Flareside

It's been brought to my attention (by our local tire/wheel guru, MNJack :)) that my stock wheels may not be up to the task when I install the Merlin 540. I really don't want to modify the exterior appearance of the car (with the possible exception of an L88 hood.) Has anyone ever busted one?

bence13_33

Joe:
I don't have an answer to your question, but I don't think it is the horsepower that you need to worry about....the torque is what will kill them more than anything. Why do you not think the rims will hold up? I would think you would snap the spindles before you broke a rim.

Do you plan on running slicks? I can't really see why the Rally rims wouldn't hold up with plan old street tires.

Jvette73

My bet is the steel wheels will handle the load just fine. Might wanna upgrade the rear studs and lugnuts to 1/2".

Tominator

Bet you won't get 50,000 miles out of a set :lol:

MIKER

I do not have any personal experience with this issue but I know some guys that literally stretched out the stud holes in a set of stock steel Buick rims on a ’65 Buick Wildcat. This car was purpose built as a “sleeper” street racer. They had cut out the stock wheel centers and welded them into a set of 10 inch wide rims and ran slicks.
This Buick was equipped with a 455 and would run low 11’s in the ¼ mile.

Based on this, I would say that there is validity in what MNJack is saying. My guess is that your street tires will give up way before the steel rims. If you were to run 10" wide rims with slicks, it's anyones guess as to which drive line part will fail first due to the traction.

robert kirk

more than any tire you can mount on it including a slick.

Gordonm

Joe I don't think the wheels are going to be the weak link. I'll bet there are some other driveline components that will give up before the wheels.

Flareside

Thanks everyone. Slicks aren't part of my equation. I'm running 245/60-15 street radials. Maybe some 255 drag radials at the most. -Joe

ZD75blue

have any of you guys ever thought about, how the rear rotor is what you bolt the wheel to, it is connected with rivets to the case for the wheel bearing, someone explain to me why we dont spin the rotor/wheel right off, with the lugs and everything attached?

Thanks

ZD

VetteBoy1979

They are right, shearing the lugs will be the biggest problem. As for the wheels themselves...they arent any softy aluminum ones, so they should be able to withstand anything close to a nuclear blast. :lol:

fireball

I think he was referring to the traction available from our standard non-performance 15" BFG Radial T/A's. To take full advantage of that extra power, you'll need some stickier rubber!

Flareside

Well, it looks like my wheels can stay! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'll buy that bigger wheels and low profile tires will help cornering traction, but straight line shouldn't change one bit. If anything, the taller sidewall tires will help put big torque to the ground. Check out the sidewalls on a dragster!

-Joe

Flareside

Hey Gordon, did you install your new rear gears yourself? I'd like to put a 3.08 in my car, but I'm not sure it's something I can do in my garage. What do you think? Any special tools required?


[Modified by Flareside, 11:01 AM 12/28/2001]

Gordonm

I had a 3.70 whole pumpkin. I just installed new bearings and checked the pattern and the backlash. So far no problems. I have installed a new set of gears in another car it is just a job that requires a lot of patients. You have to make sure the pinion depth is correct and the backlash is correct. It can be done.

Flareside

Thanks Gordon. Any special tools required? (I'm too lazy to RTFM :))

Gordonm

The only so called special tool I have is a dial indicator with a magnetic base. A set of calipers to measure the spacers. I guess the pros use a pinion depth gauge but I think you can get away without this. Just make sure the pattern is correct.

Flareside

Thanks again Gordon. I already have a dial indicator, base, and caliper.

Jvette73

ZD75blue, it is possible to loose the entire wheel and rotor assembly with the lugs still attached. For this to happen you would have to shear the spindle shaft in two. Next to impossible though. Even if you shear the spindle the caliper is still there to hold the wheel and spindle into the mount. Like others have mentioned, something else will break first. Like a driveshaft U-joint or a side yoke. Or even the rear diff. On a solid axel car I twisted the output shaft on the tranny in two and blew the rear at the same time. 5k neutral drops will do it every time. I was young and dumb then. With a drum brake car that uses C-clip axel retainers,if you break the rear the whole assembly can come out. Wheel,drum,axle. I did this on a chevy truck one time in the past. At our local track, if your car uses C-clip retainers, 12.00 et is the limit. If you run faster than that, C-clip eliminator kit is required to pass tech.

PRNDL

exactly! :D

I wasnt suggesting they might break! I just think it is an upgrade you will want to make to enjoy your new engine. If your tires go up in smoke with a 400 hp engine, what is the point of a 500 hp engine with the same tires? Then, what do you gain with 600 hp? (As I have learned from several posts on this topic - ) the supply of performance tires in 15" sizes is very limited and shrinking. (manufacturers are discontinuing rather than adding 15" sizes). I wasn't suggesting your lugs would get sheared off, although that is an interesting concept! :) Looks like I overestimated the cost. We can get you into a set of new wheels and tires for $1200 - 1500!! :) MJ

Jvette73

I love the look of the stock ralley wheels. If they didnt look so darn good, I would have a set of high strength light weight aluminum wheels. You can benifit from lighter wheels more than you may think. The stock ralley with the ring and cap installed is a heavy chunk of metal. What I've heard is, on each rim, for every pound of wheel weight you loose, its like taking 6 pounds of weight off the car. Since the wheel is actually part of the drive train, reducing weight there, will decrease power lost to the drivetrain. Of coarse with Merlin 540, there wont be a shortage of power.


[Modified by Jvette73, 11:14 PM 12/28/2001]