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I'm still getting over the fact that you said 70-77 was blazing hot!! That's winter time here in Texas lol... Nice car man! Cant wait to see what the wheels look like on the car.
thanks curry! haha im assuming you wouldnt like our winters then
im really hyped for the day i get to put them on too! im going to have to work the bugs out of the engine and get her through a safety test before i put them on though..
Originally Posted by blame
Holy crap, I've been gone for a million years and you're still working on those damn steel wheels?? Lol
How's it going, buddy?
-sean
i did wonder where you'd gone off to, and i secretly was hoping you hadnt left us for a subie forum or something to that effect
yup, wheels are taking forever and to be honest i have not exactly been the flash myself. the weather is rapidly worsening and theres a hell of a lot on at school plus the little one being sick for 3 weeks hasnt helped. i found out that chickenpox will make the cutest kid look like a heroin junkie in 2 days flat hehe. on a positive note i only have half a year left till i finish my course and can get out there and start making some benjamins! (i suppose theyre called gustavs or something here hehe)
i have gotten to the stage with the seven where im just having to methodically go through the troubleshooting page in 'das manual'. im just going by the symptoms i can find. backfiring, crappy idle, hesitating under acceleration ect. i imagine im going through some sort of murphys law thing like when your looking for your keys and theyre always in the last, most obvious place you look.
im focusing on the backfiring because i have taken the car off the road and i can get quite a heavy ticket if the police stop me (again). tomorrow if its not raining ill pop out and have a crack at the BAC
i sincerely hope so. i am facing another winter without getting anything done on the seven apart from trying to get together some bits and bobs for when i can work on her again. geuss the next step will be seeing how these babies balance up. i have to change to winter tyres very soon so ill get my mate to check em on the balance machine at the same time.
little update on the wheels. i got access to a balancing machine this week. the rears had between 15-20 grams of imbalance on each side which isnt bad at all. the fronts however had 15 grams on the insides and a whopping 50 grams on the outsides. still not unfixeable though.
im not sure how to go about it. not sure if i should fix the imbalance (at least on the outsides of the front wheels) before mounting tyres or just wait until they are mounted and go from there. imbalance in the tyre could counteract the imbalance in the wheel and save me having to add so much weight.
speaking of weight, the fronts weighed in at 12.9kg and the fronts at 13.1kg. i actually thought the difference in weight would be larger. it was nice to finally know how they balance up at least. i geuss the only worries i have left are mounting the tyres and whether or not ill be able to get them to tuck into the wheel wells.
the winter has been unbelievably mild so far, the lowest we have had is minus seven and we havent even had any snow yet. still too cold for me though
geuss the only thing that will be happening this winter will be trying to get some bits and bobs together like tyres and new seals for the tail lights which are not cheap. not cheap at all..
and ill have to put these wheels down in the cellar. looking at them everyday is nothing short of torture.
so with that, ill take the opportunity to wish all of you that have had the patience to read my little thread a very merry christmas and a happy new year!
Probably won't be hitting the Salt Flats with 'em, but those wheels should be fine for the speed your car is capable of now.
We've had several snowfalls but temps haven't fallen much below the low teens and if the sun is out, even 30 feels OK. Unfortunately, I only get about 3 hours of direct sun and after it passes over the garage, it can get a bit nippy. That's a shame because I'm over at Sigfrid's for the next two weeks and want to get some interior installed but cold, old plastic and dim, chilly garages are a less than ideal mix.
At least it looks like we'll have a white Christmas.
Happy holidays to you as well.
The wheels look awesome man, I can't wait to see them on the car. They will be a tight squeeze by the looks of it, but nothing a baseball bat and a heat gun can't handle.
No, I didn't abandon you guys for a Subaru forum.. I kind of abandoned forums altogether. I'm too old for this internet socializing crap now ha ha. If I did go to another forum, it would likely not be a Subie one. My beloved black WRX met an untimely end last winter when a big pickup truck coming the opposite direction decided to turn right in front of me across my lane
She was written off by insurance, other driver 100% at fault. I bought the corpse back for $1000 (a steal of a deal since I had recently put more than that worth of sway bars and brakes). She is currently sleeping soundly in my back yard under a blanket of snow. Maybe future rally car?
It was the middle of winter, so I had to immediately acquire another Subaru.
