Picked up a set of Apache II wheels for my FB last week and I'm not entirely sure what I think of them. I have GSL-SE axle swap on my car and my choices were somewhat limited in what wheels would fit. These things had the right fit and I thought the were era correct in appearance. Let me know what you guys think.

 

I think the unusual thing is that they are chromed. Not sure I've seen that style in chrome
before. I think I've seen them with AL rims and painted spokes (usuall red or green). Could be
different wheels. Those are not my style but they look clean and shiney!

 

Yeah they are actually just polished aluminum but I agree that they are just too flashy for a car that doesn't have any chrome trim.......BUMMER!!

 

Throw down 5 layers of plastidip and then PAINT whatever color you want on there. If you don't like it, peel off the plastidip.

Once you find what you like, antracite/darker silver/gunmetal is what I'd run on a brown car, then rip that **** off and get them powdercoated.

 

I like! But they are bright! Might look better with the centres painted maybe charcoal, black or even colour coded to the car? Got anymore pics from more angles? Its good eye candy.

 

Was trying to match the original style of the GS wheels but in a 15x7 wheels that has the gsl-se bolt pattern

 

Your car looks super clean. Is that the original paint?

 

Yes it is.

 

If you painted the centers gun-metal but masked the polished part - could look a bit more faithful to the original? Either way, they look great. Very nice car too.

 

Definitely not a bad looking wheel, somewhat similar looking to the SSR MK2. I agree with what other posters have said though, the chrome is a bit gaudy in my opinion. They'd look a bit better with a more negative offset, but that's obviously not something you can change.

 

Personally I don't like when the wheels sit out past the fender

 

Agree, when wheels stick out past the fenders it looks stupid, and is often impractical. Hence the difficulty of having a negative deep dish wheel on stock fenders.

 

+38 is about as tight in as you can get them on a 7" rim and you still need about a 4mm spacer up front.

 

I have a 7" inch wide custom 3 piece wheel on the front and it clears perfectly with 205s with room to spare, no spacers needed, no guard modifications...



I believe the offset is +38 but I got the wheels about 13 years ago now so I can't remember.

Rear are 17x8" with 235/40/17 - also some room to spare with no guard modifications.

 

I had less than 1mm between the tire and the spring perch with my 15x7 +38 gsl-se

 

Hmmm, I have decent clearance and this is with standard spring perch and coils. When I install my coilovers, I should have even more room. 215s shouldn't be a problem.

Running 5.5 degrees positive caster and 1 deg negative camber. This would provide slightly better guard clearance, but shouldn't affect coil clearance.

Perhaps I have a different offset. In any event 17x7 with 205/40/17 with custom 3 piece wheels has plenty of room at the front.

Unless something is bent on your struts/hubs?

 

I got LESS clearance when i went coil overs. I think because the skinny part of the stock spring sits above the tyre. Had to put a 15mm spacer on what used to fit. Some neg camber so they are still inside the guard.

My wheels are +23 7.5" with 205/15 now 225.

 

You fit 225! Without flares right? If so, good to know they fit. Dry steering must be fun!

Interesting on the coilover fitment. When I fit my coilovers, I'm also going to FC uprights and hubs which will increase the track slightly, so if there any problems like you describe it should therefore even out without spacers. I know someone else has the same wheels and same ACBron coilovers with series 5 steering and suspension and the only clearance issue was bigger FC calipers.

 

225/45 a touch lower diametre than 205/50
Dry low speed steering is tough. Running a lot of castor too. I reckon i'm pretty strong in the arm but yeah its bordering on being a hinderence in low speed countersteer situations (not that i would know about that, lol).
No flares, no roll. Got no pics atm but there's a pic in the 1st gen owners thread on ausrotary when i installed my efr8374 with the 225's on.

 

This one:



That fitment looks perfect. My steer is rough enough with 5.5 deg of caster, but with the electric power steer I plan to crank it up.

 

Yeah, i think its perfect fitment, although it is very tight. It was a probably a better fit before the coilovers and spacers too. Its deceiving in that pic but there is 2.5 degree of neg camber there to facilitate the spacers.
T2 suspension aside, it might depend on the type of coilover perhaps - mine are 2.5 x8" springs. Its the extra length on the springs that kill clearance.