Hi,

I would like to choose one of the following for my Track Wheel from TireRack , wraped with S-03 tires, Any of these better for track with BIG Brakes, I currently have 17" Centerline Excel (+40 offset)with a 5mm spacer for them to clear Wilwood Brakes. (will these fit?!?)

1. Kosei K1 TS 17x7 (+42 Offset) (14.1 lbs) 199$ per

2. OZ Superleggera 17x7 (+37) (16.3 lbs) 280 $ per

3. SSR GT1 17x7 (+45) (16.5lbs) 249 $ per

 

The first one 'appears' to offer the largest pocket behind the spokes for caliper selection.

 

You have #1 and #3 switched.

 

Todd, Thanks again for your help and great product ...

The first one? Meaning the Kosei ? I fixed the "order"

Phil

 

The T1-S spokes are thicker than they appear in the picture.

My vote would be for the Superleggera for most brake clearance.

 

Ok, now I'm confused...

I'll vote for the SSR. Given it seems to generate more pocket at the spoke to rim area.

 

I'm confused too !!! But the Kosei is 2.4 lbs lighter !!!

Does the offset difference matter here (42 vs. 45) with the Brakes?

I would also consider TEAM DYNAMICS Pro Race 1 17x7, Not sure of the weights, I like the Hi Power Silver (But Tire Rack doesn't have them )

 

Pretty soon, I am going to rotate my Kosei K1 TS wheels...or sell them so I can try to measure the backspacing for you. Of course, I need to figure out how to do that.

 

i was looking at the same kosei and the same SSR's so i could fit Todds big 13" kit. i just got the SSR's in white (199) two days ago. the kosei's were lighter but the SSR's in writing have a more solid construction. also, the SSR's are on close out and a few months ago those same SSR's where in the high $300 range. the reason i got the white is because they are $50 cheaper. i do have the white roof and mirrors so i think i can pull it off. these are just track tires for me. so i don't have to clean them all the time.

alex@tirerack said both the kosei and the SSR's would fit the big brake kit from todd.

 

The specials they have now on the SSR wheels are good. They weren't quite in the high 300's before..low 300's or high 200's is more like it..at least for the 17" inch wheels.

The Kosei are lighter and they are pretty durable. I've had a set for about five months or so and I have been driving around the potholed San Francisco streets without any problems.

I took these pictures of the front and rear. I don't know how useful they are in determining backspacing.

 

Please see post #43 on the thread "show me your wheels". Here is the quote referring to the SSR GT1's "these r by far the nicest rims ive seen on a mini, my favorite...but they will cost about 1500 w/o tires!!!!!! i can't afford theses!!!". i didn't stay at the holiday inn express last night but, that sounds like about 375.00 a wheel.

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the white ones have been on sale for quite a while now(at least a year) and it's just gone down a bit more to $199.00. Those were the ones around the high 200's. I almost bought a set of white 18's off of ebay for around $500 and I calculated that it would have cost $150 or so to stripe off the white paint have it painted silver. That would have put it real close to what TR was selling them for at the time. Using those numbers, the 17's should have been close or the same price.

The silver ones were in the low to mid 300 range but never in the high 300's. That would put them too close to the SSR comp, which are much lighter and desirable, even at $389 each.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...&highlight=ssr

Since he probably paid about $15 or so each wheel to be shipped..and he's someone who actually bought the wheel how much do you think he paid?

 

All other things being equal, lighter is better. (Less expensive's always seemed better, too)

 

I don't know about the brake clearance, but the K1 is both the lightest and the least expensive.

I like the look of the GT1 the best, but they are too much $$ for me.

 

weight is the reason the kosei's were on my list. SSR makes i think the lightest wheel, the SSR comp and you see them at track events all the time. they are just two expensive for me. the one part of the kosei's i didn't like is that they are made to fit both the 4x100 and the 4x125 hole pattern. i was thinking that so many holes right at the hub must be some kind of strenth compromise. the two brands use different construction methods.

check it out (copied from tire rack site)




GRAVITY CASTING-----Kosei
Gravity casting is the most basic process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold utilizing the earth’s gravity to fill the mold. Gravity casting offers a very reasonable production cost and is a good method for casting designs that are more visually oriented or when reducing weight is not a primary concern. Since the process relies on gravity to fill the mold, the aluminum is not as densely packed in the mold as some other casting processes. Often gravity cast wheels will have a higher weight to achieve the required strength.

SEMI-SOLID FORGED-----SSR
(SSF) is a process that heats a billet of special alloy to an almost liquid state and then the aluminum is forced into a mold at a very high rate. The finished product offers mechanical properties very similar to a forged wheel without the high production and tooling costs of a forged wheel. When low weight and performance are on your priority list, the SSF technology offers an excellent value. Currently only SSR (Speed Star Racing) from Japan is licensed to use this process for the production of wheels.
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/wheels/ssr/ssr_info.jsp

 

Thanks for the PICS and replies,

I think I will buy 5 wheels and tires (Having a mounted and balanced spare would be a huge advantage on the road for the ONELAP of AMERICA), so price is a consideration, along with weight for track use

Anyone have ANYTHING negative to say about the Kosei ?

 

I certainly have nothing negative to say about any of them but recall part of the original question centered around the fit of after market big brakes.

Shopping only the lightest wheel may or may not get over this hurdle. I'd prefer the lightest ones as well, but if they don't clear a brake kit of choice then you're right back to square one.

While 'offset' has some bearing on this fit, the rear deal is spoke design. I've known folks who have changed offsets to get the clearance needed too. Alex should be pretty good at helping all of you on clearance given his experience.

 

Calling him today, Thanks

 

It's not negative, but you will need 17 mm lug nuts or bolts, and even then, you'll need a thin wall 17 mm socket to clear the lug bolt/nut holes. No 19 mm!

I have these for auto-x and I've been down that road...

 

do you mean longer than stock bolts or just the head size?

 

We include the bolts if required. He's referring to head of the bolt dimentions.

Alex

 

Yep, what he said!

 

I have seen several folks in Cincy auto-x on the Kosei's. I think that the wheels that fit Miatas will also fit the MINI so you may see if you can find someone in the area with them on their Miata for an auto-x that will let you put them on and see what you think

 

Maybe I missed it, but why not the Kosie K1s? Lighter and will clear any aftermarket BBK. Great wheel!

 

I will be purchasing the Kosei K1 TSs, They DO look good and weigh less

( Taste Great and Less Filling )