Wheels suggestions please

[red vtec]

Currently have the standard 15" alloys on my 1988 Esprit Turbo. I'd like to upgrade to a bigger wheel for looks and also perhaps better tyres? Has anyone got any info on what can be fitted. I have had a look on LEW and here and most of you seem to stick with the Lotus wheels (Saturn, Nova etc) but are there any others available?

[sky_cz]

u ve 15" on back?? there r standard 16"

u can use most of OZ wheels, Lotus wheels r remarked OZ resp OZ made for Lotus

[red vtec]

15" back and front just checked the rear are of course wider. Also noticed one has a different font for LOTUS. I think the SE was fitted with 15" front 16" rear. Just to confuse things I have seen an NA stevens which is older but has 15" front 16" rear and the rears are more dished than my rear. (dont you love lotus)

I have been looking at 17" front 18" rear.

[Rob]

There's a page on LEW with aftermarket options. Choices are limited as the esprit has a specific size/offset combo that doesn't fit anything else.

Most people who upgrade put either Gt3/s4 wheels or V8 wheels on to a car like yours. Again, info on how to do this is on LEW. The won't bolt straight on but will fit with a little modification.

You may want to consider the implications of bigger (heavier) wheels on handling? ALso, a big wheel will emphasise how small your brakes are ;-) BUT bigger wheels means you can fit bigger brakes.

[neal]

ALso, a big wheel will emphasise how small your brakes are ;-) BUT bigger wheels means you can fit bigger brakes.

Hehe, yeah that's usually how it goes.

Those brakes looks pretty small - I'll fit bigger ones. Better get stainless steel braided bake lines too. There's some play in the bushes - I'll replace the lot with polyurethane ones. The suspension looks a bit the worse for wear - the new Lotus upgrade is tempting. Etc

[red vtec]

You may want to consider the implications of bigger (heavier) wheels on handling? ALso, a big wheel will emphasise how small your brakes are ;-) BUT bigger wheels means you can fit bigger brakes.

To be honest that is one of the reasons as I may want to fit bigger brakes in the future and this will allow me the option, as at the mo they wont fit I also heard that the tyres are getting hard to come by in the size I have?

I've had a look at the pages on LEW, I have been told that Toyota Supra have same offset? anyone know?

[Jeff Clements Danton]

15" back and front just checked the rear are of course wider. Also noticed one has a different font for LOTUS. I think the SE was fitted with 15" front 16" rear. Just to confuse things I have seen an NA stevens which is older but has 15" front 16" rear and the rears are more dished than my rear. (dont you love lotus)

I have been looking at 17" front 18" rear.

- the "dished" ones were for ROW/Federal spec cars - sorry to interupt...

[martynv]

Currently have the standard 15" alloys on my 1988 Esprit Turbo. I'd like to upgrade to a bigger wheel for looks and also perhaps better tyres? Has anyone got any info on what can be fitted. I have had a look on LEW and here and most of you seem to stick with the Lotus wheels (Saturn, Nova etc) but are there any others available?

Chris,

Don't forget fitting bigger wheels will almost certainly throw your geometry out and this could lead to another bill to sort things out and get the handling right again. Obviously if you don't set up the geometry correctly its going to wear the tyres unevenly and possbly wreck the handling of the car till it's sorted.

Martyn

[andydclements]

Re fitting bigger brakes, Simonf 's turbo has bigger brakes, an AP setup, but hasn't got massive wheels, it's simply a well designed modification.

I would say, you don't need to change the wheels to change the brakes, but it can open up more possibilities.

Andy

[jfitz981]

When I upgraded my wheels I went with a company called ZeForged. http://www.zeforged.com

I had several friends that had bought wheels from them before and they were excellent...the wheels are custom made for your car: offset etc. and you can get any size/finish you like.

Just an idea.

Jason

[BerryBoy]

Jason - your car looks great. Did you submit a pic for the zeforged.com "cars" gallery? The site really needs a Lotus.

Peter

[red vtec]

I'd like to thank you all for all your help. I will now try and source some wheels.

[jfitz981]

Peter,

Thanks!

Not Yet...in the process of moving so my electronics are still boxed up....all the pics I took were with my phone so they are not great ...as soon as I get settled I am going to submit better pics as they wanted the Esprit on their site as well!

Have a good one!

[red vtec]

does anyone know the PDC? and off set needed for the esprit?

[martynv]

does anyone know the PDC? and off set needed for the esprit?

