: rather than painting or powder coating which is easily chipped, Finspeed uses a hard ceramic coating called Cerakote that was engineered for coating firearms. It is very thin, it is scratch resistant, and it is impervious to chemicals. Dry brake dust doesn't stick and tire buggers come off easily. And there are a wide range of colors available; I selected Satin Aluminum which came the closest to matching the factory silver wheel color for desired contrast with my Meteor Grey GT3.
Build Quality: Superb! Daniel is a perfectionist and it shows in the results. Having their own in-house machining capability is key to controlling the process and resulting quality. From a warranty perspective, they stand behind their product. If the wheels ever break or crack from normal use, they will replace them for free.
Here are a few photos of my wheels just out of production and on the car. I love these wheels and give Daniel and Finspeed my highest possible endorsement!
Background: I had originally ordered two sets of custom wheels from a different company; that experience was a total failure and supreme disappointment. The wheel width was off by 1/4" which caused interference with the front main spring to the extent that the wheel would not turn (9" front wheel measured 9 1/4"); switching to the next narrower inner barrel cleared the spring but it was just enough smaller in diameter that it contacted the caliper, scraping the paint and again preventing the wheel from turning. This fiasco caused me to miss events at COTA and VIR, it took many weeks to resolve, and even then the company wouldn't take them back, they stuck my dealer with them (thank you, Paul M. at Radial Tire for taking good care of me!). I prefer not to publicly post the wheel maker's name, but I will respond to PM.
Fast forward to happier times: Thank you to those on RL that introduced me to Finspeed. My experience working with Daniel at Finspeed was superb! He is very knowledgable, he freely shares his experience and recommendations, and he helped me build wheels that met every criteria: proper fitment, strong, light, attractive and easy to keep clean. He also committed to producing my custom wheels in a short time so that I could attend my next scheduled event!
Here are some details of what I ordered and how Daniel assisted.
Sizes: 9x18 with 49.5mm offset Front and 12x1 63mm offset Rear. And there is ample clearance of the 380mm rotors/calipers. Note: these are true/accurate sizes and they work fine; however, I run a 5mm spacer on the rear so if doing it again, I would go to 48mm Front and 58mm Rear.
Style/Model: A 10-spoke version of the F11. From an aesthetic perspective I prefer an odd number of spokes, but I learned from past experience in cracking lug pockets that it is critical to have an integral number of 5 spokes so that all lug holes are evenly centered in the meat of a spoke (in fact, two of us that used Fikse Profil 13's in the past had each cracked lug webbing on several wheels). I explained this to Daniel and he said that he understood the issue and that he had designed a ten-spoke version that addressed this issue but wasn't on the website; and it was the wheel he recommended for my application.
Options: RT hollowed centers, Ultralight Pro machined spokes, and knurled bead seats; these options increased the cost, but were worth it to me. The first two reduced weight and improved the appearance, the latter addressed a former nuisance. I have had issues with Hoosiers slipping on the rim in the past, and while the knurling didn't eliminate the problem completely, it helped significantly and it eliminated the time consuming and messy process of prepping and using hair spray (don't laugh, it works). The fronts never move, the right rear rarely moves and the left rear has not moved more than 6 inches.
Finish: I had been using a clear anodized finish on my previous wheels. For my taste, it is by far my favorite finish for appearance and ease of keeping clean. Daniel had experienced big issues with quality control and longevity with black anodized wheels in the past (after they go through heat cycles they tend to turn purple). As a result, they do not anodize any color at this time. However, they did come up with an innovative alternative: rather than painting or powder coating which is easily chipped, Finspeed uses a hard ceramic coating called Cerakote that was engineered for coating firearms. It is very thin, it is scratch resistant, and it is impervious to chemicals. Dry brake dust doesn't stick and tire buggers come off easily. And there are a wide range of colors available; I selected Satin Aluminum which came the closest to matching the factory silver wheel color for desired contrast with my Meteor Grey GT3.
Build Quality: Superb! Daniel is a perfectionist and it shows in the results. Having their own in-house machining capability is key to controlling the process and resulting quality. From a warranty perspective, they stand behind their product. If the wheels ever break or crack from normal use, they will replace them for free.
Here are a few photos of my wheels just out of production and on the car. I love these wheels and give Daniel and Finspeed my highest possible endorsement!
01-18-2015, 08:47 PM
#35
GT3 player par excellence
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
had a set myself. great build qty and fairly proced
01-18-2015, 08:53 PM
#36
Rennlist Member
Nice. Good looking wheels
01-19-2015, 12:33 PM
#37
Rennlist Member
at the risk of embarrassing myself (not 100% sure if 997.1 PCCBs are 380mm), here is another datapoint.
