Re: Machining metric wheels?

[Mark Mucciacciaro <mmthrax@domain.elided>]

--- Paul Witek <pwitek@domain.elided> wrote:
> First off, let's assume someone likes the look of
> the metric wheels -
> (for the life of me, I can't remember what they look
> like).
> 
     Hi Paul,

  I do like the look of the wheel and would send you a
photo, but I don't have any in the digital domain.  

   You can go to gtv6.org and in the "models" section
I believe is a breakdown of the various models
(Maratona, Balocco, etc) is a picture of a silver
Maratona with the said wheels.



> If the wheels are metric 390mm, and a standard 15"
> wheel is 381mm, could someone with a wheel lathe
> turn them down to fit a standard 15" tire?  It'd
> take 4.5mm off - hmmmm, that's probably a bit much.
> 

  Well the wheels are 360mm, which is like 14 1/3 so
you actually lose some height if you were to convert
from the standard Campagnolos.

   Most of what I know about the TRX's is in reference
to the BMW 7 series of the 80's (e23).  As many people
know many 7s of that era came with either the TRX's or
a 14" alloy.  The TRX's came in two sizes:  390 or
415mm

   The deal with the TRX wheel is the way the bead of
the tire grasps the rim.  It has a type of locking
action and kind of hooks onto the rim as opposed to
the conventional bead "popping" into place.  What the
engineers were trying to accomplish by doing this is a
tire that would withstand heavy cornering Gs and still
have the same plush ride with a tall sidewall.

  Basically 60 series cornering with a 70 series ride.
 They wanted to make sure that the special tire was
used with the special rim in all cases, hence the
weird sizes.

  Many people say "Man forget it, you'll never find
that tire, nobody makes it anymore."  This is not the
case.  You can find it, but you really have to look.
When you do find it, it is in all cases expensive.

  I met a guy at the last Eurofest car show here in
Dallas who had those wheels on his car (85 Gtv6) and
had just purchased new tires to the tune of $165 each!
 He had Michelin basically get the molds out of
storage and press him some new tires.  And there they
were.

  I had a set of four given to me and I really do like
them.  That being said, I haven't coughed up the bread
to have them shod with rubber yet.

    Some people say that the tire is really outdated,
etc., but if you think about it----if the tire was
"state of the art" at one time, what's changed?  Here
in Dallas, I'm driving on the same concrete that was
there in 1985 and the rain is the same, the sleet is
the same, etc..

  I think most people have made a really big deal out
of a not so big deal. 

    I guess it just comes down to the individual.  

                               Have a great day,
   Mark Mucciacciaro
   81 Gtv6-project to be daily driver
   82 Balocco #43-"extra one of everything" parts car
   1 set or gorgeous, forlorn metric Speedlines
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