Forgeline Wheels and "pad thickness" Q

[Chad-1stGen]

So after 6 months of wheel fiasco's I finally got my wheels yesterday. They are Forgeline's and I'm incredibly disappointed with them. The main issue, is the lack of wheel lip. Part of the reason for lack of wheel lip is that the mounting pad for the wheel is really thick/deep. After calling Forgeline to talk about it they let me know they do custom pad thicknesses and my wheels were ordered "full pad."

Is that how most of you guys are sizing your Forgeline wheels? Do you guys get a different pad depth for typical 1st gen Camaro applications?

EDIT: My wheels are the DS03 model. From the inside of the wheel spoke to the mounting pad is 2.8" of clearance on these wheels which does seem excessive for even some of the biggest caliper set ups.

EDIT2 (2/20/12)
I just got back from dropping the wheels off with UPS to go back to Forgeline. I got a lot of flack in this post for not measuring correctly so I thought I'd attach pics of the mounting pad/clearance and the brake caliper clearance. Both front and rear brakes the rotor hat sticks out farther than the caliper so zero extra clearance is required.

Measuring from the 3 piece bolts which is way beyond where my caliper lies you can see a bit over 1.75" of clearance.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/15607125_large-1.jpg

Measuring from where its more likely for even the biggest caliper to be:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/15607127_large-1.jpg

If you measure a bit farther in then you get 2.8" of clearance which is consistent with what others posted in this thread for my wheels.

Here is a pic of the clearance my brakes require
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/15607120_large-1.jpg

[jpgolf14]

Unfortunately, it is up to the customer to know what he wants. In reality if you are paying that much for wheels, they should tell you every possible specification before cutting metal. They probably default to full pad to accommodate as many different brake and spindle setups as possible.

I know HRE has a really great fitment packet they have you fill out before ordering. This makes it easy for them to fit the wheels to your particular car. It is disappointing to hear that Forgeline does not do that same. Do you have pictures of the wheels?

John

[Chad-1stGen]

I snapped a quick pic with my phone before leaving the shop. I can have them rehooped for more lip since I haven't ordered the rear yet (been waiting 6 months for the wheels...).

However, the mounting pad is huge.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[jmbamb455]

Iam surprised to hear that i dealt with forgeline directly and they asked my brake specs for pad thickness. They also did the same on my last set they had me send them a template from baer. I dealt with scott and dave

[Bryce]

Chad, you can always have the pads machined thinner, there would be a minimum thickness, then re hoop the wheels.

[Motime]

I asked Scott when I ordered if he had any advice on increasing wheel lip. He recommended reducing the pad thickness. They turned out great.

[Nessumsar]

Chad, if those are the fronts I would say they look pretty good. If you're running a larger brake caliper you may have to use the Full-Pad for clearance.

[Chad-1stGen]

I ordered through Driverz Inc and nobody discussed pad thickness with me. They did include on the invoice that it would be full pad but I didn't even know what that meant until I called Forgeline today.

EDIT: Driverz Inc did ask me what brakes I was going to run and I told them the Wilwood setup that comes on the TCI stuff but never asked me to send a template.

[Chad-1stGen]

Chad, if those are the fronts I would say they look pretty good. If you're running a larger brake caliper you may have to use the Full-Pad for clearance.

That is front and rear. Left wheel is front and right is rear. The outer ring of the front wheel sticks out past the step in the lip...

[Chad-1stGen]

Chad, you can always have the pads machined thinner, there would be a minimum thickness, then re hoop the wheels.

Mark at Forgeline said that since machining is already complete, the most they could take off is 4mm but wouldn't know for sure until they have the wheels in hand. If they were told up front before the lug nut mounting surfacee is machined they can machine off much more than 4mm. I think 0.5"+

[TheJDMan]

When I ordered my Forgelines I knew I needed clearance for the brake caliper so I specified full pads. Good thing too because the clearance up front is so close between the wheel and caliper that even removing the thickness of the rotor hub causes the wheel to contact the caliper. BTW, here is a pic of my Forgelines. The fronts are 18x10 6.6" bs rears are 18x12 5.5" bs all have full pads.

