They are too weak..

I went to the track a couple weeks ago on stock wheels wrapped in 245 Victoracers. I was running some very hot laps, reaching the limitations of the stock brakes.

Due to the forces that Dot-R allowed me to put on my wheels, I fractured a spoke almost all the way around. I'm really lucky the entire wheel didn't collapse in on itself.. I didn't even notice the fracture until someone pointed it out. But when I hit it with my palm, it visibly grew and met on the backside so that the spoke was completely severed in two...

I heard (second hand) a track organizer at Texas World Speedway said the stock FD rims are notorious for breaking when you put more tire on them.. Which was very true in my case..

 

Do you know if these are reinforced or not? I've not heard of anyone having trouble with the reinforced wheels at the track....

 

Actually I don't know. I'm new to the FD so haven't heard of that. Is that a factory thing or something you do after the fact?

 

The later wheels are a little heavier with beefier spokes. These are the reinforced ones, they come like that from the factory. I think the change came in 94.

 

Lot's of folks use stock rims as track wheels with stickier tires than Victo's. You probably have a bad set.

 

ive seen both broken, on street cars too

 

The change wasn't tied to any model year. Mazda produced both types for an undetermined period of time.

Run a search for "reinforced wheel" and you should find pictures. You might find it in the 3rd gen FAQ too.

Dave

 

Or maybe I drive harder. :P j/k

Well they are stock 95 rims from the car. Who would want to drive on rims where there is a chance of a "bad set"?

I don't have the wheels anyore (sold for the tires) or I'd check to see if they were the reinforced type. Either way, the fracture was scary looking.

I'll never track stock FD rims again.

 

The guy I bought my car from had this happen to him
but it cracked all around the center.
They are fine for daily driving, just not track or auto cross.

 

+1. Plenty of people use them for the track (me included), you just have to either luck into, or find a set of used reinforced ones.

 

someone had apparently ran into my car while it was parked. it had a dent in the side which wasnt real real bad but noticeable. later i kept hearing a strange noise when i would get on and off the gas with the windows up. My rear drivers side wheel spoke was cracked. i dont think whoever ran into me hit it very hard but it definitely cracked it.

 

I have a set that are waiting to get some 245 v700s. I at least have the reinforced ones, but I have heard of both reinforced and non-reinforced cracking. I guess I just like to live dangerously.

 

lol, you and me both. It's tough to find a cheap set of sub-20lb 16x8s that look halfway decent, though, huh?

 

Just inspect them thoroughly and regularly and you'll be fine.

 

they wont fit a BBK anyway. So they are somewhat track limited there.. I was running 245 v700s and could stop way faster than the brakes could manage the heat.

 

IIRC M2 had a 13" BBK that fit under stock wheels, so it can be done.

 

Those and the Mandeville modified stock calipers fit under the stock wheels. However, neither are as readily available (if at all) as ones which require larger wheels.

 

Well, we ARE talking about 13 year old (at the minimum) wheels. I think you can expect a certain amount of fatigue that might conspire with a small defect to crack the occasional set.

They're also 15 lb. wheels. I suspect that out of 10,000+ sets of most any 15 lb aftermarket wheel, you'll hear of a few cracking. I've certainly heard of SSR Comps doing so.