SVE R350 Wheel kit

[NTB]

T,

I absolutely agree with you that the spun forged wheel is of a lesser quality. I certainly think that the folks at LMR or 6GR didn't design their wheels to be track wheels. I once used 6GR's on the track and in afterthought, I swore I would never use a wheel like this again on the track for the very reasons that you stated above. However, if you never planned to use a spun forged wheel on the track, the risk of a wheel failure is significantly reduced. It really is all about what the wheel was designed for and how it winds up being used. I can't think of anyone who would rather have a spun forged wheel instead of a CNC machined wheel from a solid billet of aluminum. The quality is night and day difference, but with that significant difference is a very large price tag.

Things have come a long way since the 6GR wheels were first introduced. The 6GR wheel has functional as well as aesthetic problems. Everyone knows about the "chariot" lug nut effect on the R due to the longer stud lengths as well as the extremely minimal caliper clearance. Honestly, the only thing that bothers me about the 6GR wheel is the caliper clearance. The lug issue, IMHO, isn't that big of a deal with the solution that I use. Now back to caliper clearance..... The LMR R replica wheels have about 5.5mm of clearance. That is significant. I thought that in your original wheels of fortune thread you measured and published the caliper clearance, but after reading it again, I don't see it. The LMR R replicas were measured by another member and that number was about 5.5mm of clearance. Compared to the 6GR, that is huge. What are your intended design clearances on the new wheel?

Another concern comparing the two possible directions to go from here is initial cost and potential costs incurred should you curb a wheel and damage it beyond repair. With HR871, I did get the road hazard insurance and I was assured that in the event of a wheel issue, my dealership would work with me to get a replacement wheel if needed. Others have trashed their CF wheels and with the Ford insurance, were able to get replacement wheels. Now, trash a signature wheel and there is no insurance. A very rough guestimation makes me think that to get a replacement wheel, you would be looking at close to a grand by the time it was all said and done (not to mention lead time and if the wheel is still in production). On the other side of the coin, trash a R replica wheel, and you are looking at about $250ish? And then there is the factor that despite the fact that your wheels are about half the cost (give or take) of CF, they are still quite expensive (however very reasonably priced in comparison to other forged wheels). For that reason, you are sill going to worry about messing the signature wheels up, where the R replica wheels I probably wouldn't even give them a second thought.

T, you sell the best quality CNC forged wheels at a very good value. That is undisputed. Anyone who is in the market for a set of quality forged wheels needs to talk to Terrence. He is reputable and I absolutely would have no concerns about the business he is part of or the wheels he sells. For me, it comes down to intended use and cost of the wheel. I track my CF wheels. I would never track my street wheels. The caliper clearance on the LMR wheel is very good. I don't know if I can justify a (admittedly) far superior wheel at a particular price point.

Thanks for taking the time to post this. I have a GT350 and I'm in the market for a set of CNC forged wheels. My car is one of the the Twin Turbo Fathouse cars. I plan on running 1/2 & mile events with the car and don't want any high speed surprises. Terrance has another sale due to this thread. TY

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[Tomster]

Thanks for taking the time to post this. I have a GT350 and I'm in the market for a set of CNC forged wheels. My car is one of the the Twin Turbo Fathouse cars. I plan on running 1/2 & mile events with the car and don't want any high speed surprises. Terrance has another sale due to this thread. TY

Terrence is a great guy and you will be very happy

 

[50 Deep]

T,

I absolutely agree with you that the spun forged wheel is of a lesser quality. I certainly think that the folks at LMR or 6GR didn't design their wheels to be track wheels. I once used 6GR's on the track and in afterthought, I swore I would never use a wheel like this again on the track for the very reasons that you stated above. However, if you never planned to use a spun forged wheel on the track, the risk of a wheel failure is significantly reduced. It really is all about what the wheel was designed for and how it winds up being used. I can't think of anyone who would rather have a spun forged wheel instead of a CNC machined wheel from a solid billet of aluminum. The quality is night and day difference, but with that significant difference is a very large price tag.