Chris,

Have a look on the Esprit Fact File Here

Martyn

[red vtec]

ta I had looked on LEW but could only find wheel size. Thanks

[98GT3]

Try here http://www.lotusespritforum.com/forums/ind...d=cat&id=22

Phil

98GT3

[RedEspritS2]

Hey, I'm hoping to look into doing something similar eventually. Not because I want to upgrade the brakes so much as I don't like the design of the original Lotus ones. The blades or spokes go in different directions depending on what side of the car you are looking at, how strange is that!

Got the later SE sizes on my 89 Turbo too. When I looked into tyre availabilty before buying it, the earlier sizes seem to be easy to get hold of, it was the SE and later sizes that were getting difficult. I didn't check before I bought the car, I assumed they were the right size and so I was a little cheesed off when I found they were different!

Having said that, we are lucky, we've got Supertyres up on the hill in Maldon, they are fantastic - I wouldn't get tyres from anyone else now. After sales service is great, they have replaced valves and even balanced wheels without charging before now - obviously they won't do that every time, but they a genuine guys who know what they are doing. Anyway, they seem to be able to get all the sizes you might ever need.

The issue seems to be that its not difficult to get a particular size, the problem is trying to get the same make of tyre for both front and rear. Supertyres found that Kumho do matching tyres for front and rear, but they only had the rears in stock at the time so I got Hannook on the fronts because I desperately needed new tyres and use the car everyday.

Anyway, let me know what you do... I might want to be a copycat!

[red vtec]

Hey, I'm hoping to look into doing something similar eventually. Not because I want to upgrade the brakes so much as I don't like the design of the original Lotus ones. The blades or spokes go in different directions depending on what side of the car you are looking at, how strange is that!

Got the later SE sizes on my 89 Turbo too. When I looked into tyre availabilty before buying it, the earlier sizes seem to be easy to get hold of, it was the SE and later sizes that were getting difficult. I didn't check before I bought the car, I assumed they were the right size and so I was a little cheesed off when I found they were different!

Having said that, we are lucky, we've got Supertyres up on the hill in Maldon, they are fantastic - I wouldn't get tyres from anyone else now. After sales service is great, they have replaced valves and even balanced wheels without charging before now - obviously they won't do that every time, but they a genuine guys who know what they are doing. Anyway, they seem to be able to get all the sizes you might ever need.

The issue seems to be that its not difficult to get a particular size, the problem is trying to get the same make of tyre for both front and rear. Supertyres found that Kumho do matching tyres for front and rear, but they only had the rears in stock at the time so I got Hannook on the fronts because I desperately needed new tyres and use the car everyday.

Anyway, let me know what you do... I might want to be a copycat!

I spoke to Supertyres the other day about alloys but they copuld not get them in the correct fitment.

I have found these http://www.azev.de/index_eng.html

Part of it me is vanity, as I want the arches filled...

Edited September 17, 2007 by red vtec

[RedEspritS2]

I spoke to Supertyres the other day about alloys but they copuld not get them in the correct fitment.

I have found these http://www.azev.de/index_eng.html

Part of it me is vanity, as I want the arches filled...

LOL - I know what you mean, that's one thing I prefer on the S2, its got Carlos Fandango extra large wheels... or rather, extra large rubber!

[benjamincalleja]

Can my nOvember 88 (89 model year) turbo standard 15 inch front and back rims be swapped for the SE rims 15 inch front 16 inch back? This means going from 195mm front to 215mm front and 235mm rear to 245mm rear tires. Will this negatively affect either handling of the 88 turbo or foul the wheel arch on full lOck?

[Artie]

Ben,

Will fit directly! Shouldn't have any impact on the fender liners at all. There is plenty of space under there for 18 and 19" wheels. I have 18" and 10inches wide in back and 8.5" wide front with 225 and 265 respectively with no rubbing whatsoever.

[Mark Blanchard]

I've had SE rims on my 88 Turbo for many years. The handling was much improved.

[benjamincalleja]

Look on the LEW page about tyres, right at the very bottom Andy Graham from lotus says anything wider than the SE 215mm fronts foul the wheels arch on full lock???? I presume that is for the eage chassis cars, of which my 88 turbo is not. So I know that the eagle chassis cars had 215mm fronts but would 215mm fronts fit my 88 turbo? (and in fact the ones I want to buy are SE RIMS but with 225 front and 255 backs!!). Seems to be conflicting info??

[MrDangerUS]

Benjamin,

I have SE' wheels on my 88" Stevens, 15" w/225 at the front and 16" w/255 at the rear. No problems whatsoever. You will need 60mm thick TUW spacers at the rear, though (they are not "dished out")..

Edited August 8, 2011 by MrDangerUS