54312

[Gitter Dun]

The mounting pads on my new Forgelines were thick also so I went to a 3" stud up front. I thought it was the R series wheels that got the thick pads but I guess not. No complaints from me though.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/LoweredOrangeCamaro003-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/LoweredOrangeCamaro002-1.jpg

[JustinB]

Have you put the wheels on the car yet to see how close they are to the brakes??

[jat5150]

I will be ordering a set of wheels soon and I have no idea what you guys are talking about, can someone please give me a quick explanation. I don't want to make a mistake with the wheels. Thanks

[Chad-1stGen]

When I ordered my Forgelines I knew I needed clearance for the brake caliper so I specified full pads. Good thing too because the clearance up front is so close between the wheel and caliper that even removing the thickness of the rotor hub causes the wheel to contact the caliper. BTW, here is a pic of my Forgelines. The fronts are 18x10 6.6" bs rears are 18x12 5.5" bs all have full pads.



That looks sexy! You rear is much more what I had in mind when I ordered the wheels. Your BS is only .5" less than mind but the lip is much more. Some of that must be in style of the wheel. All the more reason for less pad thickness because the style i have has lots of caliper room


The mounting pads on my new Forgelines were thick also so I went to a 3" stud up front. I thought it was the R series wheels that got the thick pads but I guess not. No complaints from me though.



Gaetano your car looks badass! Very mean look to compliment all that track time!


Have you put the wheels on the car yet to see how close they are to the brakes??

Justin, no not yet. There is nothing to check on the rears as I don't have a rear end yet. Was waiting for the wheels before sizing the rear end. The fronts will be checked either today or tomorrow depending on when the shop can get to it. though the Willwood calipers offer a lot of room IMO.


I will be ordering a set of wheels soon and I have no idea what you guys are talking about, can someone please give me a quick explanation. I don't want to make a mistake with the wheels. Thanks

I tried to find a picture of a foregline pad but couldn't. The mounting pad is the part of the wheel that actually contacts your rotor or drum and contains the holes for the lugs. We are talking about how much material or how deep/thick it is between the outside of the spokes to the inside of the pad where it hits the rotor/hub/drum.

Before this experience I thought all wheel companies just had a set measurement for a given wheel design for this area. I now realize 3 piece custom wheel makers like Forgeline can adjust this, frequently depending on customer wants and brake clearance.

[JustinB]

Chad, don't you think it would be wise to test fit the wheels on your car and check the clearances before you start a post about how disappointed you are in the wheels? Seems like common sense to me.......

[Chad-1stGen]

Chad, don't you think it would be wise to test fit the wheels on your car and check the clearances before you start a post about how disappointed you are in the wheels? Seems like common sense to me.......

Justin, the most disappointment comes from the look of the rear wheels, not the front. It isn't possible to test fit the rears though I'm sure I can ask TCI for a Willwood part number or template to see the minimum clearance related to the spokes/pad. You should know this since I told you and Jon on the phone multiple times that not having the wheels was holding up the process of ordering my rear end. I'm asking a question about how others have ordered Forgeline to get a better understanding of mounting pad thickness and if I'm off base. When the shop doing the work on my car made a comment as soon as I took the wheels out of the box that the mounting pad looked awfully thick and expressed surprise it didn't seem like such a big stretch to come here and ask some questions. I don't think there should be anything wrong with saying I'm disappointed when I am.

I'm more than a little pissed off at you jumping in and insulting my common sense when the vendor I ordered these wheels from who was supposed to provide superior customer service didn't take any time to even explain to me that Forgeline offered custom pad thicknesses and if I had provided a template or exact measurement it would of made a difference. I'm not an expert in wheel fitting which is why I came to you guys in the first place (at least it was "you guys" at the time of ordering, I realize you don't work there anymore).

[JustinB]

Like I said, dont you think it would be WISE to TEST FIT the wheels before you start a post bashing a vendor. You have no clue how much room you will have to clear the brakes yet you are bitching about size of the pad length. Common sense would tell you, get the brakes on the car, test fit the wheels, see how much room you have, than bitch if needed. Just saying, it is not rocket science here. For the record, I could care less if you are pissed off at me.

[Gitter Dun]

Chad, the extra pad thickness will give you more room for brakes and give you a stronger wheel. My pad thickness's were a 1/2" thicker so be prepared to buy 1/2" longer studs unless you are running the open ended lug nuts with 3" wheel studs like I am.
I thought I was going to see a deeper dish on mine also. I took a second look at your wheel pic's and they dont look bad. I think once its all said and done they will look fine.
BTW, what back spacing and wheel widths did you go with front and back?

