Move to Texas. You'll have more disposal income. Problem solved.
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Aftermarket Wheels Too Expensive
- Thread starter MCM3
- Start date
YMMV.
And Texas might force you to run hubcentric rings even if they are likely to kill you.
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@CreoUCLA Yeah Spec.B was where it was at! LGT with better suspension and the 6MT (+ torsen R180?) in later years. Plus dat red leather right? I was set on wagon and there was no Spec.B wagon...The 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B 5MT was actually my favorite Subaru I owned. I felt it was the best blend of looks, daily driving, and performance (I also installed an 18G turbo + TMIC + tune, Cusco Zero-2 coilovers, 18" BBS RE wheels, etc.)... But I should have probably waited another year (2007) and picked it up with the 6MT instead.
If there was I probably would've bought it.After that first track day I was tempted to do a *full* STI swap into my LGT wagon - I'm talking complete drivetrain down to the hubs, braking system down to the ABS+EBD controller, etc. That would've been the car I really wanted at the time. But I'd barely dipped my toes into modding at that point, and I wanted a daily driver, not a long term project car. Plus my particular LGT was never 100% right after some significant crash damage repair. Off-the-shelf STI hatchback seemed like a much safer choice with all that in mind.
I still ended up modding the STI of course...
That GR generation (I had a 2010 Special Edition) wasn't as much raw fun from the factory as the older GD, but it was still a solid platform to build on (basically same platform as our LGT's I think, except for redesigned rear suspension). I did lots of mount and bushing upgrades, 11.5:1 quick steering rack, short shifter, sway bars, downpipe, MBC, custom ECU tune, big radiator, track pads (only for track days), DOT4 fluid, and RE-11 tires (omg those tires were bomb, such a good dual use street+track tire in their day).I immediately appreciated the DCCD in the snow, it was amazingly good, a serious upgrade from the LGT/WRX drivetrain which itself was damn good in the snow.
It took a few track days to appreciate what it could do on the racetrack. At first the car was understeer city at the limit. I read more and realized I was driving it wrong, I was trying to drive it like a textbook 50/50 RWD sports car, which a Subaru is not.
I started trail braking and it made a world of difference. Get the STI rotating going into a turn and then you could get on the gas and the DCCD would keep that rotation all the way through, holding all 4 wheels right at the edge of grip, extremely neutral with the tiniest hint of oversteer. It would do that even through the longest sweeping turns. Didn't matter that the suspension had lots of steady-state understeer on its own, DCCD would take care of that, as long as you got the car rotating initially with some trail braking.I get why car mag reviewers would rag on the STI's track manners. They were probably driving it like the balanced RWD cars they usually favored. Also Evo's somehow managed to defy physics and be way closer to neutral handling without needing all that trail braking. I think that set an expectation for the STI to drive the same, but it didn't, they were pretty different feeling from an Evo.
I thought the stock STI dampers were actually quite good, proper monotubes with the front struts inverted. Not to the level of higher end coilovers of course, and not adjustable or racecar firm, but they always kept very good control of the car, nothing like M3P stock dampers. Coilovers were on my mind for the STI, if I'd kept it long enough I'm sure I would have made the leap, especially if the stock dampers started feeling worn out.
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Zcd1
Active Member
Interesting. So I have to qualify all of my statements with "in my opinion"? Isn't this a forum that dedicated to sharing opinions?
You can choose to get "riled up" if you want - but it's only opinions being shared. My opinion is that wheels that require rings are a poor choice.
However, in Texas, those rings might get you killed.... ;-)
My issue was more that you didn't state why you would stay "FAR away" from aftermarket wheels that require centering rings (implying there are issues/problems with doing so, which there are not). There is a difference between, "I personally prefer to buy wheels that are hub centric/direct fit..." vs. "Personally, I'd stay FAR away from any wheel that required a centering ring..."
Actually, no there isnt.
There is a difference in 'I prefer to buy wheels that are XXXXX" and "I recommend that everyone Do XXXXX"
The first thing is what was said, the second isnt. I dont understand the piling on for someone saying 'I" would do XXXXX but YMMV, which is perfectly valid in my opinion.
I have been letting the conversation go, because as I have said before, sometimes the best discussions come about because of disagreements, but it appears to be getting a little personal now so I will remind people in a general sense we dont allow that.
