Pre-Planning wheel and tire fitment for my upcoming type 65 coupe build

[bkhicks66]

I got a lot of time on my hands as I wait for my coupe to be delivered in January. I have been spending time looking at wheels and trying to decide on a car color and I keep going back and forth. I really like the look of the Forgestar F14 Super Deep Concave Wheels. I think they would look awesome on a coupe.

Here they are installed on a scion: https://www.forgestar.com/gallery/white-rocketbunny-v-2-scion-frs-forgestar-f14-wheels-in-bronze-burst/


I would like to use the same setup used on the Snap-On/Joey Logano Coupe:

He used F14 Deep Concave 18x10 with a +6 backspacing on the front. Would like to get Super Deep Concave on the front also

F14 Super Deep Concave 18 x 12 with a +6 backspacing on the rear with a 40 mm spacer. I am assuming the spacer just moves the offset. in this case would be a -34 offset.

Also going with the Nitto NT555 G2 tires.

I also using the 13 in. standard brakes that come with the kit....I did not upgrade to the willwood brakes.

That brings up a question, if you use a spacer do you need longer studs to make up the difference.

How do you guys think these would look and does anyone see a problem with this set up?

Thanks
Brian

[GoDadGo]

Brian,

Sounds Like You Are Well On Your Way!

If you plan to drive the car and not just show it, then please consider NOT using wheel spacers and get proper fitting wheels instead.
If you are going to run a 3-Link setup, you may want to simply have the axle built to meet your requirements for the wheels you want to run.
Having built my dream I can honestly say that I used NO Adapters and I even shortened my wheelbase (3/4") to better center the rear wheels among other things.

If You Plan Your Build & Build Your Plan Then It Will Turn Out Great!

Steve
https://youtu.be/9WEe6-wdNtA

[Alphamacaroon]

Can’t comment on the other questions but with some spacers (at least the hubcentric ones I used) you actually need to cut the existing studs shorter. The spacer has built in studs which are offset/rotated from the ones on the hub and the spacer itself is attached with the existing studs. So you need to trim down the existing studs so they sit below the surface of the spacer.

[Joel Hauser]

I used 35mm/1.25" hub-centric spacers on a stock 1996 mustang rear axle and did not have to cut the studs down, although I don't think trimming them is much trouble with a cutoff wheel.

[P100DHG]

An extremely reputable shop here in Southern California BBI Autosport gave me the recommendation to use the stock wheels then order wheels for the car with the correct offset later.

I went with a hybrid approach. I am going to use the wheels that I ordered with the kit (50% off at the time I ordered) until I feel like I need a change and then I’ll order forged wheels for the car. So Having never built a car before I followed Paul’s build which I consider to be the Bible on this car and will figure out the wheels when I’m tired of the ones I have.

You can order shorter studs like I did and spare cutting them, though frankly it doesn’t really matter it’s just less work. If reflection there is something to be said about using what you have. I kept the original length studs in case I end up changing the wheels out. Hmmmm now where did I put those... LOL

[bkhicks66]

Steve...I upgraded to the 2015 IRS setup. I also would prefer not to need spacers so will work toward that. I am probably making this harder than it needs to be just want some really good looking wheels.

I have spent a lot of time in Slidell over the last 5 or 6 years. I work for a contractor that is in the Michoud Assembly Facility and travel down there quite a bit.

Brian

[Logan]

Brian,

There are wheels out there that will work without spacers, but they are few. And if you want wide wheels, they're often multi-piece or very expensive, like $700-$1,500 PER wheel. Most wheels you will find have positive offsets, even the Forgestar F14 with custom offsets can only be ordered down to +6 mm offset. This will require a spacer, but that is not a big deal. Spacers are fine even under racing conditions if used properly. As for cutting the existing studs shorter to be able to use spacers, that's not always the case. The following only applies for bolt on spacers (i.e. the type that have new studs in them, NOT the slip-on type):

**Example only** If your current studs stick out from the face of the rotor by 35mm and you use a 10mm spacer, you can see that a good chunk of existing stud will STILL be sticking out past the spacer once installed (25mm in this case). If the back side of the wheel doesn't have relief pockets between it's lug holes to fit over those protruding studs, then the studs will need to be shortened to allow the wheel to go on all the way. Conversely, consider the same 35mm lugs but you decide to use a 35mm spacer. Now ALL of the stock studs will be "covered" by the spacer, and the wheel doesn't need to have any relief pockets on the back side to accommodate any portion of the stock studs. The spacer itself will contain new studs, indexed such that they come out between the existing lug pattern. You simply bolt the wheel to the spacer and that's it, job done.

Having said all that, I use slip-on spacers myself racing my S550 Mustang. I pressed out the OEM studs, and pressed in the longest aftermarket ones available at the time, ARPs which are 1" longer than stock. This allows me to use up to a 1" slip-on spacer and still have the same amount of stud sticking into the wheel holes as before. This way there are only 5 lug nuts used per wheel, instead of 10 like with the bolt-on spacer type. Some claim it is stronger, but I think a good bolt-on spacer is fine. Really the biggest benefit to a slip-on spacer is you can torque the wheels to the car and know the spacer is tight. With bolt-on spacers, you need to remove the wheels, torque the spacers to the hub, then reinstall the wheels and torque them to the spacers. An extra step which might only matter for the speed/racing convenience.

I'm planning to order some custom Forgestar F14's for my Coupe-R next spring. Super Deep Concave (SDC) on both front and rear. Tentatively planning 18x11" or 12" front and 18x12" +6 rear with a 25 to 35 mm spacer. Once I get my body installed I can take the remaining measurements needed. I have an Excel spreadsheet of 30+ FFR Daytonas and what wheel brand/size/offsets/spacers/tire brand/size the builders used. Helps visualize what has been done specifically on the Gen 3 Coupe. Problem is I need more racer data, most of the street driven/cruiser cars use conservative fitments, which are easy and work fine, but for those of us looking to push the limits (me), prefer to have precise data.

I currently have a set of Forgestar F14 SDC 19x12" wheels on my Coupe, borrowed from a friends S550 Mustang. Between his and my own 19x11" squared setups, I've been go-karting my chassis over the past few weeks. Come check it out sometime... only about 50 minutes from Hartselle.

Logan

[ProJoe]

As someone who is neck-deep in trying to figure our wheel fitment/tire sizing I asked the factory what they did for the Logano coupe because that's what I am aiming for too in term for fitment, this is what they told me:

Ray’s ZE40 wheels, 18”x11” with a 15mm offset. Spacers 1” on the front and 1 ½” on the rear

Hope that helps. fitment is a huge, huge piece of the puzzle for me as well. poorly fitting wheels/tires ruins an otherwise excellent build IMO

[bkhicks66]

Thanks Logan....I will definitely get in touch with you and come by some time to see you build....Thanks for your insight

Thanks ProJoe....Stay in touch as we work through these wheel decisions. Anxious to see what you decide on.

Brian

[TommyF]

I am running Forgeline GA3R with centerlock conversion, 19x10 front with 305/35R19 and 19x12 325/30R19 i believe it was 6" backspacing as well. Gen III R-car with IRS rear.