New goodies.....

[Palmball]

Every bloke (or big kid) loves a big box with new goodies inside and I'm no exception. Look what's sat in my hallway at the moment....

The boxes got from Graypaul to my hallway by way of the back of our Mini which was a squeeeeeze! And here's a peek of whats in the fourth box, the contents of which are being polished with Swissvax Autobahn wheel sealant tonight and fitted to my car tomorrow

Now, I was a little concerned about the colour as I loved the Grigio colour (I think thats what they were...dark grey anyway) of the standard Neptune wheels....they suited the black car and hid a covering of brake dust very well!

These MC Stradale wheels were only available in black (and I thought that would be too much black'ness' on a black car) and these which are Titanium. The good news is that they're not bright silver and instead are a nice grey colour....not as dark as the standard wheels but dark enough to give a similar effect and hide a light dusting of brake dust!

Anyway, as long as Kwik Fit manage to competently fit the new (wider ) tyres tomorrow without getting it wrong, I'll update with some pictre with them on the car.


By the way, you did read that right....Kwik Fit! They were significantly (and I mean into 3-figures!) cheaper with one of their online special offers that meant I got 2x 295/35/20 and 2x 255/35/20 Pirelli P-Zero's for £1,100. That was at least £100 cheaper than Mytyres, Camskill, Elite Direct. Indeed, after usually being impressed with Elite, they've gone right down in my estimations after telling me that these tyre sizes didn't exist...blooody numpties!

 

[GransportFan1]

They look very nice, look forward to seeing them at some point, Andrew, you going to the Supercar Driver even on Sunday??

 

[ENZ525]

Lovely, lovely, lovely & lovely

 

[Andyk]

WOW..Stradale wheels...Even I'm getting excited to see them on your car Andrew....

 

[Palmball]

Thanks chaps!

WOW..Stradale wheels...Even I'm getting excited to see them on your car Andrew....

You may be excited but I'm nervous! The Neptune wheels were probably one of the nicest wheel designs going and I've gone and sold them.....Jesus, it's just hit home - I'm fooking crazy!

The ONLY reason I'm changing them is since the MC Stradale suspension was fitted (well, and before actually), the GT has the unfortunate trait of looking a bit over-bodied and under-wheeled...not in physical wheel size but in the narrowness of the track - the wheels just sit too far under the arches. These wheels are an inch wider (the extra width of which is all in the offset) and they take a wider tyre too so thats why an MC Stradale sits so much 'nicer' on the road.

These are also fairly light - I believe nearly 20kg lighter across all 4 wheels compared to the standard ones which is quite significant and can only help the suspension work better

 

[Andyk]

The Stradale wheel is very simple design but really works with the tridents on the edge...I think they will be great Andrew................But yes the Neptune wheels are one of Maserati best designs...

 

[lozcb]

Thanks chaps!



You may be excited but I'm nervous! The Neptune wheels were probably one of the nicest wheel designs going and I've gone and sold them.....Jesus, it's just hit home - I'm fooking crazy!

The ONLY reason I'm changing them is since the MC Stradale suspension was fitted (well, and before actually), the GT has the unfortunate trait of looking a bit over-bodied and under-wheeled...not in physical wheel size but in the narrowness of the track - the wheels just sit too far under the arches. These wheels are an inch wider (the extra width of which is all in the offset) and they take a wider tyre too so thats why an MC Stradale sits so much 'nicer' on the road.

These are also fairly light - I believe nearly 20kg lighter across all 4 wheels compared to the standard ones which is quite significant and can only help the suspension work better

Ah yes the all important unsprung weight, worth its wait in feathers


regards loz

 

[Paul-B]

Neptune wheels are indeed a lovely design but these are 'simply' simple with not much metal and will I'm sure look spot on when fitted.

I'll be crossing my fingers for you when the KF boys are fitting the new rubber!!

Look forward to seeing the pics once on the car.

 

[Palmball]

So, the wheels are on the car and.....well, I'll start with the positive. They look sensational...the colour, the style, the stance....all perfecto. The car is filthy today so when I've taken it through the carwash tomorrow I'll take some snaps and post them up. They've done the job I wanted them to do and looks-weise, I am delighted.

But there is a BIG but....and it's not a problem thats strictly 'new'.

You may have noticed that I posted a bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment on another thread about how my car had a slight vibration at over 120mph. I hoped it would have been wheel balance and didn't worry about it too much as I knew I was getting new wheels and tyres. Imagine my horror today when at speeds over 90mph, the vibration was back with a vengeance and the steering column was physically shaking violently...to say I was distressed about this is an understatement. Now, as I'd had the tyres fitted at Kwik Fit, I visited another branch to have the tyres re-balanced just in case they weren't done right in the first place. The second branch tested all the wheels and found them all to be significantly out (by up to 70g on one of the rear wheels!) so rebalanced all of them, stating that the original branch who fitted the tyres must need their machine calibrating. Phew....or as I thought at the time.