Meet "The Goon". Got her for dirt cheap. She's old and ugly and slow but she starts every time and loves taking a beating. She'll be kept as a winter beater for a long time I think.
My current daily driver is something I picked up on a whim this summer because it was listed for an unbelievable price in my local online classifieds.
2000 B5 Audi S4, 2.7L twin turbo V6. This thing is fancy as ****. I feel like i should be wearing a business suit while driving it. It's pretty darn quick too.
I also no longer have that sweet shop space that I had previously. Both me and the friend I was sharing the rent with have bought houses with garages in the past year ( there were originally 3 of us sharing the rent, and it got really freakin expensive when the other guy dropped out).
The Rx7 made the pilgrimage to the new home, so now instead of sitting in the big shop collecting dust it sits in my garage collecting dust.. *sad laugh*
I am a victim of too many projects. I am already planning a turbo upgrade as well as supporting fueling for the Audi in the spring. I'll probably be silly and throw a set of coilovers and a rear sway bar on it too. I also have to finish up a half-baked project on my motorcycle before it comes out to play for summer...
The big honkin turbo I got like 2 years ago for the Rx7 is a very expensive centerpiece on my coffee table
So don't you feel bad about your slow progress, you are at least making some. Remember there are those of us out there that are more scatterbrained and ADD than you are
pity about the subie man it was really mint. same thing happened to me many moons ago but i was on my aprilia rs125. that flippin HURT i can tell ya. i am fully jealous of the fact that you have a house with a garage. that is basicly my dream! i am also sure im not the only one =)
p.s. being scatterbrained and ADD is a good thing =P
i sold the skyline chassis to a mate recently (of course he got mates rates) and he is most likely going to buy the engine and gearbox so i got a little bit of money trickling in. to be honest i dont have anything i need to buy for the seven apart from tyres.
i have had a rather long absence from the forum. it hasnt exactly been yachts, champagne and russian models either. my disappearance has mostly consisted of being a pauper and keeping my head down in school. at least i have pretty good grades so far. i have approx 2 months left of school then two months of work experience then i should be a qualified electrician and i can start working again. i cannot express how much i have missed getting a normal wage. my poor seven has just been sitting there awaiting "the big thaw". it went down to -18 for a while but its been mild the last week or so, which meant i could open the doors to the seven and get my tools out. it also means that i can charge the battery. i should have learnt my lesson by now.
i actually feel really bad i havent started her for what seems like an age. next winter i will at least hire a little indoor garage in the styx somewhere so that she doesnt have to freeze her apex seals off. (or doors)
my first plan this year is to pop over to my mate freddy (who has an almost completely original fc3s) and compare engine bays to see if there i anything amiss and also i will be trying his ecu to so that i can eliminate that from my list of maybe's. i will most likely be forced to pop the airpump on again im sure i have said it before. i havent a clue why my emissions are so high so i might as well start there. for now its just playing the waiting game and waiting for the weather to sort its bloody life out.
yesterday was a really good day for me. this was due to it being the last day of school, which means that on monday i will be returning to the workforce after 1 and a half years, but this time as an electrician!
i also received a nice bit of the money for the skyline.
i have given it alot of thought and ordered 4 spanky Nankang ULTRA SPORT NS-2 255/40 R17's.
however..
i have had a niggling feeling in the back of my head and whilst i lay in bed i started googling problems with mounting tyres on steelies. earlier in the thread it was mentioned that i may have problems mounting them and i had done a bit of googling about it and not found any proper information on the matter. i believe that my search had been lacking the correct wording because i think i get what matey was trying to tell me.
because of where i added the extra barrel, the drop center is now considerably further away from the edge of the rim than what it was before we started chopping it up. a quick look on google pictures on literally ANY rim, banded or original.... confirmed my fears. they were further confirmed when i saw that all the banded steels i saw are banded IN the drop center and not anywhere else.
ladies and gentlemen, i am beginning to think that i have made a simple but irreversible mistake in my calculations and my wheels might not even be worth the money i would get for scrapping themfor the steel theyre made out of.
so now i cant sleep.
nevertheless, tomorrow morning a disgruntled warehouse worker in germany will be picking and packing my tyres and they should be here by next week. i geuss ill try to mount them but im actually expecting the worst.
in the worst case im going to have to spoil poor old robbans day and tell him that we are going to have to start from scratch because by gum, i am going to have some steelies on my car if it takes me another 5 years..
