New wheels for the Alfa!

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02 t-wrex

New member
I have been searching for the perfect wheels for my Alfa Romeo Milano racecar project for a loooooong time. My requirements were 16x7", hubcentric, and LIGHTWEIGHT. Unfortunately there are very few options available for the 5x98mm bolt pattern... and the few options that do exist, they are anything but light.



In the end, the only option was to do something custom. Luckily all the work was done for me by one of my Milano loving friends. The wheels are 16x7" SSR Integrals, originally 5x100mm redrilled for 5x98mm, and custom machined hubcentric spacers to get the correct offset and make the wheel fit snugly over the car's hub (because if the wheels are not hubcentric, the wheel studs end up taking all the stress... and on the racecar that is a BAD thing).



So here they are... not the most beautiful wheels in the world, but I think they make the car look pretty darn aggressive... and they are lightweight at only 15lbs per wheel (my old 15x6" wheels were 22lbs). Not only are they light, but because they are forged, they are very strong too.





oh yeah... it's Blackfired too!



Enjoy:



alyssa1.jpg


alyssa2.jpg
 
On first seeing the wheels, I did not like them. But now they are growing on me. Have you noticed any difference in ride or handling quality?



Great Car:up



Steven
 
I haven't had the car out on the track with the new wheels & tires yet... but from just driving around on a couple twisty roads I can feel the difference.



The biggest improvement comes from the reduction of unsprung weight. The old wheel/tire combo weighed over 42 lbs (Alfa 164S wheels with 205/55/15 Kumho V700 VictoRacer tires), and the new setup is 33.5 lbs (SSR Integrals with 205/45/16 Kumho Ecsta V700). The ride is noticably less harsh (even with the rock hard spring rates I run at the track). It feels as if the suspension is having to do less work without having all that extra weight to move around. Steering response is also sharper, as there is now less sidewall flex with the lower profile tire.



The other advantage for me is that now I can fit larger brakes :D





Here is a picture of the car with the old wheels. I really like the way the car looks with the 164S wheels... but the offset was wrong, they were too small, and HEAVY!



alyssasidebig.jpg
 
The ride is noticably less harsh (even with the rock hard spring rates I run at the track). It feels as if the suspension is having to do less work without having all that extra weight to move around. Steering response is also sharper, as there is now less sidewall flex with the lower profile tire



Now thats what I call a real modification to a car :xyxthumbs



Steven
 
Oh, I DO like them! I think they fit the personality of the car just right. They look cool!:xyxthumbs
 
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