Like baxsie, I would also like a black wheel for my Prius. Unlike baxsie, I would like a chrome lip, 5 spoke, and with some studs. The best candidate for my wheels would be the discontinued SSR Professor SP-1. Besides being hard to find, this model also does not go smaller than 16.5 inches. [Broken External Image]:http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/images/WheelModels/ssr_professorsp1.png I would like to keep the exact dimensions of the OEM wheels. Do you know any models I should be looking at? Or better yet, do you know of any shops/wheel stores I might be able to contact in the so cal area regarding this? Most of the shops I see are sporting chrome wheels, and I have yet to see a shop specialize in 15 inch wheels. Any push to the right direction would be appreciated. Thanks. EDIT: Apparently it goes to 15! SSR Speed Star Wheel 15 Inch Now how to get it...
I don't know if ADR has one that is the right size/combo for you, but I was looking at This one from them. I know it's not your specs, but I thought it was interesting.
Here's one without the rivets. TSW Volcano Hyper Black 15x6.5 [Broken External Image]:http://www.tsw.com/new/images/wheels/volcano_front_black.jpg
Konig Hurry 15x6.5 [Broken External Image]:http://www.konigwheels.com/images/363_b.jpg These are 17.8 lbs, but remember the stock wheels are only 14.3 lbs.
The ADR Cypher kinda fits the bill, but smallest seems to be 17. That last one looks good, although the spokes might be too thin. I'll check that out. Thanks for all the suggestions.
If you do not mind going to a 16" wheel, you may look at this Hot Wheel. It can be found at Discount Tires. I have considered it to put on my own white model.
You could always have your factory wheels powder coated. It would add minimal weight to your wheels, and it's very durable. Plus, no one would have wheels like it.
Or, if you really want to possibly improve on the Stock Wheel performance, instead of just improving looks, you could go all out. [Broken External Image]:http://www.motegiracing.com/applicationguide/motegiimages/mega/m2388.jpg Motegi Trak Lite 15x6.5 5x100 in flat black - only 10 pounds. But, you'd probably need new bolts and some shims
#7 & #10, those are just what I was looking for. If I do go for the 16 but keep the wheel's diameter, would I be "cheating" the odometer? Tempus, when my wife and I were discussing the purchase, she informed me that it might not satisfy my speed needs. I told her I was purchasing the car for other reasons, and speed is not one of them. I told her if I wanted speed, we'd have a Subaru WRX STi. Thanks for all these. At least now I have other brand names to add to my research.
When I talked about 'improving performance' I wasn't talking about speed. I was talking about mileage. Lighter wheels have less kinetic energy losses and will improve your mileage. The stock wheels are very light for just that reason. Most replacement wheels are heavier and will give you a mileage hit. The only solution I've seen is to go to spec-racing wheels that are, in fact, lighter than the stock wheels. There's more than one type of 'performance'
Also, in your quest to find a new set of shoes for your whip, you will find it a little difficult getting a 15" wheel that is 6" wide. Most of the ones available are 15"x6.5" Two other important measurements you will want to take into account are the offset and the bore diameter of the wheel. While Discount Tire does not list many tires under the fitment guide, they sell many more that will correctly fit the Prius, according to their internal computer system. To help satisfy curiousity, I dropped by my local DT dealer. They were extremely helpful in figuring out what will fit. Dan, the sales rep, even went as far as having me pull my car in, put it on the lift and do a test fitting. He did not have the exact model of wheel I was looking for, but he did have an Enkei with the exact dimensions, 15"x6.5" with a 45mm offset. He took the front passenger tire and wheel off, and mounted the Enkei wheel. It has no problems with any clearance, and mounted up perfectly. Dan even offered to order in the wheels I am interested and when they arrive, we can do the same thing to make sure they will fit before buying them. Now that is customer service.
Doh! Sorry, I actually missed the comment/detail below the wheel's image. Aziza, Does the Enkei have the same specs I am looking for? (black, chrome lip, rivets)
I also had a good experience with Discount tire. I was buying new tires for my Explorer. When they tried to balance them, they couldn't as the wheels were no longer round (don't ask). So even though I had special ordered tires, they said no problem and went to find a wheel that fit. They searched around and finally found a wheel that fit, after trying on several. Strangely enough it was also an Enkei. Problem was they only had three wheels in stock. The shop on the other side of town had one, so they had an employee drive it over immediately. They even refunded the full cost of the special order tires, even the freight. Great service.
DocVijay, about how much weight would chrome add to each wheel? And what kind of a hit would it have on fuel mileage? I ask because I have the factory chrome wheels that the dealer installed. And since I'm only averaging about 46 mpg, I wonder if not having chrome wheels would result in better fuel efficiency. Oh, and if makes any difference, my car is only 2 weeks old.
I'm not sure how much weight chrome adds to a wheel. I imagine it depends on how many layers of chrome they have. I also think the weight would be minimal, maybe a pound at most for lots of chrome. My Prius is about a week and half old and I'm averageing about 49 mpg so far. However, I'm driving just like a normal car, not using any special techniques to maximize fuel efficiency. I'm sure I could get another 10 mpg if I really tried (just don't want to). Would dropping hte chrome wheels improve fuel efficiency? Maybe, but I think driving the Prius more efficiently woulod have a bigger effect on mileage. If you like the chrome, keep them. Don't get rid of them simply for mpg reasons.
