BBS vs Diamond Racing

[Keepn it OG]

I'm debating between a set of BBS replicas 15x8 14 pound rims or Diamond Racing 15x9 heavy as hell ! The replicas are selling 380 out the door with no tires. The diamonds are around that price too. I just need rims to have till i start adding on my new fender flares and coilovers.

 

 

What would you guys pick ?

Edited September 5, 2013 by Keepn it OG

[310z]

I think you have answered your own question. Same price and heavy as hell. I would definitely eliminate that set. Performance usually does not come by adding weight, especially un-sprung weight.

[Keepn it OG]

Thanks 310z ! I may go that route for now till I find a nice retro set.

[JMortensen]

For anyone looking for steel wheels - Bassett is about the same price as Diamond but they roll the outer lip (stronger) and they have larger vents, and are about the same price. 

 

EDIT--15x8 Bassett is 17 lbs.

Edited September 5, 2013 by JMortensen

[jhm]

Keep in mind that Bassett wheels generally use a 45 deg lug nut camfer and a 5/8" valve stem....semi-non standard sizing for these components.  

 

The lug nuts are the real pain.  I've not had a lot of luck finding good 45 deg lugs in the 12x1.25 mm thread.  (Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, and someone here can enlighten me.    )

[JMortensen]

You can find them for 12x1.5 which is what the ARP studs have.

[ol doc gully]

I am planning on getting some Bassetts, and had thought you could get 45deg lugs through them. I hadn't looked around for 12x1.25 specifically yet though so am very interested to hear what you find. Maybe try emailing/calling them?

 

Also note, most Bassetts use thinner shells to keep weight down and are not technically DOT legal (if you care). They make one style that is DOT, and weighs 24lbs in 15x8, also available in 15x7: http://www.bassettwheel.com/dot.html

 

However, for that matter, I'm not even sure diamond racing wheels are DOT....

[310z]

There is another issue that needs to be brought up with this issue. That is tire availability. 15 in. race tires are available along with R-compound tires. However, the choices in high performance street tires in 15 in. are next to nothing.There is a bit more availability in 16 in.. Tire availability needs to be one of your main deciding factors in your choice of wheel size.

[JMortensen]

What??? There are a TON of tires to fit a 15x9. It is a very popular size for Miatas. Toyos, Yokohamas, Kuhmos, Hankooks, etc. all come in 225/45/15. The sportier 225's are WIDE and fit nicely on a 15x9. 

[JMortensen]

https://www.google.com/search?q=15x9+6UL&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iWIqUsSjN-fkiALV_ICwCw&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=925#q=15x9+6UL&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

[ol doc gully]

Like John said the performance tires in 15" run quite wide, for instance the 235/50 R888s are almost perfectly suited for a 15x10, resembling more of a 245 or 255. And there are lots of 225 options suited for a 8 or 9 inch wheel. However, I do agree many of the miata spec tires are a bit short on sidewall to suit the S30 aesthetics. Although I guess it suits the unfortunate current trends of 'slammed' and 'flush'....

[310z]

What??? There are a TON of tires to fit a 15x9. It is a very popular size for Miatas. Toyos, Yokohamas, Kuhmos, Hankooks, etc. all come in 225/45/15. The sportier 225's are WIDE and fit nicely on a 15x9. 

Well, I would suggest going to Tire Rack and pulling up 225-45-15 or 225-50-15 and see what comes up. With the exception of one tire with a tread ware of 400 all the rest are R-compound tires and have a tread ware of 40-to 140. As I stated. Yes, an R-compound tire has a DOT rating and is legal on the street but they are not usually considered a viable street tire. 

[JMortensen]

I've been running the R1R for almost 2 years on my Miata. Treadwear is 140, but I've put 10K miles and probably 15 autoxes, 2 schools and a practice day where my odometer showed 30+ miles of autox on them and they still have some life left and I can safely drive them in Seattle weather. They would be doing a lot better if I had known to keep them cool between runs when I got them. The "extreme summer performance" tires are viable street tires, and they're not that expensive. Real "R" compounds, not so much, but the extreme summer tires work on the street IME.

[ol doc gully]

310, it sounds like you may have overlooked the Hankook RS3 which I'd expect to be about exactly what you're after.

[johnc]

Or you can have two sets of wheels and tires. One with a set of readily available 205/55-15 street tires and the other with your 235/45-15 DOT-Rs.

 

Buy the fake BBS wheels now and put the street tires on them. Later, buy your fancy street wheels and move the street tires to them and put some DOT-Rs on the fake BBS wheels for track days and auto cross.

[310z]

I did not realize anyone is getting that kind of mileage out of R-compound tires. I have only had two sets of tire in over 25 yr. on my Z that reached the 12,000 mile mark. And no I do not have an alignment issue. Both of those tires had a 400 tread compound. I prefer a tire in the 180 to 200 for road use. If 10,000 miles can be expected out of modern R- compounds I will look at putting a set on

 

I did not over look the Hankook RS3 it is the only tire listed that does not have an R- compound and it has a 400 tread compound as stated..

[ol doc gully]

RS3 and BFG g-force both have 200 treadwear rating. The RS3 was actually just bumped up from a previous rating of 140 this year.

 

RS3 is very comparable to the dunlop z1 star spec, and i once sold a set of those with 10,000 miles and one mild track day that weren't even past the first wear indicator. I would say this is above average but shows how long they can last under mild use.

 

Treadwear ratings are about as misleading as manufacturer stated section width and sidewall sizes. 

[roger280zx]

RS3 and BFG g-force both have 200 treadwear rating. The RS3 was actually just bumped up from a previous rating of 140 this year.

 

RS3 is very comparable to the dunlop z1 star spec, and i once sold a set of those with 10,000 miles and one mild track day that weren't even past the first wear indicator. I would say this is above average but shows how long they can last under mild use.

 

Treadwear ratings are about as misleading as manufacturer stated section width and sidewall sizes. 

The law states that tire manufacturers may advertise a lower treadwear rating than they actually score (makes them appear stickier to performance tire market); however, they may NOT advertise a higher treadwear rating than they score.  It is pretty common practice of performance tire manufacturers to advertise a lower rating than they actually have and no one says they can't change said rating any time they want.

[ol doc gully]

Interesting, I did not know that, kind of explains some things. I was mostly speaking to the fact that the ratings are extrapolated from limited testing, with the calculation done by the manufacturers, mostly meaning that ratings are really only comparable between tires from the same manufacturer. 

 

In the end I think it all falls under the Reagan rule of "trust, but verify".

[johnc]

I got 15000 miles out of a set of Toyo Proxes RA1s on my Ford Contour SVT. Had at least 15 track weekends on them as an instructor with Speedventures plus street miles. A lot depends on how you drive the car. Other SVT owners got less then 5000 miles out of the same tires (was a member of SVTOAat the time.)