The German warehouse worker is not "disgruntled", efficiency requires concentration and seriousness.
Given his previous experience and your new design, Robban could probably blaze through the new wheels in four, maybe three and a half, years.
You Nordic types are so despairing.
I mean, I get it- a diet of cod and snow and wildly variable sun cycles would put anyone off their game but you've had time to adjust and abject pessimism is the best coping solution you can think of?
If the wheels cannot be fitted with rubber, perhaps you could adapt them to tank tread.
The German warehouse worker is not "disgruntled", efficiency requires concentration and seriousness.
Given his previous experience and your new design, Robban could probably blaze through the new wheels in four, maybe three and a half, years.
You Nordic types are so despairing.
I mean, I get it- a diet of cod and snow and wildly variable sun cycles would put anyone off their game but you've had time to adjust and abject pessimism is the best coping solution you can think of?
If the wheels cannot be fitted with rubber, perhaps you could adapt them to tank tread.
looks like you've had dealings with "ze germans" before... and even though stereotypes usually cant be used to describe an entire population, they ARE rather bloody efficient and if the tales i have heard from my brother that lives in berlin are anything to go by, almost perversely fond of paperwork and beurocracy. the fact that common street food there (currywurst) is sausages with chips (not crisps, fries) completely smothered in ketchup gets them off the hook though. it really is a simple but delicious combo!
i was definately laden down with an overwhelming sense of despair this morning but the tank tracks bit had me chuckling to myself so thanks for cheering me up clokks
i called robban and he didnt seem too worried about the tyres, i just hope im proved wrong. he gave me a very nice price for the work and materials involved in the job on the premise that i throw in a packet of crisps (chips ) and some sweeties. he is a lovely chap is our robban
also, i am a plonker.
amidst my exaltation at finally being able to buy tyres for the wheels, i had forgotten that they had different widths. they hadnt sent them yet so i cancelled and reordered. the difference in widths/price/pattern made it difficult for me to decide what to get but i settled on some federal 595 RS-R 255/40/17 and some 595 evo 195/40/17 from the same manufacturer. a little bit of a difference in tread pattern but its only the rears that will be seeable so it shouldnt matter that much.
of course if the tyres dont go on the wheels none of this will matter. time will tell...
While the drop center on the wheels is not ideal, I would not see it as a problem with mounting, but dismounting, as "breaking the bead" requires the tire to go into the drop center to get an iron in there to force it back up over the outside lip. We use to mount super wide rims upside down on the machine.
Did you figure out your low power/ backfiring issue? Clogged cats can do both and give bad emissions at the same time.
While the drop center on the wheels is not ideal, I would not see it as a problem with mounting, but dismounting, as "breaking the bead" requires the tire to go into the drop center to get an iron in there to force it back up over the outside lip. We use to mount super wide rims upside down on the machine.
Did you figure out your low power/ backfiring issue? Clogged cats can do both and give bad emissions at the same time.
i really really hope you are right ninetyone. i used to work at a tyre shop but that was 15 years ago and it was always with bog standard wheels and tyres so i never really had problems with fitting them. what you say sounds logical the more i think about it and i have had several others that i have asked say that should definately have a go at it. if the only problem is getting them off ill be more than happy to remove them with an angle grinder!
i havent made any attempts at troubleshooting since last autumn. i dont have a cat on my exhaust its a full RB system but there could still be some kind of blockage in the baffling somewhere. i have a little instagram clip of how it ran when i started it this year here.
lars, being the absolute diamond that he is, said that we could go up to his garage one weekend in the near future and go through the car systematically. freddy offered to come along too so i would have two top boy mechanics on my team to try and solve "the mystery of the soggy dorito" it really is nice of them to help me with my sucky problem, i have reached a new level of desperation going into the fourth summer with an rx7 that doesnt run right. fingers crossed that it 'happens' this year!
so, the tyres are here. im geussing that the stretch wont be as much as i had originally thouht but after doing a bit of research, this is probably a good thing with regards to driveability. lets hope i can get the buggers on!