[Gitter Dun]

To Jat5150........I'm assuming for a '69 camaro? What tire and wheel widths do you intend on going with front and rear? Also, be sure to tell your wheel vendor what brake set up you are using. The wheel vendor will call the brake manufacturer and get a template to be sure the spoke area of the wheel will clear the calipers.

[Neil B]

I thought I would share what my invoice looked like when I ordered my Forgelines from a vendor. I also wanted as much wheel lip as possible. How much the pads were to be milled was very explicitly stated. My car had some rear diff offset so we had to play with the pads to achieve different BS left to right while using the same hoops. I was asked to review these details before the order was actually placed with Forgeline...

FORGELINE ZX3R WHEELS
Matte black center, polished lip, 5 X 4 3/4 pattern, 70.8 hubs
Matte black powdercoated center caps
Titanium bolt upgrade
White-colored 'Forgeline' sticker on the wheel spoke
18 X 8, Use 4.4BS and mill 3/10th for net 4.7BS

ZX3R 3FORGELINE ZX3R WHEELS
Matte black center, polished lip, 5 X 4 3/4 pattern, 70.8 hubs
Matte black powdercoated center caps
Titanium bolt upgrade
White-colored 'Forgeline' sticker on the wheel spoke
19 X 9.5" (LEFT) Mill 1/10, Rivet 2/10 spacer, for net BS of 5.3,
drill lug holes 2/10 deeper

ZX3R FORGELINE ZX3R WHEELS
Matte black center, polished lip, 5 X 4 3/4 pattern, 70.8 hubs
Matte black powdercoated center caps
Titanium bolt upgrade
White-colored 'Forgeline' sticker on the wheel spoke
19 X 9.5" (RIGHT) Mill 2/10 for net BS of 5.7, drill lug holes
2/10 deeper

Keep in mind, however, that my car is a stock brake application - so I knew I didn't need the extra caliper clearance. Also, milling the pads can cause center cap clearance issues.

[Chad-1stGen]

Like I said, dont you think it would be WISE to TEST FIT the wheels before you start a post bashing a vendor. You have no clue how much room you will have to clear the brakes yet you are bitching about size of the pad length. Common sense would tell you, get the brakes on the car, test fit the wheels, see how much room you have, than bitch if needed. Just saying, it is not rocket science here. For the record, I could care less if you are pissed off at me.

I can't properly test fit the wheels if I have no axle. I can make the wheels fit. That isn't the problem. I don't like they way they look. TCI and the car budwe both told me to order the wheels and wait for them before ordering the rear axle so I can adjust for backspacing issues. Test for isn't the issue here. When I ordered the wheels no education on pad thickness or it even being an option. That is my only complaint about you and Driverz. I've tried very hard to keep a cool head and not "vendor bash" during 6 months of broken promisses and don't want to make this thread about this.

The rest of this post is trying to learn about pad thickness and what other Forgeline customers have done.

[barraza]

I understand your issue about being able to specify the pad in the ordering process, but I think it doesn't really matter in the end. You could have gained 3/8" maybe? That wouldn't materially change the appearance at all, they still look great. A bigger change would have been to not have the step lip. I think you are better off having the extra clearance if you ever decide to get bigger brakes, and I would suspect that is Forgelines default position also. They are racing derived wheels, brake clearance trumps extra wheel lip. BTW, my Forgelines are full pad, and they just barely clear c6 zo6 calipers in the front.

[Chad-1stGen]

Just got the measurement info on my current brake setup. The caliper does not intrude past the rotor hat.

I do appreciate everyone's feedback on pad thickness

[gsxrken]

How much lip could have been gained if you knew about pad thickness?
I can't believe this whole post is about the 3/8" of an inch like the post two up from this one suggests.

Nice cardomain site BTW.

[eddiep]

On the forgelines I'm familiar with, you can machine off 1.25" of the mounting pad ... If you have the caliper clearance you need (and Forgeline already has a good bit of clearance built into their spoke design, even with a fully machined pad), I think the extra 1" of lip makes a huge difference in wheel appearance.


How much lip could have been gained if you knew about pad thickness?
I can't believe this whole post is about the 3/8" of an inch like the post two up from this one suggests.

