Any experience with 16" Steels?

Bunuel · 04-24-2003, 12:28 PM

I found these at discounttire and am thinking of getting them for my R-compound tires for racing and AutoX. Does anyone have any experience with these 16" steels? Will the stickiness of the R-compound be too much for the strength of the wheel? I am wondering about lateral stability and if the wheel will just bend or fold etc. As you can see I don't have much experience with a steel wheel. Except for the stocker that came on my 84 Cavalier which folded in half when I barely hit a curb with it.

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ForceFed4 · 04-24-2003, 01:58 PM

Well, at the risk of opening up an old firestorm, I strongly suggest that in addition to matching all the other specs (offset, bolt pattern, etc) you make sure they are hubcentric to the Subaru hubs. Last time I looked at discount tire's steelies, they weren't hubcentric to our cars.

As another note, if you're going to be using these for motorsports-type activities, you might want to look at lighter alternatives. Those steelies are going to be HEAVY. I know they're cheap @ ~$40/wheel, but if you're going to spring for the R compounds, you might as well maximize the advantage they'll give you. You might be able to find a set of 16" OEM wheels for about $300.

Or if you're able to spend more, you could buy some 17" wheels with decent (but not insane) tires for the street for around $1K and use your OEM wheels for the Rs.

I use 16" steelies for my winter tires; got them from TireRack. They are hubcentric also, but I don't know if they're designed to handle motorsports.

Bunuel · 04-24-2003, 10:15 PM

So an O ring wouldn't work on the steels? Basically I just have the R compound tires sitting around and wanted to spend as little as possible to find something light and cheap to mount them on. Maybe I should look into an old set of stockers.

How much did your 16" steelies from the Rack weigh?

ForceFed4 · 04-25-2003, 12:06 AM

I've never put them on a scale, but they're definitely heavier than my OEM 16" wheels.

I mean, for the ~$120 the set will cost you it might be worth it to just get them and try them. Maybe test them at a lower-stress event at first, like an autoX to see if you get any vibration or funniness with the wheels before you take it to a true track event where you'd be taking it up to fast speeds.

04-24-2003, 12:28 PM	#1
Bunuel Scooby Specialist Member#: 346 Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Maryland	Any experience with 16" Steels? I found these at discounttire and am thinking of getting them for my R-compound tires for racing and AutoX. Does anyone have any experience with these 16" steels? Will the stickiness of the R-compound be too much for the strength of the wheel? I am wondering about lateral stability and if the wheel will just bend or fold etc. As you can see I don't have much experience with a steel wheel. Except for the stocker that came on my 84 Cavalier which folded in half when I barely hit a curb with it. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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04-24-2003, 01:58 PM	#2
ForceFed4 Scooby Specialist Member#: 7370 Join Date: Jun 2001 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Bethesda, MD Vehicle: 2013 5.0 SGM	Well, at the risk of opening up an old firestorm, I strongly suggest that in addition to matching all the other specs (offset, bolt pattern, etc) you make sure they are hubcentric to the Subaru hubs. Last time I looked at discount tire's steelies, they weren't hubcentric to our cars. As another note, if you're going to be using these for motorsports-type activities, you might want to look at lighter alternatives. Those steelies are going to be HEAVY. I know they're cheap @ ~$40/wheel, but if you're going to spring for the R compounds, you might as well maximize the advantage they'll give you. You might be able to find a set of 16" OEM wheels for about $300. Or if you're able to spend more, you could buy some 17" wheels with decent (but not insane) tires for the street for around $1K and use your OEM wheels for the Rs. I use 16" steelies for my winter tires; got them from TireRack. They are hubcentric also, but I don't know if they're designed to handle motorsports.

04-24-2003, 10:15 PM	#3
Bunuel Scooby Specialist Member#: 346 Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Maryland	So an O ring wouldn't work on the steels? Basically I just have the R compound tires sitting around and wanted to spend as little as possible to find something light and cheap to mount them on. Maybe I should look into an old set of stockers. How much did your 16" steelies from the Rack weigh?

04-25-2003, 12:06 AM	#4
ForceFed4 Scooby Specialist Member#: 7370 Join Date: Jun 2001 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Bethesda, MD Vehicle: 2013 5.0 SGM	I've never put them on a scale, but they're definitely heavier than my OEM 16" wheels. I mean, for the ~$120 the set will cost you it might be worth it to just get them and try them. Maybe test them at a lower-stress event at first, like an autoX to see if you get any vibration or funniness with the wheels before you take it to a true track event where you'd be taking it up to fast speeds.