On the way back from that Kwik Fit, I thought I'd visit my local private stretch of road again to see if the car was cured and unfortunately, whilst the rebalancing has made it better in that it can go a bit quicker before the vibration sets in, it's still vibrating quite noticeably at speed and far, far worse than it ever did before the wheels and tyres were fitted. When I say noticeably, it's shaking the watch on my wrist, the keys on the steering column and if I let go of the wheel slightly it vibrates violently. This is supposed to be a 190mph car yet in the current state, it doesn't feel like it's drivable at 60% of that limit. Now, I know that this occurs at speeds that aren't exactly used frequently but that really isn't the point is it...I want to know that should I want to do those speeds (such as the numerous times I go to Europe every year), I can enjoy doing them just as I did in all my previous German-made cars.

So, what to do? This occurs at speeds that the dealer probably aren't going to want to replicate and the only real thing that has changed is the wheels and tyres and both are brand new....whilst it had vibration before, the level of vibration was nothing like it has now so this does indicate a balancing issue. But then I keep asking myself if balancing really could cause such a bad characteristic and how it could be so far out after being balanced 2 times? Then of course theres still the matter of the fact it had a slight vibration before all of this! I can only think that I've got to book it in at Graypaul to look at it because the way it is now, the car won't be staying around for much longer unless it can be fixed!

I am genuinely very anxious because apart from this I do love the car and have no desire to change it for anything else (for once in my life, I don't WANT anything else) but I'm in the position that if this vibration can't be fixed, I most definitely can't keep it!

 

[Paul-B]

I don't want to knock the organisation that fitted the tyres and balanced your wheels Andrew, but I'd let Graypaul take a look and see whether they agree with how the wheels are balanced.

I'm no expert in this area but being slightly out with this can make a big difference and you aren't to know whether the second fitter's machine was slightly out too.

If it is the balancing you should be able to get it sorted although I'm sure other things could be causing the vibration at those kinds of speed.

 

[2b1ask1]

Andrew, again not an expert opinion but around Christmas I had a new set of tyres fitted to the front of my van and for the first time in it I experienced varying levels of vibration from 60 upwards.... It turned out to be water in the tyre when fitted (had been outside on a rainy day). The problem with moisture inside the tyres is that it settles at the bottom as they cool and if ti is not dispersed before high speed can throw the wheel out considerably and additionally the ballancing weights will be meaningless!!! When I got the tyre taken off it was probably 10cc maximm...

 

[BennyD]

A long shot but it could be the tyre moving on the rim. As the big tyres generate a lot of grip, they could be sliding around the rim on the soap they use to ease the tyre on. More of a problem on the back but vibrations from the back can be felt through the steering wheel. Incidentally, that might explain why the balance was so far out between the two balancers. Just a thought.

 

[Palmball]

Thanks for the ideas chaps (and to Loz for the propshaft suggestion on the other thread....although the vibration is as obvious if I put the car in neutral where the prop wouldn't be under load?).

Theres lots to go at and tomorrow I'm going to film it happening so I can show it to Graypaul. I'm off to Dubai on Thursday for a week so they can have for the time I'm away to try and sort it. So far in my mind I've got the following possibilities hat they should be looking at but please feel free to add to the list!...

Balancing (which encompasses all of what been mentioned already)
Wheel bearings
CV joints
Propshaft (but why felt mainly through the steering...although the original but less ferocious vibration felt like it was more from the back)

 

[BennyD]

Not too sure about wheel bearings or CV joints unless accompanied by a droning noise (a bit like Dem when he is banging on about 3200s!) and/or high frequency vibrations. Also if the prop is out of balance it would, IMO, vibrate whenever it was turning not just under load. Bit of a b4stard really but should be sorted under warranty. Good luck anyway.

 

[w5pwr]

When I used to get the tyres changed on the Turbo, it always ended up with a slight vibration, it seemed that the places round my way struggled with the wheel size, I was running 315 on the rear. A tripped to my local OPC always sorted it out, either they took more care or the machine was more suited to the wider wheels?

 

[NickP]

I'd have thought with wider wheels/tyres fitted you'd need a full geometry set up done, this will be a custom job because you no longer have standard parts fitted?

 

[BennyD]

Good point Nick.

 

[dem maser]

I read post 14 benny, you make me laugh....

 

[BennyD]

Good spot Dem, I thought I had hidden that one!

 

[dem maser]

I look at all your post benny!! Hahahaha