Nice cardomain site BTW.

[Vegas69]

Rear wheels will have 15 miles of caliper clearance if you are running a caliper with a parking brake. The pad could be as thin as you want.

The fronts are a different story. Forgeline reccomended cutting my pad for a larger lip and it wouldn't clear my C6 Wilwood 14" setup. I opted to to to 13" rotors instead of rehooping my wheels. No hard feelings there....

My opinion, I wouldn't blame the vendor. I've been living and breathing this stuff for 5 years and this is the first mention of cutting pads for a mini tub application. You aren't going to notice a .25 at the end of the day. Move on with your life.

[jtomas801]

Also, would more backspacing (shallow front wheel lip) be easier on the axle bearings than a wheel with less backspacing (deep front wheel lip)?

Thanks,
Jon

[barraza]

just to insert a little tech in an otherwise pointless discussion, here is a photo and measurements of a Forgeline sp3p 18" wheel with max pad thickness and a C6 zo6 caliper. The measurement was taken between the closest part of the caliper and the wheel, it may be hard to read, but the clearance is .1685

No way you are getting 1.25 more lip, even if you had drum brakes.

These calipers are pretty big, but certainly not the biggest out there.

Your wheels look fine. Someday when you get bigger brakes, you will be glad you don't have to get new wheels.

[Roadbuster]

So after 6 months of wheel fiasco's I finally got my wheels yesterday. They are Forgeline's and I'm incredibly disappointed with them. The main issue, is the lack of wheel lip. Part of the reason for lack of wheel lip is that the mounting pad for the wheel is really thick/deep. After calling Forgeline to talk about it they let me know they do custom pad thicknesses and my wheels were ordered "full pad."

Is that how most of you guys are sizing your Forgeline wheels? Do you guys get a different pad depth for typical 1st gen Camaro applications?


I ordered mine by specifying that I wanted clearance to run corvette front and rear brakes. The pads are pretty thick front and rear. 18x9 and 18x11 Forgeline S03 wheels with step hoops. Back spacing is similar front and rear.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/CIMG2058-1.jpg

The dark centers make the rears look deeper than they are.

/Begin opinion and conjecture/

Engineering and the wheel style dictates the minimum thickness for the pad to meet a strength requirement. Thus even if you mill some off they can only remove so much.

So if you want a deep dish on the rear you need to specify a large difference in backspacing (less in the rear than in the front) and a large difference in width (more in the rear and less in the front) or the 'front space' on the wheels will be similar.

Example:

When I ordered my Forgelines I knew I needed clearance for the brake caliper so I specified full pads. Good thing too because the clearance up front is so close between the wheel and caliper that even removing the thickness of the rotor hub causes the wheel to contact the caliper. BTW, here is a pic of my Forgelines. The fronts are 18x10 6.6" bs rears are 18x12 5.5" bs all have full pads.

TheDJMan has rear wheels that are 2 inches wider and have 1.1 inches less back spacing. So the rears have 3.1 inches more dish in the rear than the front. He might of been able to gain some more rear dish if he specified a smaller pad but it would be a slight gain. Most of the dish is due to the back space and the width.

/End opinion and conjecture/

What sizes are your wheels?

[JustinB]

Even with 0 caliper offset, you still need to swallow the Wilwood hubs in the front. I cant even begin to imagine the post if the wheels were built with less pad for more wheel lip and the center caps would not fit.

[eddiep]

What you are saying is absolutely not true. Drum brakes and many disk brake setups would fit with a fully machined pad if you have hub clearance. I have the Forgeline GA/GZ brake clearance templates right here and standard C5 & C6 brakes will clear with the entire pad machined off with room to spare. The C6Z setup is a different animal and places the outer edge of the caliper almost an inch out further than the the other C5/C6 brakes. It comes down to personal preference, but I'd rather use a Baer or Wilwood setup that offsets the rotor/caliper inward more than the C6Z brakes - that way you don't have funny looking wheels (IMO) with little or no lip and still get monster brakes.


No way you are getting 1.25 more lip, even if you had drum brakes.

These calipers are pretty big, but certainly not the biggest out there.

