I'm looking for some light wheels for the track in 17x9 size. My Cobra R replicas I presently use weigh 26lbs each ! The best ones I saw up to now are the Enkei RPF1 at 15.9 lbs !!!:



That's 10lbs less of unsprung weight per wheel ! They are about 250$ on Tire Rack.

Does anybody have any other to suggest around that price & weight ?

I actually would prefer flat black since brake dust don't show as much and my race pads dust are very hard to remove; I need oven cleaner and even with that I need to scrub like a mad man

 

How much backspacing do you need with a +'05? MaxiumMotorsports has Konig Villain Wheel, 17" x 9", 5 lug, 6" backspacing for $169 that weigh in at 21lbs.

 

Yeah those are not bad and pre 05 wheels will fit; that's what I have on my 05 (Cobra R) right now but it's only cutting the weight by 5lbs. For an extra $80 per wheel to save another 5lbs and have the correct backspacing, I think I will go for the Enkei.

But thanks for the reply

 

That's one light rim!I have considered it myself.Please take some pics,even if only for track i am considering powder coating some of those for everyday driving,but unsure,hmm.

 

No problem, I too would go for the lighter wheel.

 

Another option is the 5zigen FN01-RC. Comes in a bunch of different finishes, including the brake dust hiding flat black. ~16-17 lbs. in the 17x9, and they can be had for right around $200 each.

 

Great find ! They look better than the Enkei:


They are cheaper ($159 at EdgeRacing). The only debate I have is still the weight. They say 17.5 lbs on Edge Racing but they say 19 lbs on the 5zigen site. Is the extra 3lbs less worth the 90$ per wheel ... still debating

For reference, I found a site that lists the weight per wheel: http://www.wheelweights.net/wheel-weight-size.pdf

If you look at 17 x 9: the Enkei are listed at 16 lbs and the 5zigen are listed at 19lbs. All the other ones are really out of my price range for the weight.

So which ones would you go for ?

1. Enkei $250 @ 16lbs
2. 5zigen $159 @ 19lbs
3. Other ?

 

Those matte black wheels just look evil! I also like the gloss black/silver rim (also for the same price). Everyone I've talked to about the 5zigens who is running the 17x9's has indicated that when they weighed them, they were right at the 17 lb. range, +/- half a pound.

As for my decision, it's going to be the 5zigens. I won't notice a pound or two in weight difference and I'd rather only have to fork over $200 for a replacement wheel if needed... (thanks for the heads up on the edge racing--they must really have overstocked some of those wheels, as that is a great price!!)

 

Yeah I like the gloss black/silver combo also. Do you know if the 5zigens require a centering ring ? I know the Enkei do and Tire Rack ships them with the wheel but there is no mention that the 5zigens do

BTW, I've ordered 2 sets of tires from them in the past; some Toyo RA1 for the track & Falken 452 for the street. They have great prices and service !

 

You know, I haven't heard if they need a centering ring or not. I have seen them on several S197's and talked to their owners about the wheels--nobody mentioned it...

 

They send them with the wheels, but they sure didn't fit and I've never used them. Oh, by the way...my 5Zigens in 17x10 weighed 18lbs.

 

I was thinking about picking up a set of these Gram Lights next season in 18x9.5 on all four corners, then running a set of Nitto NT-01 275/35/18 R-Comps on them



Only problem is that they are like $385 per wheel 22.5lbs/wheel though. Not as light as the 17s but still quite a bit lighter than my GT500 replicas.

 

Those Grams are nice, but for 18's in that weight range the Steeda Ultralite-1's are tough to beat. 23-24 lbs. and $230 each. I'm the first one to gripe about Steeda parts being a little overpriced, but these wheels are actually a pretty good deal. Would have been my choice if I went with 18's.

I was set on the 5zigens, but they are nationally backordered for at least a month or two since an updated design is coming out (only minor cosmetic changes--engraved logo vs. the decal). I called half a dozen vendors an nobody had 17x9 in the +35mm offset. I've got my first event of the season coming up in 3 weeks and the stack of Nitto 555RII's in the garage was crying for a proper home!

So...I had to pay a little more and go with the Enkei RP03 wheel (I'm partial to the look of 5 spoke wheels). Still a light wheel at 19-20 lbs. for the 17x9.5. Not too bad a price and Edgeracing price matched them for $289 each and only $40 shipping for all 4 wheels.

I'll take some actual weights when they arrive and post impressions.

 

I ended up going with some 95 Cobra-R Replicas in 17x9 w/ a 24mm offset. They weigh in around 26lbs (need to get the scale to verify, may be around 23lbs given all the stuff that was in the box) and they're anthracite powdercoated.

I got the whole set shipped to my door for just under $450, which was quite the bargain compared to the Grams, not to mention the $200 savings per set of tires for using 17" wheels as opposed to 18s. I'll go "actual" lightweight in the future probably.

I was worried about running replica wheels on the track, but then I remembered that I've already done 8 HPDEs on replica wheels LOL

 

If you have a chance, can you weigh them? I also tried ordering the Cobra-R replicas, but the +36mm offset are also nationally backordered until the end of May!! Needless to say, my wheel purchasing attempts have been a little frustrating. Note to self: don't order wheels in April, as it is the busiest month of the year for wheel sales!

How are the +24mm offset fitwise? Don't they stick out a little beyond the fenders? Do you have any pictures? I had looked at the MaximumMotorsports Villain wheels (the 17x9's weight about 22 lbs. and they are $180 or so), but after looking at the pictures they sent me I just wasn't sure if I could live with the rear wheels sticking out a little. The fronts won't be a problem, since negative camber will tuck them in more.

Another tidbit--the true 17" Cobra-R's in +24mm will clear the 14" big brake kits. If you have a chance, it would interesting to see if the replicas do as well. I know I'll be trying to track down a local car with the Brembos to see if the Enkeis clear.

 

I haven't had a chance to mount a tire to them yet, but according to the calculations I did, and some measurements I took on my current wheels (18x9.5, 50mm offset, w/ 285/40/18), the Cobra R replicas in 17x9 w/ the 24mm offset should have the tire (275/40/17) either line up perfectly with the fender or just barely tuck in. (Outermost lip of the wheel will be roughly 0.77" farther outboard than my current wheels)

EDIT: For reference, search for people on here that run the American Racing Razor wheels in 20x9 w/ the 24mm offset--these should fill the wheelwell (widthwise) the same amount since the wheels are the same width and offset.

I don't have a bathroom scale but was thinking of picking up one just to weigh one of the wheels

The only guy I know w/ a big-brake kit has a Roush Mustang. I can try to test-fit to his just to see, but this is a different kit than what's offered by Ford.

 

Sounds good--I like the flush with the fender look, so it will be nice get some confirmation that the +24mm works. That opens up a much larger group of wheel options for us.

UPS came through and my RP03's are here! I'll get the tires mounted in the next few days. Just to add to the wheel and tire database, I weighed a wheel and tire on a digital lab scale (I used to be a competitive cyclist and weighed every part on my racing bikes...). Here are the numbers:

Enkei RP03, 17x9.5, +38mm offset: 19.2 lbs.

Nitto 555RII, 275/40/17: 26.9 lbs.

 

Try Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 in an 18x9 or 17x9. We use them on our Mustang Challenge cars (the originals... before the FR500S) at Miller Motorsports Park. The 17x9 is 20 lbs and the 18x9 is 24.2 lbs. and they cost a LOT less that many other wheels. Plus they look great on Mustangs.

www.teamdynamicsracing.com

Good luck.

 

PICS

 

I like the Enkei's....reminds me of the 10th aniversary Cobra wheel...