Re: [DML] Alternative wheels

[William T Wilson <fluffy@xxxx>]

On Tue, 3 Jun 2003, jamesrguk wrote:

> The only problem is that obviously the stock wheels are considerably 
> wider at the rear than at the front, when people have upgraded their 

They're larger both in diameter and in width. Many cars have this 
configuration, including recent Corvettes and the NSX.

> wheels have they kept the same configuration or have they 
> compromised and used a set that is wider than the original front and 
> slimmer than the original rear wheels.

You have to buy two sets of two wheels. The DeLorean would look silly
with the same size wheels all around, and would be prone to spin under
severe maneuvering. Commonly, 15x6 and 16x8 wheels can be used. One 
problem is that there's not a heck of a lot of space in the front wheel 
wells for a larger wheel; they barely hold the stock ones :) Any wheel 
that fits in the front wheel well would be undersized for the rear.

However, there is something tricky with the backspacing on the DeLorean
(how far the wheel extends inward/outward) making finding a perfect fit a
little tricky. Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly what the trick is
- I did at one point - it's not hopeless, just not a good idea to go grab
any old wheel from the local tire shop, even if it nominally "fits". 
Also, try to make sure the wheels you get aren't that much heavier than
the stock (lighter is no problem). Naturally larger wheels will tend to
weigh a little more, but there are aftermarket wheels out there that weigh
50 pounds! Heavy wheels, while not posing a direct safety or appearance
problem, can make a noticeable dent in your acceleration - every pound in
the wheels is the equivalent of four pounds anywhere else.

That said, I do think getting aftermarket wheels is a good idea. It's 
getting hard to get good quality matching tires (esp. now that the AVS 
Intermediate is discontinued) because of the rarity of modern cars with 
14" wheels. 15" on the front goes a long way to making this particular 
purchasing decision easier :)