[Ron.in.SoCal]

Hey Chad - First off, I don't think they look too bad, but once you test fit you'll know your brake clearance requirements and pad milling options. My rears are 18x12 w 5.5 BS and full pad for Baer 6P clearance. Due to the width and BS I ended up w about a 5" lip which is what I was going for. My only conversation w Frank when ordering the wheels was brake I planned to use. It's big F'n pad that's for sure -

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/20110531_135506_5711-1.jpg

The lips -
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/20110531_135358_659-1.jpg

I am also considering mlling my pad to tuck my wheels further due to intended ride heigth and quarter panel clearance, but won't get there until I get full weight in the car.

Final thought Dr Renner re-hooped his wheels a couple of times I believe. It's not an exact science that's for sure.

I dig your car, btw. :cheers:

[barraza]

What you are saying is absolutely not true. Drum brakes and many disk brake setups would fit with a fully machined pad if you have hub clearance. I have the Forgeline GA/GZ brake clearance templates right here and standard C5 & C6 brakes will clear with the entire pad machined off with room to spare....

BS

First, C5 and C6 brakes are not large, nor especially powerful for a typical PT weight car

Second, machining off all the pad would likely put the studs and lug nuts right on the face of the wheel, where they are susceptible to damage if hit.

Third, if you are going to track a car, brakes are expendable items. When you wear out what you have, eventually you are going to want the BIGGEST BRAKES that will fit in the wheel. Why buy a $1000 wheel and limit the brakes you can use, just to have wheel lip?

It's really just a judgement on what you find "funny looking". Certainly not everyone does. I think it looks great, AND it provides the most brake room.

[eddiep]

Everything I said is fact (except my opinion on wheel appearance, which was stated as such). I'm looking at the brake clearance CAD drawings from Forgeline, and with the maximum amount of pad removed there is ~2" of room between where the lug nut would seat and the face of the wheel center - they are in no danger there.

Anyway, sounds like you missed my point. You could get aftermarket brakes on par or better than the C6Z setup that don't require near as much caliper clearance because the rotor is offset further inboard. Again, it's just personal preference, but I think you can have your cake and eat it to here - do a Baer Extreme Plus setup AND get the wheel appearance you want.

I'm glad you think your wheels look great, in the end that's all that matters, right?


BS

First, C5 and C6 brakes are not large, nor especially powerful for a typical PT weight car

Second, machining off all the pad would likely put the studs and lug nuts right on the face of the wheel, where they are susceptible to damage if hit.

Third, if you are going to track a car, brakes are expendable items. When you wear out what you have, eventually you are going to want the BIGGEST BRAKES that will fit in the wheel. Why buy a $1000 wheel and limit the brakes you can use, just to have wheel lip?

It's really just a judgement on what you find "funny looking". Certainly not everyone does. I think it looks great, AND it provides the most brake room.

[TheJDMan]

I think some of you missed the OP's point. He was not complaining about brake clearance, he wanted a deeper recessed look and was thinking he needed a thinner pad. I have to say that at $1000 a wheel he has paid for the right to be happy with the look. Since he was waiting on the wheels before buying the axle IMO he would have been better off ordering wheels with 1" less bs. Less bs will have much more effect on the recess than the thickness of the pad would. Just FYI, my wheels are exactly like Ron's above, same width, same bs, same pad. In fact the pads on my wheels is so thick that my 3" studs are just below flush with the wheel face.

On Soapbox:
I would also like to say that there is a serious problem on the vendor's part if it takes 6 months or even 3 months for the wheels to be delivered. We, as customers, pay premium price for these wheels which puts them in a class above the run of the mill store bought wheels. At this price level the buyer has a right to be happy with the look and to expect better customer service, a fact that seems to be lost on many vendors.
Off Soapbox:

[Matt@BOS]

