Rims: FWD Vs RWD mattering in M8

[Fro99]

I have been looking around for rims alot and have found a pair that i think i am gonna get and had a few question on them....

some site ask if the automobile is FWD or RWD and some just ask if its a truck RWD or car

I have found the rims i want but the are for FWD cars i try to look up the difference on the rims and from what i gather FWD rims are supported to the far outside of the rim and RWD is supported in directly in the middle....

:shifty: so i was wonderin if i put fwd rims on m8 are they gonna crack in half or something.....

and also on tire sizes could some one tell me what the 3 numbers stand for (i.e. #/#/#) i know they are height and with or something or what i should get if i am getting 20's and would like lower profile tires but preformence more

thx for your guys help

 

[Frogman]

Well. I could answer that question, had you asked about WHEELS. But since I don't know anything about RIMs, I can't help you.

 

[67Continental]

Well. I could answer that question, had you asked about WHEELS. But since I don't know anything about RIMs, I can't help you.

??

 

[chicken]

fwd WHEELS are more of a negative(i think) offset like you said the center of the wheel is at the outside of the hoop they wont break but will more than likley come into contact with everything in the wheel well struts etc. so they wont work on the mark. the magic numbers on your tires are ex.p245/50r16 the p=passanger car, the 245 is how many mm across the tread, the 50 is the sidewall height % these tires have a sidewall height that is 50% of 245mm and the r16 is the rim size

 

[John Hubertz]

It's all about offset - you want to match the offset ratio (% of the rim that is inside the centerline of the hub vs outside the centerline) to maintain the ideal thrust characteristics that engineers designed into the wheel/bearing/hub system.

The best bet for simplicity's sake is to get in touch with a HUGE vendor that specializes in custom wheels and ask what wheels they recommend - and get full specifics. I can't remember how these variables are expressed but I'm sure there is a standard.

THEN you can shop ebay or whatever with confidence. Plus, this forum is wheel heaven - I'd trust some of the senior members with multiple cars cuz God knows they've probably seen or tried about everything.

 

[MrScalia]

come on guys even I know this one. MKVIII need FWD wheels, thats what is on thier now! Even that it's a RWD car

 

[Fro99]

yea i went to tire plus (where i live i cant find any custom or high quality car parts/install) and they said it would fit but i was not sure if they were just tryin to get me spend money... or what because they were gonna charge like3x the amount i found the rims for even at retail price

thx for all the help......

 

[shiryu0]

have a question on this, we know the Mark uses FWD wheels cause the front track is wider like a FWD car, right? do the Viper and Vette use the same thing????? both of those have wider front tracks than the back , if not whats different between them and the Mark?, wheel-wise.

 

[John Hubertz]

"FWD wheels...."

There is NO SUCH THING as a FWD wheel - but most front-drive cars use less offset (the tire sits "deeper" on the rim vs the point where the rim bolts to the hub). The wheels on a Mark VIII were all purpose-built specifically for these cars and thus were designed specifically for this single, RWD application.

Probably what these wheel vendors are trying to explain in their own way is that to match the standard Mark VIII offset, a wheel that traditionally have the dimensions typical to a FWD car is what you need.

That would make sense if due to the wide "track" (distance from hub wheel mounting plate to hub wheel mounting plate measured across the width of the car) of the Mark 8 suspension, there is less room between the outer edge of the hub/wheel mount point and the fender lip. Front wheel drive cars have this same configuration because of the width of the drivetrain. We are fortunate in the fact that the Mark VIII has the same offset front and rear - allowing front to rear tire rotation without changing the tire on the wheels.

Go to a VERY reputable wheel vendor like Cragar (www.cragarwheels.com) and they will be able to walk you through the process of identifying wheels that won't just fit, but will WORK on this suspension. I know they have the dimensions because at least one member of this site has a beautiful set of reproduction vintage 5 spoke Cragars on his car.