Rays SL 5 spoke wheels in 18X9
~ 0.080" clearance caliper peak to inner barrel
plenty of clearance spoke to caliper, must use narrow wheel weights pushed all the way out to the spokes though. I cut the weights in half lengthwise to make sure there was no rubby rubby.
Rays SL 5 spoke wheels in 18X9
~ 0.080" clearance caliper peak to inner barrel
plenty of clearance spoke to caliper, must use narrow wheel weights pushed all the way out to the spokes though. I cut the weights in half lengthwise to make sure there was no rubby rubby.
Last edited by cgfen; 01-20-2015 at 01:48 PM.
01-20-2015, 08:54 AM
#39
Pro
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Rock Hill, SC, just south of Charlotte, NC
Posts: 705
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handsome car and handsome wheels, for sure. I have enjoyed shooting racing photography for decades, and whom ever did your pictures is very good. I am running down for the Rolex later this week, have been there the past 12 years, and park always in the Grass Roots magazine corral, instead of the Porsche one, so if anyone sees our white, winged GT3 there, look us up.
Nice car, nice wheels, nice pictures.
All the best..
Nice car, nice wheels, nice pictures.
All the best..
01-20-2015, 11:02 AM
#40
Thank you, Nam Vet! I am very happy with the appearance and performance of my GT3. Only eight tack days spread across eight months last year, but started to feel connected at the last event; very much looking forward to this season.
Yes, these photos were taken by an excellent pro photographer, Daniel Mainzer, at Mid Ohio. After 30+ years of pro photography, he indicated that 2014 would be his last as he pursues a new venture. There is one shot in particular that is really nice, catching three GT3's following each other on the same line at Turn 11; even Daniel thought it was special. I will try to locate it...
Have fun at Daytona!
Yes, these photos were taken by an excellent pro photographer, Daniel Mainzer, at Mid Ohio. After 30+ years of pro photography, he indicated that 2014 would be his last as he pursues a new venture. There is one shot in particular that is really nice, catching three GT3's following each other on the same line at Turn 11; even Daniel thought it was special. I will try to locate it...
Have fun at Daytona!
01-20-2015, 06:57 PM
#41
01-21-2015, 01:43 AM
#42
Rennlist Member
That's the one downside to 18" wheels and the 380mm rotors, the clearance between the wheel and the caliper is razor thin. I've had a couple instances of small stones getting caught between the barrel and the caliper while going through the paddock and it sounds like you've walked into a machine shop! It certainly didn't do my wheels any good judging from the amount of metal shavings.
at the risk of embarrassing myself (not 100% sure if 997.1 PCCBs are 380mm), here is another datapoint.
Rays SL 5 spoke wheels in 18X9
~ 0.080" clearance caliper peak to inner barrel
plenty of clearance spoke to caliper, must use narrow wheel weights pushed all the way out to the spokes though. I cut the weights in half lengthwise to make sure there was no rubby rubby.
Rays SL 5 spoke wheels in 18X9
~ 0.080" clearance caliper peak to inner barrel
plenty of clearance spoke to caliper, must use narrow wheel weights pushed all the way out to the spokes though. I cut the weights in half lengthwise to make sure there was no rubby rubby.
01-21-2015, 06:20 PM
#43
Yes, caliper clearance can be a real issue, and it is generally more of an issue with three piece wheels. My Finspeed wheels clear the 380's by at least 5mm, and they have made wheels to clear 390mm rotors for another Rennlister.
10-01-2016, 12:15 AM
#44
Rennlist Member
Are there any budget 18" wheel options to accommodate 380mm rotors out there? For example used OEM 18" take-offs from a Rennlister, 18" OZ for $400 from Tirerack, etc?
I suspect this is the case since the "inexpensive" CCW's noted above are ~$900 each
If this is the case, I'll be sticking with my 350mm (with 18's) or looking into 19" track wheels (with 380mm). The 380mm + 18" combo is appealing, but for an occasional track day in my daily-driven 997.1S, it's way too tough to justify the extra $2-3k for the wheels alone. Unless I'm missing something?? If so, please enlighten me! Thanks!
I suspect this is the case since the "inexpensive" CCW's noted above are ~$900 each
If this is the case, I'll be sticking with my 350mm (with 18's) or looking into 19" track wheels (with 380mm). The 380mm + 18" combo is appealing, but for an occasional track day in my daily-driven 997.1S, it's way too tough to justify the extra $2-3k for the wheels alone. Unless I'm missing something?? If so, please enlighten me! Thanks!