My two cents... wait until you get everything on the car, and have the car on the ground before you make a decision on anything. I've ordered a couple sets of wheels, and had a couple diffferent sets of brakes on my car, and at the end of the day, I would have specified a full, or decent sized pad on everything. It is just much easier. I have C6 spindles and Corvette brakes up front, so I need a big pad. My first set of wheels barely cleared my C6 Z06 brakes. When I went to Wilwoods, I had to machine a tiny bit of material off the corner of the calipers to fit my wheels. As for the rears, I also like a decent sized pad. Main issue has to do with the wheel studs. My forgelines had had a decent sized pad and still needed pretty long lug nuts. The new set of Concave New Gens I have are spec'd with virtually no pad. We did it to maximize the lip, and frankly, it looks a little stupid because the lugs are fully exposed, and I can't run a center cap due to the floater hub. If I was starting from scratch and working backwards, I probably would have ordered a bigger pad and had the axle narrowed more. However, that would have created more problems because I couldn't fit the brakes, drive plates, and panhard bar mount on such a narrow axle. I think you can see how complex this stuff gets. Basically in my case, there are so many variables that unless Jon spent some time crawling around under my car and crunching some numbers, there is no way I could expect him to get it "perfect," whatever that means. Also, with the fronts, you do have to worry a little bit about the huge hub you have from Wilwood with the TCI front clip. We mocked my Forglines, (the ones with a decent pad) up on a '69 Camaro at BOS with a TCI subframe, and while the calipers cleared by a mile, the hubs stuck out enough to require a raised center cap.

[Gitter Dun]

If you order the competition caps from Forgeline the center cap problem wont be an issue.

[Neil B]

Not necessarily true...my competition-style center caps did not fit the stock hub and grease caps due to the milled pads.

[barraza]

....... You could get aftermarket brakes on par or better than the C6Z setup that don't require near as much caliper clearance because the rotor is offset further inboard. .......

Of course you can, but why be limited? What about when you really start tracking the car and want the really huge setups?

To get meaningful amounts of additional outside lip, you would have to limit yourself to relatively small brakes. One inch of additional lip isn't going to have that big an effect on the wheel appearance. A rim without a step would have been the easy way to make the lip appear bigger and still have all the brake room in the world.

[Chad-1stGen]

Thanks again for all the replies and information.


Of course you can, but why be limited? What about when you really start tracking the car and want the really huge setups?

To get meaningful amounts of additional outside lip, you would have to limit yourself to relatively small brakes. One inch of additional lip isn't going to have that big an effect on the wheel appearance. A rim without a step would have been the easy way to make the lip appear bigger and still have all the brake room in the world.

I actually moved away from the fat lip back to the step lip for ease of cleaning. Fat lip rims do look awesome but since it just moves the rib in the wheel hoop inside the wheel it creates a channel that traps water and dirt. Since I drive my car a fair amount I hated trying to keep that channel clean and looking nice. Not to mention that the rib then reduced brake clearance room that you are arguing for. There is always a compromise somewhere.... Man this stuff is frustrating sometimes.

[Vegas69]

I think some of you missed the OP's point. He was not complaining about brake clearance, he wanted a deeper recessed look and was thinking he needed a thinner pad. I have to say that at $1000 a wheel he has paid for the right to be happy with the look. Since he was waiting on the wheels before buying the axle IMO he would have been better off ordering wheels with 1" less bs. Less bs will have much more effect on the recess than the thickness of the pad would. Just FYI, my wheels are exactly like Ron's above, same width, same bs, same pad. In fact the pads on my wheels is so thick that my 3" studs are just below flush with the wheel face.

On Soapbox:
I would also like to say that there is a serious problem on the vendor's part if it takes 6 months or even 3 months for the wheels to be delivered. We, as customers, pay premium price for these wheels which puts them in a class above the run of the mill store bought wheels. At this price level the buyer has a right to be happy with the look and to expect better customer service, a fact that seems to be lost on many vendors.
Off Soapbox:

The BS is exactly the same either way. Milling the pad makes the wheel center thinner thus creating a larger wheel lip. As with everything in this hobby, you can't bake your cake and eat it too. As Matt has pointed out, their is a compromise. No room for hub caps, less brake clearance, and studs that you can trip over.

These cars are so custom. It's ultimately up to YOU to make sure you get the right wheels.

[Chad-1stGen]

I got off the phone with the shop that has my wheels. They have been doing some test fitting of my wheels and the wheels off the TCI Camaro.

I got them to measure my wheels from the inside of the spoke to the mounting pad and it is 3". Based on the Kore 3 template for Z06 vette brakes (commonly known to have clearance issues) the minimum clearance is 1.69"

I can't imagine there are calipers I'd ever use that require 3" of clearance into the wheel. Maybe this more unique to the DS3 wheel design and full pad than other Forgeline wheels.

[barraza]

I got off the phone with the shop that has my wheels. They have been doing some test fitting of my wheels and the wheels off the TCI Camaro.

