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new brake/hub setup for my 240z - seeking offset


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hey everyone hows it going?

 

i have just received my big brake kit from arizona z car for my 240z and im just about to order some new wheels to actually fit over the brakes (volk GTM's)

 

the dimensions that i have settled on are 18x9, and the offset available in the volk GTM range are -13, -3, -1. as far as im aware the 240z has a standard offset of zero, but with going to a wider wheel is it required to step into the negatives or do you keep the standard offset requardless of width?

 

here is some info on the brakes http://www.arizonazcar.com/brake.html (i have the 5 stud all round, 6 piston front, 4 piston rear, 13in front and 12.2 rear)

 

can anyone advice me on what offset is best suited? im keen to order asap as once the brakes go on i will have no wheels to move the car around with! any help is much appreciate!! :-D

 

many thanks :)

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It would be nice to have a somewhat definitive list on what size wheels/offset work on flared & non-flared Zs (S30s in particular) with tire sizes.

 

I'm assuming you have flares or are you trying to stuff these wheels under stock sheet metal? I know the 18s kill ride quality compared to smaller wheels. The roads aren't too bad here in Oregon, but having some sidewall sure keeps the ride from being brutal.

 

It's interesting whenever I look at different brake setups & options, that the Billet 6 piston calipers are marketed as an upgrade over the the Forged 4 piston Superlites. I spent considerable time talking with the guys at Wilwood about that kind of stuff, as I was also under the impression that "bigger or more is better" and was planning on going with the 6 piston units. Anyway, I told them that I was building a street/track car and it would see some hard use and I wanted maximum braking performance. They recommended and sold me the Forged Superlite (4 piston) front & rear (different piston sizes f&R), telling me that the billet 6 piston actually have more flex than the forged unit and the billet calipers do not offer any performance advantage over the forged units. I like having matching calipers and found their info helpful. They also told me that slotted rotors are way to go and stay away from cross drilled, as they are only sold and made because people like the way they look. They'd prefer not to drill them, as all those holes do decrease maximum performance by cutting down on surface area. There is no doubt that when it comes to rotor size, there are benefits to bigger in regards to fade resistance.

 

Now, it's true that 95% of the guys out there will not work their brakes that hard and need that extra little bit, but I always maximize my vehicles' performance when I'm on the track....driving 10/10ths. :) Just thought I'd pass on that little tidbit from the guys at Wilwood that make these brake components. It's great that we have options and everyone has a different idea of how they want it to look, but this info is for those who are more extreme track drivers.

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thanks for that detailed comment mate!

 

as my car is an ongoing project that is currently (and has been) off the road for some time now, the required body work to fit such rims under the guards is not a problem as the body work is the final stage (currently on the last leg of the mechanical stage)

 

iv heard mixed reviews about the 18in ride quality, I’m just after wheels that are big enough to fit over the brakes. I’m pretty sure 17in will do the trick but it would be nice to have some breathing room in there as they are quite large brakes

 

i was advised that the difference between the 6 piston and 4 piston is pretty minimal, but the reason why i chose the 6 piston is so i could go the larger rotor with ease

 

i wasn’t completely happy about getting drilled rotors (as you mentioned) as they are prone to cracking and has less overall surface area, but im exceptionally happy with the quality of these rotors, so this shouldn’t be a problem..

 

the car is intended to be half street half track car, so the finer details shouldn’t be too much of an issue as the car won’t be pushed to the edge every day..

 

i think i will have to get back in contact with Dave as he was very helpful throughout the importing process, and i really need to get a jump on these wheels as there is a 3 month wait once ordered!

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Try giving Dave a call at Arizona Z! He's really helpful!

 

Yes but he won't know what fits.

 

His front hubs are .500 wider per side than stock S30. His standard 4 lug rear is .100" thicker. I think the 5 lug is 1.000" thick but can't remeber. I would ask him. I do know for a fact a 17x9" rear with 43mm offset will work on the rear with a 275 tire. You can run more offset with an 18" wheel. If you are going to run a 275 I wouldn't go below 38mm on the rear. On the front I run a 17x8 25mm offset with his 5 lug hub. I moved my LCA out 10mm so it is essentially 15mm. You could go down to a 10mm but I wouldn't do less than that. On a 9" wheel on the front it would be 35mm for flush or 40mm to be safe.

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cheers for that guys :) just got the bakes installed

 

img1182jx0.jpg

img1184mg3.jpg

img1186ll2.jpg

 

so the need to get some wheels is now very real!

 

i have sent an email to Arizona z car asking for advice on the offset, hopefully ill get a reply soon

 

so, is it uncommon for a 240z to have 9 inch wide wheels installed? i thought that this would have been relatively common for the big projects.. is this a bad idea? and how close would the -13 come to fitting?

 

cheers everyone

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