Things have come a long way since the 6GR wheels were first introduced. The 6GR wheel has functional as well as aesthetic problems. Everyone knows about the "chariot" lug nut effect on the R due to the longer stud lengths as well as the extremely minimal caliper clearance. Honestly, the only thing that bothers me about the 6GR wheel is the caliper clearance. The lug issue, IMHO, isn't that big of a deal with the solution that I use. Now back to caliper clearance..... The LMR R replica wheels have about 5.5mm of clearance. That is significant. I thought that in your original wheels of fortune thread you measured and published the caliper clearance, but after reading it again, I don't see it. The LMR R replicas were measured by another member and that number was about 5.5mm of clearance. Compared to the 6GR, that is huge. What are your intended design clearances on the new wheel?

Another concern comparing the two possible directions to go from here is initial cost and potential costs incurred should you curb a wheel and damage it beyond repair. With HR871, I did get the road hazard insurance and I was assured that in the event of a wheel issue, my dealership would work with me to get a replacement wheel if needed. Others have trashed their CF wheels and with the Ford insurance, were able to get replacement wheels. Now, trash a signature wheel and there is no insurance. A very rough guestimation makes me think that to get a replacement wheel, you would be looking at close to a grand by the time it was all said and done (not to mention lead time and if the wheel is still in production). On the other side of the coin, trash a R replica wheel, and you are looking at about $250ish? And then there is the factor that despite the fact that your wheels are about half the cost (give or take) of CF, they are still quite expensive (however very reasonably priced in comparison to other forged wheels). For that reason, you are sill going to worry about messing the signature wheels up, where the R replica wheels I probably wouldn't even give them a second thought.

T, you sell the best quality CNC forged wheels at a very good value. That is undisputed. Anyone who is in the market for a set of quality forged wheels needs to talk to Terrence. He is reputable and I absolutely would have no concerns about the business he is part of or the wheels he sells. For me, it comes down to intended use and cost of the wheel. I track my CF wheels. I would never track my street wheels. The caliper clearance on the LMR wheel is very good. I don't know if I can justify a (admittedly) far superior wheel at a particular price point.

Tom I love reading the stuff you post. Its like a good novel.

Here are some pics and measurements taken by Honeybadger on his Track Series SV502 compared to the OEM GT350 wheel. The new Signature Reserved SV902, along with all the other wheels we build, have a unique barrel design that will produce approximately 1/2" of clearance between the caliper and barrel at the maximum. Converted to metric that is approximately 12mm

 

[50 Deep]

Thanks for taking the time to post this. I have a GT350 and I'm in the market for a set of CNC forged wheels. My car is one of the the Twin Turbo Fathouse cars. I plan on running 1/2 & mile events with the car and don't want any high speed surprises. Terrance has another sale due to this thread. TY

More important than selling the wheel, is having you as another enthusiast part of Signature Nation. It is going to be awesome man.

 

[Tomster]

Tom I love reading the stuff you post. Its like a good novel.

Yep, the best of times and the worst of times.

Here are some pics and measurements taken by Honeybadger on his Track Series SV502 compared to the OEM GT350 wheel. The new Signature Reserved SV902, along with all the other wheels we build, have a unique barrel design that will produce approximately 1/2" of clearance between the caliper and barrel at the maximum. Converted to metric that is approximately 12mm

1/2" clearance is excellent. Maybe overkill, but certainly a great attribute.

So what's all this about a signature nation? Just curious.

 

[HR213]

Well,

We have a 7-spoke about to be publicly released in 1-2 weeks. It’s going to be quite attractive. If a 7-spoke with double the caliper clearance than stock, fully forged, a 20-22lb weight range, adequate lug nut thread depth, a 3 year structural warranty that includes track use, and infinite sizing is what you want, then hold onto your money for a little longer.

I have the carbons stashed aside and currently run Signiture's SV502 for street and track with a set of TI lugs. Close to the carbon's weight with increased clearance, punished on the track with zero issues. I'll be getting another set of Signature's 7-Spoke that will be used for street and wet/cold track running MPSS.

The experience received from being part of the Signature family has been outstanding. Terrance goes above and beyond just selling you a set of wheels.

