Wheel ideas...
Discussion
I've seen in previous posts where people were wanting an alternative to the factory wheels. Since I have some time before I buy my Ultima kit, I've started researching various parts and have found probably the best alternatives to the factory wheels. www.hrewheels.com Although these wheels are not cheaper than the factory wheels, their quality is outstanding and the selection is great. Just something to set your ultima apart from the rest.
>>> Edited by ericeash on Sunday 6th April 16:34
>>> Edited by ericeash on Sunday 6th April 16:34
i looked at the kinesis wheels and they're decent, not much of a selection though. i've just seen that a lot of people have spent a considerable amount on their ultima, so $1500 extra for nicer wheels shouldn't be too much. i also wax my wheels on my ducati and my truck and find that helps alot with cleaning. also, metal polish works like no other cleaner. i like the factory wheels, but they kinda look plain when compared to the hre wheels. i think the image wheels don't look as good as the factory wheels. of course i don't own an ultima yet so my opinions don't hold that much water.
eric
eric
Why dont you try IMAGE WHEELS:
www.imagewheels.co.uk
They "used" to be the official wheel supplier to the factory but apparently "werent round"
so changed supplier?!?!
Very good quality, and can do custom designs too. They have some very nice wheels that resemble those on the Zonda-S too:
www.imagewheels.co.uk/pages/ev_page.html
>> Edited by Vez on Monday 7th April 16:23
www.imagewheels.co.uk
They "used" to be the official wheel supplier to the factory but apparently "werent round"
so changed supplier?!?! Very good quality, and can do custom designs too. They have some very nice wheels that resemble those on the Zonda-S too:
www.imagewheels.co.uk/pages/ev_page.html
>> Edited by Vez on Monday 7th April 16:23
yeah, like i said in my last post, image wheels just don't do it for me. i have seen an ultima with them on, but the spokes are a little different and therefore in my opinion don't look as good as the factory's. i guess we'll have to see when i order my ultima and i look at the wife and say, "Should I just buy the factory rims, or spend $4500 on some alternatives?" that will ultimately determine it.
eric
eric
When choosing wheels for an Ultima (or any other car for that matter), it shouldn't be down simply to what they look like. The quality of the wheels, metallurgically, is much more important and this is particularly the case with high performance cars like the Ultima. "Cheap" alloy wheels are usually made from "secondary" aluminium, which is essentially scrap aluminium melted down in a furnace and then refined to remove most (but not all) of the impurities. Some of these impurities can significantly lower the strength and fatigue resistance of the base material.
Having said that, there is nothing wrong with using secondary aluminium if you're making, say, door handles or even car wheels if the material is thick enough and you don't mind the extra weight, but in highly stressed components such as the wheels of a high performance car, I would always buy from a manufacturer who uses "primary" aluminium as the base material. This is essentially pure aluminium to which other appropriate alloying elements (silicon, magnesium, etc) are added during the foundry process. Obviously, the level of impurities in such material is virtually zero, as a consequence of which, primary aluminium is much more expensive that the secondary variety. This is why two wheels which may look more or less the same, can have a substantial cost difference.
The above is an over simplification of what is quite a complicated subject and that is without even mentioning cast versus forged wheels. If it's of any interest, I've bought the factory wheels for my GTR which should be on the road in about ten years at the rate I seem to be building it. We then get into "age hardening" and a new set of problems.
Having said that, there is nothing wrong with using secondary aluminium if you're making, say, door handles or even car wheels if the material is thick enough and you don't mind the extra weight, but in highly stressed components such as the wheels of a high performance car, I would always buy from a manufacturer who uses "primary" aluminium as the base material. This is essentially pure aluminium to which other appropriate alloying elements (silicon, magnesium, etc) are added during the foundry process. Obviously, the level of impurities in such material is virtually zero, as a consequence of which, primary aluminium is much more expensive that the secondary variety. This is why two wheels which may look more or less the same, can have a substantial cost difference.
The above is an over simplification of what is quite a complicated subject and that is without even mentioning cast versus forged wheels. If it's of any interest, I've bought the factory wheels for my GTR which should be on the road in about ten years at the rate I seem to be building it. We then get into "age hardening" and a new set of problems.
I've used Jongbloed wheels on my Manta Mirage and I recommend them highly. They are a three-piece modular design; two spun aluminum rims with a magnesium center section. Needless to say, they are very lightweight but not inexpensive. There are many different center section styles to choose from.
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