[DeTomaso] GT4 wheels & Offset (was FOR Sale Rant)

Sat Sep 19 14:33:47 EDT 2009

Ron L has just spent $5500 on GR4? wheels from a vendor and he requires 1" 
spacers in the
rear. I know of another fellow with a factory GT5 and the GR4 wheels he ordered 
with
"factory" specs required 1 1/2" spacers in the rear and 3/4 in the front.
I'll be damned if I am going to spend uwards of $5k to then have to replace 
studs and
install spacers.

 You are right. If you have to add spacers to wheels it means they were not made to the proper specs.? 

I don't have much experience with custom wheels, but this is not rocket science.
When I ordered my Coddington wheels for my stock car I was fortunate in that i just used the backspacing for the stock 8 and 10" wide Campy wheels--? 5.25" front and rear.-- and got 17" diameter wheels? 

My recollection is that people who use 13" wide rear wheels use one inch more backspacing. Each inch of backspacing moves the wheel 1 inch INWARD, so in comparison to 10 inch, 13" wheels have 1 inch of that width inboard of the mounting surface and 2" outboard. 

There is a limit to how much backspacing you can do because the tire will hit the suspension or body and you will not be able to drive the car (or maybe even to mount the wheel and tire at all.)? From what I said re the 13" wheels, I think 6.25" backspacing is the maximum you can use. BUT IF YOU WANT THE TIRE AND WHEEL TO BE MORE OUTBOARD YOU WILL WANT LESS BACKSPACING.

This really shouldn't be that complicated regarding the wheel itself. How far outboard from the mounting surface do you want the outside surface of the wheel to be?? Unless you have some reason to change it, use the backspacing you have on the wheels you have now and just add rim width to move the outside edge more outboard.? So if you have 5.25" backspacing now and want the wheel edge 3" more outboard then get wheels that are 3" wider.

Or you could find out what the specs are on the wheels you describe above that need spacers and just order them with those amounts LESS backspacing.? Visually, less backspacing will have the same effect as a spacer except that the wheel will look more deep-dished because the vertical portion is further from the outside edge.??? 

The latter choice would be the best one because you know that a wheel sitting in that point in space in relation to your car does not hit the bodywork and looks good.? If you plan to get different diameter wheels than those guys have you have to make sure that there is a tire made that would give the same outside diameter as what they have.

Jim Oddie

-----Original Message-----
From: detomasoregistry at gmail.com
To: 'Ken Green' <kenn_green at yahoo.com>; detomaso at realbig.com; 'Will Demelo' <wdemelo at cogeco.ca>
Sent: Sat, Sep 19, 2009 10:10 am
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] GT4 wheels & Offset (was FOR Sale Rant)

I'd be happy to host the drawings and photos.  I might even supply a few of my 
own.

Chuck
(The Registry Guy)

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On 
Behalf Of Ken
Green
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 10:01 AM
To: detomaso at realbig.com; Will Demelo
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] FOR Sale Rant

Will,
?
??? I think some simple drawings would really help, but you'd have to find 
someone or
someplace to post them.
?
??? Regarding backset, if that is the measurement from the wheel mounting 
surface that
rests against the hub, to the inside tire mounting surface, why would it change 
if you add
flares?? Wouldn't that dimension remain the same and the wheel is just made 
wider?
?
?? I need drawings to understand this.
?
Ken

From: Will Demelo <wdemelo at cogeco.ca>
Subject: [DeTomaso] FOR Sale Rant
To: detomaso at realbig.com
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009, 6:56 AM

I appologise for last weeks post with the expletives.
I am trying to convert my car to GR4. The fibreglass flares are going to be 
riveted on,
just as from the factory.
I ordered wheels from a vendor last fall and the agreed upon price was not 
charged to my
card. Apparently there was more machining involved. After waiting 3-4 months, I 
gave up
and cancelled the order. The wheels had not beed started yet (confirmed by 
Kodiak). I had
to threaten credit card fraud to get my money back. 
I recently placed another order to another vendor. I was told that they had 
converted many
cars. I mounted the flares on my car using clamps and took measurements to the 
hub
surface.
After requesting the backspace measurements 3 times, I was finally told 4.5"F 
and 6.5"R.
The reproduction Campys I have on my car now, with stock narrow body, have a 
6.25"
backspacing. Now I'm no math major, but how are new wheels, with almost the same
backspacing be correct after I extend the flares outward about 4"??
I was told by the vendor that I was doing things backwards. I should get the 
wheels and
then modify the flares to accomodate. I don't agree with this. There is zero 
movement with
my flares. They have to meet front and rear body lines and then the upper 
portion gets
pushed to meet the body.
I don't inderstand how I can't mount my flares to the body, take measurements 
and order
wheels with custom offsets.
Ron L has just spent $5500 on GR4? wheels from a vendor and he requires 1" 
spacers in the
rear. I know of another fellow with a factory GT5 and the GR4 wheels he ordered 
with
"factory" specs required 1 1/2" spacers in the rear and 3/4 in the front.
I'll be damned if I am going to spend uwards of $5k to then have to replace 
studs and
install spacers.
I try my best to send all info and communicate to only have vendors ship me 
parts, at my
expense.
Will
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