i just got back from mikey's garage and unfortunately we didnt manage to mount the tyres. my fears about the drop centre were confirmed. with alot of grease slathered on to the tyre and wheel, we managed to get one side of a tyre on to the rear wheel and we almost managed to completely fit a tyre on to the front but levers and manpower just werent enough. we were four lads having a right old go at it and even that didnt cut the mustard. at least we didnt cut the tyre on the edge of the wheel
im going to try to get down to a tyre shop that has a more modern machine with extra hydraulic arms and see if i can get away with it. all hope is not lost, but its most certainly beginning to fade. i may have to consider starting from scratch. as i mentioned earlier in the thread, the gtr wheels have grown on me a great deal so driving around with them wouldnt seem so bad to be completely honest.
but im not being completely honest am i?
i REALLY want to get these wheels on my seven.
im going to lock myself in the bathroom and have a little cry now..
I'll bet those boys at the shipyard could get the rubber on, they haz the big tools.
You ever see the tires on an ocean liner?
I think they use explosives to mount 'em.
I'll bet those boys at the shipyard could get the rubber on, they haz the big tools.
You ever see the tires on an ocean liner?
I think they use explosives to mount 'em.
they had alot of good stuff there but unfortunately the whole boatyard thing sort of petered out. i geuss the main problem was that they were quite understaffed then and didnt really have time to take care of an intern. even when i was there i sat in the office and repaired extension cords. now i have started at a smaller firm with four service electricians and im learning loads which is great but i lose all the perks that the boatyard had. im sure it will all work out in the end
the last couple of days have been spent trying to find a tyre place that would be able to help me/ come up with a backup plan in case the steelies just arent to be. i got a hold of a place quite close to me that hopefully will be able to help today and i shall be popping down there tomorrow with desperation in my eyes and a wad of money in my fist tomorrow after work.
otherwise i have been having a look at other options and have 3 ideas that im playing with.
1. i had a little look at rota's website. theyre cheap and cheerful and i very much liked the look of these RKR's they have. theyre basicly watanabe-wannabe's.
they look scheize-hot on ae86's and surprisingly enough, miatas but im not too sure about how they look on a fc. plus they only come in 8.5" and my skyline gtr wheels are 8" AND forged plus im ok with the look of them so it makes me unsure about spending the money for an extra half an inch. insert ***** joke here
2. i am toying with the idea of paying a respectable firm to widen the gtr wheels and add a dish if possible. only probelm with that is i dont know how much it would cost, whether its possible or if it would even look good.
3. the last option i was thinking of was just to find a firm that makes widened wheels and just pay to get them done.
whatever happens, i have a bit of money in the pot and i want wide wheels with deep dishes and i dont think i will be satisfied until then. having a car that runs properly wouldnt ruin my mood either.
i geuss ill have to just wait until tomorrow and see what happens
I'm beginning to think this is your karma for ignoring my recommendation of a few years back.
Which I'll repeat for clarity and in the spirit of second chances...
Black steelies with brushed aluminum mini-Moon dogdishes.
*drops mic*
If it helps lend gravitas, imagine:
"Black steelies with brushed aluminum mini-Moon dogdishes" as spoken by Morgan Freeman and maybe picture a burning bush or something Raiders of the Lost Ark-ish in your head.
See, it's not just some old troll sitting in his Mom's basement who wants these wheels for you...it's the will of the universe, man. Seriously young padawan, feel the Force...it's speaking directly to you and it's saying, "Black steelies with brushed aluminum mini-Moon dogdishes".
You try to subvert the natural order of things by trying to skate through on some Rotas and there's no telling what could happen.
Dogs and cats living together...it's madness!
Try to grind down those weldings from inside the wheel, seems like it is pretty high still, and will cause problems.
Then insulate the weld with SIKAflex or similar. you don`t have so much strech coming on those tyres so it shouldn`t be much of an hassle to get them on.
When you`ve mounted the tyres to wheels, you just blow them up on place with brakecleaner. Just remember to give air from airvalve when doing it.
That`s how we`ve done it many times.
Here`s a picture of my ex`s silvia, with 9,5 steelies, 205 tyre. Those popped right on, and stayed on for 2 years without any problems.
Really keen to see those wheels under your seven.
Good luck.
Black steelies with brushed aluminum mini-Moon dogdishes.
