Best wheels for under $400 each
 

Whats the best 17 or 18" wheels for under $400 a piece. Preferebly 17's and 3 piece but I'm open for anything. All the wheels I like are over $500 each and I don't have that much. I need to get wheels very soon so just post whatever wheel you like.

How 'bout these, I'm thinking of selling them for a good price because I have some other rims coming. they are 18x8.5f 18x10r, just got them custom machined and powdercoated--not even mounted yet.

VOLK Gram Light GL57C 17" are 350 ea. Do a search in suspension to find pics.

I doubt if you'll find any 3-piece for that cheap...but like RotaryKnight said, the Volk Gram Lights are pretty cheap.

www.wholehyper.com has them for less than $300 for 17x9.5" and they only weigh about 17lbs.

Thats a good deal for volks but I already have a five star wheel on my car and looking for something different. My fault for not stating that but thanks alot for trying to help.

SSR Competitions come to mind. Very light, reasonably priced, and 6 spokes.

CCW might have their forged/spun 17" 3-piece mesh wheels just within your pricing limit. Go to http://www.ccwheel.com/ -- give John a call and talk to him about your needs. If you call, please tell him I referred you so I get brownie points. ;)

-Max

SSR Comps, Integral A2s, CCWs, Volk SE37Ks
 

Tire Rack's running a special on their SSR Integral A2s (yes they're the classic 5-spoke style). The 9 x 17, 45 mm offset will fit all the around, IF you mount 245/40-17 tires on the wheels. 255/40-17s might rub at the left-front corner if your car is lowered.

The 9 x 17 SSR Integral A2 finished in clear-coated silver is $289 each. These are strong, lightweight semi-solid forged wheels. I've been quoted between 17 and 19 lbs each depending on who you talk to at the Tire Rack. I have these wheels in 8 x 16, 38 mm offset, and they weigh 35 lbs with a 225/50-16 Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetric tire mounted.

I have the SSR Competition wheels in 8.5 and 9.5 x 17s. These are even lighter in weight. I've weighed the wheels by difference using an analog bathroom scale--the 8.5 x 17s are ~15 lbs each, and the 9.5 x 17s are ~16 lbs each. With 245/45-17 and 275/40-17 Hoosier R3S03s on their respective rim widths, the combo weighs between 37 and 38 lbs.

Tire Rack's price for the 8.5 x 17 is $389, and the 9.5 x 17 is $409, so for the staggered setup, the average cost per wheel is $399.

The SSR Comps come with billet aluminum centercaps (hideous things that remind me of truck wheel centercaps), if you plan to use the Comps for street duty.

IMHO, I don't recommend you use the SSR Comps for the street, as they're really meant for track-racing only. As light and strong as these wheels are, I'm afraid of bending them (and losing those wonderfully hideous centercaps), if I inadvertently run over a chuck hole.

If your heart is set on 3-piece 18s, then Max Cooper's suggestion of going with CCWs would be good. I've priced the mesh wheels out with John Purner in 10 x 18, and they'll run $450 each in street package (stainless steel hardware, billet hub-centric centercap--which is much better-looking than the SSR Comp's truck wheel center-cap!). You might get them under $450 each if you want a staggered setup like 9 fr, 10 rr x 18. IMHO, the CCW's aesthetics are just not competitive with Fikse, Kinesis, HRE, or Forgeline (for that matter)--BUT these other wheels are all over $500 each, as you say.

Now if you can spring for the extra dough, the Volk SE37Ks look fantastic, as well as being strong and lightweight. Max has these as his street wheels in a cool black finish (check out his webpage) sized in 8.5 and 9.5 x 17s. I personally would go with the Bronze or the gunmetal silver!

Still, you really should check out the SSR Integral 5-spoke 9 x 17s. $289 each is just killer for a lightweight strong forged wheel. I'm actually considering them myself, as I'll need to get 17-inch wheels all around, if I upgrade my brakes to M2's 4-wheel racing brake package (too bad there's no e-brake, though!).

Happy hunting!

I do like the CCW wheel but I just wish the spokes were longer, seems like most of the wheel is flat. The SSR's are good but not what I'm looking for.
Thanks for all the replies.
*still looking*

I think CCW has two (or more) "centers" they can use to make the wheels. See if they can make you a set within your pricing limit with the larger centers, which will mean more spoke area.

-Max

Thanks Max, I email John and will see what he has to offer.