I got them to measure my wheels from the inside of the spoke to the mounting pad and it is 3". Based on the Kore 3 template for Z06 vette brakes (commonly known to have clearance issues) the minimum clearance is 1.69"

I can't imagine there are calipers I'd ever use that require 3" of clearance into the wheel. Maybe this more unique to the DS3 wheel design and full pad than other Forgeline wheels.

OK, this just doesn't make sense. What size are your rims, and how much backspace do they have?

The pictures in the beginning of this thread sure don't look like a wheel with 3 inches from the pad surface to the back of the spoke. Unless it is a whole lot wider wheel than I thought. Lets start over, this is for a Camaro right? A typical front 8 inch wide wheel needs about 4 3/4 inches of BS. If you really have 3 inches to the backside of the spoke, the thickness of the spokes added to that dimension would have the front of the spoke sticking out over an inch past the outside of the rim, is that the case? The pictures of the SP3P I linked earlier are very similar to your ds3's. Mine have a measurement of 3 inches from the pad surface to the OUTSIDE of the spoke. With c6z06 calipers there is less than 3/16 clearance to the closest part of the spoke, which is almost out to the rim BTW, not close to the pad, so make sure you get measurements from the same place.

Also, a c6z06 caliper is 1.69 from the rotor surface, but you need some clearance. Call it 1.9" to be safe. The two piston corvette caliper needs .78, add in the same clearance and you get about .9 difference. The baer 6p caliper looks to need about 1.25 clearance, their templates don't list that dimension, and I didn't print one out so that is an approximation.

Rough guess is that you might have been able to gain 1/2 inch of wheel lip if you never wanted anything bigger than a baer 6p. If that is the case, I think you are worrying too much.

Personally, I like the c6z06 caliper. It works great, its relatively cheap, it looks good, and it will always be available. I would be surprised if you can't buy pads at autozone. Chevy puts them on all z06 and grand sport vettes, and judging from my local chevy dealers stock, that is nearly all of them.

[jtomas801]

I got off the phone with the shop that has my wheels. They have been doing some test fitting of my wheels and the wheels off the TCI Camaro.

I got them to measure my wheels from the inside of the spoke to the mounting pad and it is 3". Based on the Kore 3 template for Z06 vette brakes (commonly known to have clearance issues) the minimum clearance is 1.69"

I can't imagine there are calipers I'd ever use that require 3" of clearance into the wheel. Maybe this more unique to the DS3 wheel design and full pad than other Forgeline wheels.

What is the distance from the mounting pad to where the bolts are on the wheel? I don't know what rotor diameter you are using, but make sure the caliper will clear the bolts.

Jon

[eddiep]

Chad,

That sounds about right, I'm measuring full pad to the spoke as being 2.8". If you are getting 18" wheels, the tight spot will be the clearance from the bolts to the caliper, as others have mentioned. FYI, the caliper clearance with the full pad to the wheel bolts is 1.75" for the Forgeline GZ/GA wheels. If your Forgeline wheels are similar, I'd have to agree with your vendor about leaving the full pad if you are wanting to run Z06 brakes.


I got off the phone with the shop that has my wheels. They have been doing some test fitting of my wheels and the wheels off the TCI Camaro.

I got them to measure my wheels from the inside of the spoke to the mounting pad and it is 3". Based on the Kore 3 template for Z06 vette brakes (commonly known to have clearance issues) the minimum clearance is 1.69"

I can't imagine there are calipers I'd ever use that require 3" of clearance into the wheel. Maybe this more unique to the DS3 wheel design and full pad than other Forgeline wheels.

[Chad-1stGen]

Chad,

That sounds about right, I'm measuring full pad to the spoke as being 2.8". If you are getting 18" wheels, the tight spot will be the clearance from the bolts to the caliper, as others have mentioned. FYI, the caliper clearance with the full pad to the wheel bolts is 1.75" for the Forgeline GZ/GA wheels. If your Forgeline wheels are similar, I'd have to agree with your vendor about leaving the full pad if you are wanting to run Z06 brakes.

Just to be clear I don't have any plans of running the Z06 brakes. Just using them as a point of reference. Why are you saying you agree with full pad if there is 3" of space when brakes such as the ZO6 need just 1.69"

I do think it is interesting that based on your post the pad on the GZ/GA wheels are much less. A full inch would of made the lip on my wheels look a lot better IMHO.