*drops mic*
mate.. you had me cracking up here
jedi mind tricks only work on the weak minded though mind you..
*drops laser blaster, mumbles "black steelies with brushed aluminium dogdishes" to self and walks out of the room*
Originally Posted by macce76
Really keen to see those wheels under your seven.
Good luck.
me too man!
those steelies are absolutely gorgeous i may have to take your advice on grinding down the welds but i think the main problem is still the location of the drop center.
i did go to the tyre shop after work on friday. as soon as i mentioned steelies i saw the fellas eyes darken so i explained to him quickly that i was well aware that it was friday afternoon and i would be very happy to return another day when it was more convenient at which point he relaxed. unfortunately he deemed the job impossible. apparrently he and his colleauge (who came out later and corroborated his story) had mounted tyres on some steelies that were going to sit on a beemer the previous week. the drop center on them was approximately one inch closer to the edge than they were on mine and he said that they had 3 guys hanging on levers to get the tyres on. he also said that they took 1 hour to mount...EACH. basicly they were unwilling to even try so i had no other choice than to wish them a pleasant weekend and bugger off home.
the gentlemans face above describes accurately how i feel right now. the chap i spoke to debunked my theory that the hydraulic arms on the more modern machines would be stronger than using levers and more men so i suppose i could try to go back to mikey and have another go with a couple strong lads to help out and more strategic lever placement. or i could see if another tyre shop are willing to give it a go.
i found a place called felga.se here in sweden that apparently widen steelies and even alloy wheels. im considering giving them a call next week to see if they can help me. i consider myself to be a patient man but im not patient enough to wait a possible two more years to rectify this. it would be really really reeaally nicee if they could also use my existing wheels to do this but im sure that after taking one look at my welding they will ask for a new/used set to start with.
i really want to be able to put up a pic of the tyres mounted on my steelies.
but today is not that day...
i really want to put up a video of my seven purring like a cat.
but today..is not that day...
at least i get to watch the first episode of game of thrones season 6 tomorrow
I'm beginning to think that centuries of your whale fat & pemmican diet have dimmed the once mighty Swedish spirit...would Tywin Lannister have let such trivialities stand in his way? Absolutely ******* no way, Casterly Rock would be ringed with heads on spikes till he found a competent tire wrangler.
However, should force of will prove inadequate (and already having executed every Big O employee in Westeros) and still facing unmounted rubber, you know damn well a true lord and leader would think outside the box and find an unexpected path to success.
The following idea comes from one such visionary, my close friend Donald Trump:
"Exchange your 17" tires (or make Mexico buy them...) for 18's, which should drop right on your rims. Use JBWeld (or whatever your socialist equivalent is) to fill the gap at the bead.
Fixed."
That is the kind of thinking that will make America great again...I suggest you emulate it.
You have to pack your wheels and tyres to car, take a ferry to Turku, finland and give me a call. Let`s put those on, even if it takes some time but those will be mounted.
Can`t give up now.
Kiitos macce76! Very nice of you offer but what with the missus working nights every night for the next 6 weeks and me working days, i wouldnt even make it halfway to the nynäshamn ferry before i would have to turn around to pick up the little one. Im actually saving the one babysitting im going to get from my neighbours for when i can get down to lars's garage for a bit of help with troubleshooting the engine.
Game of thrones is a most suitable analogy for this thread, considering that it is also a long drawn out saga filled with tragedy, intrigue and brutal deaths. First my 13b and now my wheels.
I would consider myself as this thread's lord 'littlefinger' baelish. This project has most certainly made me into a man who wouldnt have a problem with a little whoremongering to acheive my goals. I know that its a bold statement comparing myself to lord baelish, the man who would literally sell his own mother, but can lord baelish say that he sold his skyline? Exactly..
I went to robban last sunday with the money he has been so patient with and the bad news. It sucked to have to tell him couldnt get the tyres on just because of my blunder with the drop center but we agreed that i would speak to felga and if for some reason i dont get the wheels sorted by them we would try to find a solution.
I spoke to felga.se on monday and they said that they do have a steel banding service and i sent them a mail explaining the situation with pictures and they replied yesterday saying that they could help. I asked them for a quote if possible so now im waiting for their reply. Time to start counting me coppers
11-10-15, 11:42 AM