 

[lightrules]

Regarding the SVE R350's, my lug nut solution was basically what @Tomster suggested (though I went with a Gorilla set). The fronts use the standard .8" open lugs "covered" by the 2" Gorilla open lugs. The rears just use the 2" Gorillas. I went with chrome to keep the overall OEM look. And I like that the front and rears are similar in protruding length (the studs are hidden probably around 1/2" or less all-around). Not bad for a $60 solution. Kept my overall costs down.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!!

 

[Tomster]

Thanks everyone for their input. I've re-read my wheel warranty with my wife who is a lawyer. She agrees that in the 5 years the wheel warranty is in effect, I will get a replacement CF wheel should there be a road hazard incident (such as a rock in the caliper or damage to the structure of the CF wheel). Curb rash is the only thing that I am concerned with at that point, but based upon the price delta between a replacement CF and a replacement forged wheel, it is a manageable risk. I think it is a much more probable scenario to incur the rock in the caliper damage than simple curb rash.

 

[UnhandledException]

Tomster,

Those lmr wheels at 26 lbs are very heavy. I have signature wheels (R sizes) which weigh 20.5 and 21.5 lbs which I paid similar to lmr wheels you are linking, I have 10,000 miles on them and have had no issues.

 

[lightrules]

Tomster,

Those lmr wheels at 26 lbs are very heavy. I have signature wheels (R sizes) which weigh 20.5 and 21.5 lbs which I paid similar to lmr wheels you are linking, I have 10,000 miles on them and have had no issues.

I suppose "heavy" is relative, and depending on intended use, can vary.

I paid $2044 for 4 wheels, 4 tires, and 4 TPMS, mounted and balanced, shipped to my door. I just slapped them on. I'd be curious exactly how much, with all needed items to "slap on", how much it cost you? Only asking since you brought up "similar" pricing. This comparison might help those not looking to track and just want some low cost, nice looking, reliable options for their R.

 

[UnhandledException]

I suppose "heavy" is relative, and depending on intended use, can vary.

I paid $2044 for 4 wheels, 4 tires, and 4 TPMS, mounted and balanced, shipped to my door. I just slapped them on. I'd be curious exactly how much, with all needed items to "slap on", how much it cost you? Only asking since you brought up "similar" pricing. This comparison might help those not looking to track and just want some low cost, nice looking, reliable options for their R.

I paid $3800 for the same.

$2000 is a good deal. Lmr site had $999, I assumed that was for 1 wheel which is why I posted what I did. If it is for 4 wheels, I take what I said back.

 

[lightrules]

I paid $3800 for the same. $2000 is a good deal. Lmr site had $999, I assumed that was for 1 wheel which is why I posted what I did. If it is for 4 wheels, I take what I said back.

yeah, it's about $250/wheel or $995 for the set. i know signature wheels are top-grade, so i was thinking there is no way they are "similar" in price.

 

[Tomster]

Tomster,

Those lmr wheels at 26 lbs are very heavy. I have signature wheels (R sizes) which weigh 20.5 and 21.5 lbs which I paid similar to lmr wheels you are linking, I have 10,000 miles on them and have had no issues.

Matt,
I bought a 5 year policy on CF wheels that my wife and lawyer have determined to be a very minimal risk. Why would I go out and spend many many many and a half thousand dollars for an inferior (to CF) street wheel when I can enjoy a (bonafide) CF wheel with minimal risk?

There is no reason to shell out that kind of money unless there is good reason. At the end of my 5 year policy, I will reevaluate. Until then, humpty dumpty is staying on this side of the wall.

My discussion in this thread is complete. Thank you all for your input.

 

[lightrules]

for those interested, did a video of my R350 wheels and lug nut solution. thanks again to the OP @Tomster for the advice/tip.

 

[50 Deep]

Here is the 7-Spoke wheel I mentioned....

The Signature Reserved SV902 is here in all its glory. Our first 7-Spoke wheel ever made, and engineered to be the best 7-spoke wheel ever made. Understand, this was not designed to be a replica GT350R wheel, and that is why it will solve all the issues other replica wheels on the market have. Increased caliper clearance to eliminate issues with scratches, lightweight fully forged construction, and the strength/stiffness to survive track use. The latest I-Beam CNC cutting is now available to you in any color, offset, diameter, and width. I have seen all the issues with other replica wheels, and this has none of them. Come enjoy the fruits of our labor.

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