Searching the web for wheels I found Arospeed Crazy 8 (17 X 7) that look exactly like the Racing Hart CP8-R wheels in the exact same finishes. Is this the same wheel under a different brand name ?????
The RH CP8-Rs are 12.5 lbs forged !!
Thanks for any info anyone can supply!
Kind Regards,
Ron

http://www.speedandstyle.com/index_main.htm
Click on Arospeed in the left column !



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Hiya RonR,

So you like that CP8R look too?? I was this close to buying them today, but was talked out of it by a few MINI owners that were at the NY meet yesterday. They said CP8R is too light and fragile for my day to day city driving, not to mention expensive. So back to the drawing board in search of wheels. A while back someone posted about Arospeed wheels being heavy. I tried finding data online without success and just forgot about the brand altogether. But I read your post earlier today and did a search for some Arospeed retailers. I found one still open tonight, but he didn't know the weight of the Crazy8. I asked him to give me his best guess and he said somewhere between 15-18 lbs. Perfect weight if that's the case. I asked about his experience with the brand. He said that for a low end wheel, he's very impressed. No customer complaints, no issues with quality, and the finish is beautiful. He's sold much more expensive brands (including RH) and has had problems with the finish holding up (peeling, chipping, etc.). I will call Arospeed direct tomorrow and see if anyone there has the wheel weight. I'm interested in the glossy black with the polished lip for my SG/B. This may be the answer I've been searching for.......

EDIT>> more searches turned up this site with a low price of $549 for 4 wheels + $75 for shipping.



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HARMINI,

Thanks for the info!!!! Please let me know if you find out what the weight is!! I am also interested in the offset: it should be +40 or higher!!
I too was told that the CP8-R wheels may be too light and fragile from a respectable source. I really do like the looks of the wheel. When I saw the Arospeed I thought it may be the same wheel under a different name!
As you can see I have a Pure Silver/Black MCS. I think that the Black wheels will look great on the car.
Thanks for the link. Can't beat the price if the quality is there 11
Best Regards,
Ron

 

If you've got or want to get light wheels, don't let strength be *too* much of a concern. If they're forged, they're going to be pretty strong most likely, and can stand some minimal beating. With my light wheels I just make sure to avoid all the biggest bumps and potholes. It seems like *any* light wheel will be accused of being too weak if you look around hard enough for the criticism. Even SSRs apparently have a bit of a bad reputation in some circles, but I think they'd be fine as long as you look out for them a bit. With the chunky stock wheels and tires, you can do whatever you want without worrying about hurting the wheel. With a lighter (and weaker) replacement, you've just gotta be a bit more careful.

 

RonR, offset on the Crazy8 is 42, same as the CP8R. I'm calling Arospeed now and will post anything I learn.

Grinder, thanks for the reassurance, but where I live, there are so many potholes that being careful just isn't enough. For the price of these Arospeeds, I won't have heart failure if I bend a rim. I'll just get a new one.

Edit>> Just got off the phone with Arospeed. The 17" Crazy8 is a one piece cast wheel weighing in at 21 lbs.

Edit>> I called AutotoyAZ.com. He weighed an 18" Crazy8 and it was 24 lbs. He hasn't had any customer complaints or returns on any of the Arospeed wheels. He doesn't stock them at his location, so if you order through them, he has the wheels shipped directly from Arospeed (Miami).

Now the question is: how much do the OEM 17" wheels weigh? and what tire to get on these 17 X 7 wheels?

EDIT>> okay, OEM weights posted on this site: R85 17" = 25 lbs, R90 17" = 24 lbs. and the ones I'm running now are the R81 (15" holies) = 12 lbs.

EDIT>> I called Arospeed again and asked about the centerbore. He said it's about a 73, so clearing the MINI is no problem (56.1). One advantage?? of the CP8R is that they are hubcentric for the MINI, whereas the Crazy8 is much bigger. Not sure if this is a big problem, the sales rep said that the lugbolts are what holds the wheel on, and nobody he sells to is very concerned with getting hubcentric these days. I asked him about Big Boyz Toys in Az and he said they are a great customer and I should expect to receive excellent customer service from them.

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>>EDIT>> I called Arospeed again and asked about the centerbore. He said it's about a 73, so clearing the MINI is no problem (56.1). One advantage?? of the CP8R is that they are hubcentric for the MINI, whereas the Crazy8 is much bigger. Not sure if this is a big problem, the sales rep said that the lugbolts are what holds the wheel on, and nobody he sells to is very concerned with getting hubcentric these days. I asked him about Big Boyz Toys in Az and he said they are a great customer and I should expect to receive excellent customer service from them.


You can get hubcentric rings to make them fit quite nicely for like $5.

 

HARMINI, Greetings!

Thanks for all of the "leg" work :smile: I was really excited until I saw the weight! Wow, not really a light weight wheel !

GRINDER- Greetings!

Thanks for you insights. I appreciate your information and reassurance about running light weight forged wheels. Our road conditions are much better in South Florida than HARMINI's - so I'm not quite as concerned about potholes. I appreciate her concern because I am orginally from Michigan where a pothole that goes unattented can easily swallow a car whole !

Best Regards,
Ron

 

I know, the weight is very unappealing. I am stuck on glossy black with a polished lip and can't find any other wheels with that finish combination. Damn, this search for the right wheels should not be this difficult, even for someone as picky as me :smile:
The up-side to all of this is that I'm learning a whole lot about wheels from the process. The guy at Arospeed was stunned that I cared about the weight and the centerbore size. I even called the dealer to find the weight of the stock wheels and he said, "that information is not available to us, you're the first one who has asked that question." Thanks to this forum, I later found the OEM weights posted. I know that when I decide on wheels they will be perfect thanks to all of the insight I've gained from other MINI owners. You guys rock!!

RonR, PM me when you find your new wheels. I'd like to see what you decide on.