Zcd1
Active Member
Again, that's a matter of opinion. (whether rings can present issues, which they definitely can)
I prefer to keep things as simple as possible - fewer (potentially moving) parts is better where possible.
Back to the original question: Yes, there are TONS of not-so-expensive wheel options for this car. There are also TONS of opinions about what "fits" and what doesn't. That's why I suggested working with a brick and mortar retailer - it will be up to them to make whatever you might buy work properly, or make it right, and the buyer won't have to do any of the work that might be required.
Others might prefer to approach this differently, and that's their prerogative.
YMMV, in other words.
Zcd1
Active Member
The trade here is a highly reduced set of wheels you can consider. For instance, nobody within 100 miles of me sells Stance wheels. Also, I have found when you work with a retailer like this, they tend to be highly conservative on what they will sell you. I know none of them would sell me any of the wheels I actually run that fit just fine. None of the big retailers are going to order a set of custom drilled wheels for you, mount some tires, and then check fitment for something they aren't 100% sure on. You pay in terms of reduced selection and often higher price.
The thing I do know is that they'll all sell you wheels that require hub rings, but none will support spacers
You likely have a lot of options in the car culture capital of the world in SoCal, but lots of other places don't have such great local stores. This is one of the reasons the high priced Tesla specialists online can thrive.
Search in here for the Jova wheel thread. Forged wheels are only $1300ish shipped, in essentially any design and specification you want.
There is a huge thread on aftermarket wheels already. People will have very different goals for size, look, and what "affordable" is, so I don't know what the point of a new thread is:
Aftermarket Wheels on Model 3
Well, like the title says i'm interested in seeing what different wheels people are throwing on their model 3's. If you have some aftermarket wheels, or have seen some in the wild, post a picture of what you got!
teslamotorsclub.com
Just be aware that there is nothing special about Tesla wheels on a Model 3/Y. 114.3x5 PCD, ~35mm offset, 8-10" width, 18-21" diameter.... Almost any wheel that fits a modern mustang will fit, so there are tons of options.
Zcd1
Active Member
I bought my Stance wheels (and every other set of wheels I've bought for my Teslas) from Discount Tire, which is "America's Tire" in your area.
Lindenwood
Active Member
Without going to a dedicated retailer specifically spec’ing wheels for Teslas, wheels with a 70.1mm (or 64.1mm bore) are actually not terribly common.
I have used hubcentric rings and never will again due to challenges with them sticking and bonding to either the hub or the wheel. I also have over 130k miles on lug-centric wheels, including lots of off-road time, plus now now including 3 Autocross events.
The clamping force holding the wheels to the hub is in the tens of thousands of pounds, and once tight the actual weight of the car provides no additional forces of any consequence on the lugs.
My cheap ass wheels (19x9.5 +22 with 275/35R19):
I have used hubcentric rings and never will again due to challenges with them sticking and bonding to either the hub or the wheel. I also have over 130k miles on lug-centric wheels, including lots of off-road time, plus now now including 3 Autocross events.
The clamping force holding the wheels to the hub is in the tens of thousands of pounds, and once tight the actual weight of the car provides no additional forces of any consequence on the lugs.
My cheap ass wheels (19x9.5 +22 with 275/35R19):
The trick is to get all your wheels the same
I have 4 sets of wheels, all use hubcentric rings. But they all use the same ring (the super common 73.1mm CB), so I can just leave it on the car. And I have 100+ AutoX events and a few road courses on them.
Centering rings are fine, getting cheap wheels that aren't properly load rated is a much bigger risk.
Is swapping 2x a year between summer and winter sets frequent enough to avoid centering rings seizing up on the hubs? (That's directed at anyone who feels confident in their answer/experience.)The trick is to get all your wheels the same
Just don't go to the track with plastic rings, and don't leave aluminum rings on steel hubs for too long.
My sets of FastWheels EV01 with the correct stepped hub bore are a lot more painful to install (due to tiny lug bolt holes) than my Mustang-spec APEX wheels w/o hub rings.
My sets of FastWheels EV01 with the correct stepped hub bore are a lot more painful to install (due to tiny lug bolt holes) than my Mustang-spec APEX wheels w/o hub rings.
Zcd1
Active Member
Yep - That's why it helps to have a qualified professional working with you.