[jpgolf14]

I would agree with the OP. 3" of caliper clearance is crazy. Obviously that is reduced somewhat if the calipers are really close to the wheel barrel. 2" of clearance is more than enough for any brake kit that I can think of. An extra inch of lip is huge.

[barraza]

Just using them as a point of reference. Why are you saying you agree with full pad if there is 3" of space when brakes such as the ZO6 need just 1.69"



If you read my post, I was doubting your shop measured right. My SP3P's are very similar design wheels, they have 3" from the mounting pad to the OUTSIDE OF THE SPOKE. That obviously isn't clearance because it includes spoke thickness.

You also have to take into account the curvature of the spokes, not just have a measurement next to the pad

I see you have edited your original post to put in the 3" dimension, double check it please.

What diameter, width, and backspace are your wheels?

This has become pointless. You don't have the wheels, or brakes in hand to measure. We are all just guessing without them.

[eddiep]

Chad,

There is 2.8" of caliper clearance (from the pad to the inside of the spokes), but with large diameter rotors, you move the caliper out of the "pocket" of 2.8" clearance behind the spokes and up into where the fasteners that hold the hoops together are (the clearance there is 1.75"). I'll check later today, but with 18" wheels, I think a 12.5" rotor places the caliper right in the sweet spot for clearance. When you start going bigger than that, the clearance drops off.

A picture would probably help explain this a bit better. Let me post something up when I get home tonight.


Just to be clear I don't have any plans of running the Z06 brakes. Just using them as a point of reference. Why are you saying you agree with full pad if there is 3" of space when brakes such as the ZO6 need just 1.69"

I do think it is interesting that based on your post the pad on the GZ/GA wheels are much less. A full inch would of made the lip on my wheels look a lot better IMHO.

[JustinB]

If you read my post, I was doubting your shop measured right. My SP3P's are very similar design wheels, they have 3" from the mounting pad to the OUTSIDE OF THE SPOKE. That obviously isn't clearance because it includes spoke thickness.

You also have to take into account the curvature of the spokes, not just have a measurement next to the pad

I see you have edited your original post to put in the 3" dimension, double check it please.

What diameter, width, and backspace are your wheels?

This has become pointless. You don't have the wheels, or brakes in hand to measure. We are all just guessing without them.


Chad,

There is 2.8" of caliper clearance (from the pad to the inside of the spokes), but with large diameter rotors, you move the caliper out of the "pocket" of 2.8" clearance behind the spokes and up into where the fasteners that hold the hoops together are (the clearance there is 1.75"). I'll check later today, but with 18" wheels, I think a 12.5" rotor places the caliper right in the sweet spot for clearance. When you start going bigger than that, the clearance drops off.

A picture would probably help explain this a bit better. Let me post something up when I get home tonight.

You are both correct. The shop is not measuring the pad length correct. 2" is max pad.

[Flash68]

You are both correct. The shop is not measuring the pad length correct. 2" is max pad.

He said MAX PAD.... LOL (just trying to lighten this thread up a bit) :)

[Chad-1stGen]

Just to follow up since I've gotten a lot of flack in this post for not measuring correctly so I thought I'd attach pics of the mounting pad/clearance and the brake caliper clearance. Both front and rear brakes the rotor hat sticks out farther than the caliper so zero extra clearance is required.

Measuring from the 3 piece bolts which is way beyond where my caliper lies you can see a bit over 1.75" of clearance.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/15607125_large-1.jpg

Measuring from where its more likely for even the biggest caliper to be:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/15607127_large-1.jpg

If you measure a bit farther in then you get 2.8" of clearance which is consistent with what others posted in this thread for my wheels.

Here is a pic of the clearance my brakes require
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/15607120_large-1.jpg

I just got back from dropping the wheels off with UPS to send back to Forgeline. We'll see what they can do. The good news is that on the rear I will be able to get an extra 1" per wheel of lip since the rear will be narrower. Sadly, on the fronts I'm actually losing 0.5" of outer lip so I'm not sure how they will even mount an outer hoop since the current wheel the center section (spokes) already protrude behind the step part of the lip.

So far Mark at Forgeline has been helpful so keeping my fingers crossed. I will report back on what the final resolution ends up being with this.