Kosei wheels

[broad13]

Tire rack has some Kosei K1 TS Wheels with sizes ranging from 14 -17 inches in diameter and there are fitments for the Mazda Miata. The price on the 14 are $119 each and the interesting part is the weight 9.3 pounds. This is lighter than the coveted Miata daisy wheel.

I need to know if a 14x6 wheel for a Miata would fit a festiva with an Aspire suspension swap with out spacers and with out rubbing. Offset on the wheel is 38mm. I am going on the assupmtion that if daisys fit with out any problems or spacers thse should also fit but would like to make sure before shelling out any cash

[Advancedynamix]

Kosei is made by Enkei. They are good wheels.

[broad13]

Kosei Wheels

Thanks for you input, think I will move forward in the near future with the purchase. Folks at Tire Rack advise there was not a fitment for the aspire because they don't have lugs to fit that car. I tried explaining to him that the miata and the aspired shared the same thread but he would not have it. I do agree that the aspire bolt head and the conical surface which mate with the wheel is smaller but the threads are the same.

I am going to the junk yard and try to get some lugs of a miata or protege for comparison. I all ready tried vw golf lugs on the aspired rear drum and they also share the same thread. The next best thing to do would be to order the wheels for a miata and let them provide the lugs and figure whether I should convert to a stud set up or not.

This car is a daily driver and my primary concern is keeping it economy friendly. Thinking of using FMS springs and GR2 and a 14 inch tire that is as close as possible to the stock wheel diameter. Trying to avoid issues with rubbing and trying to avoid rolling the fenders and using spacers at all cost if possible.

Your thoughts and advise. Keeping in mind that I already purchased the GR2s but still waiting to get a hold of someone at FMS for a set of springs

[Safety Guy]

Some thoughts:

If you have newish KYBs, your rear struts have the lower (Festiva) spec spring perch, which may give fitment problems with larger tires. Aspire spec rear struts have a higher perch which gives about 1/2" to 3/4" more room.

VW studs have an engagement shape called "ball fit," as opposed to the more standard "conical fit" of most others, including Miatas and other Mazdas. You really shouldn't use one for the other, though I did run my VW alloys with conical lug studs for a few years out of ignorance.

14 X 6" is a good wheel size, but with larger tires, the 38mm offset may give you some fender rub, especially with lowering springs. When I run 175/70-13s on either 35 or 38mm offset wheels I got fender rub on bumps with my approximately stock height car.

IMO, stock Miata wheels in 14 X 6" or 14 X 5.5" have 45 or 40mm offset and will probably fit better inside fenders than the 38 offsets. You might get around this by running skinnier tires, like 165/60-14s.

I plan to eventually go to the Miata BBS 14 X 6" wheels with 185/55-14s. That offset is (IIRC) 45mm.

Changing to coil overs will solve some problems, if you do it right.

YMMV and all that.

Karl

[navid_2nh]

$119 each and

WTF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here the cheapest kosei is 700$

kosei rims are very good!

i had this on peugeot 206 but they were ugly





in past i was searching for these rims like you want but i didn't find but now i bought oz rims for my kia rio and they are good too

[Advancedynamix]

Thanks for you input, think I will move forward in the near future with the purchase. Folks at Tire Rack advise there was not a fitment for the aspire because they don't have lugs to fit that car. I tried explaining to him that the miata and the aspired shared the same thread but he would not have it. I do agree that the aspire bolt head and the conical surface which mate with the wheel is smaller but the threads are the same.

I am going to the junk yard and try to get some lugs of a miata or protege for comparison. I all ready tried vw golf lugs on the aspired rear drum and they also share the same thread. The next best thing to do would be to order the wheels for a miata and let them provide the lugs and figure whether I should convert to a stud set up or not.

This car is a daily driver and my primary concern is keeping it economy friendly. Thinking of using FMS springs and GR2 and a 14 inch tire that is as close as possible to the stock wheel diameter. Trying to avoid issues with rubbing and trying to avoid rolling the fenders and using spacers at all cost if possible.

Your thoughts and advise. Keeping in mind that I already purchased the GR2s but still waiting to get a hold of someone at FMS for a set of springs

Miata has studs from the factory, they are press in so that won't work unless you drill your hubs for press in studs. You can order 12mm thread in studs for a VW (85-92 golf works) or a Honda. Longer wheel bolts are also available with the correct taper seat, I have used them with aftermarket wheels on VWs without any problems. You may have to run wheel spacers in the back of the car in order to run a 6" wide rim. I currently have 15x7" wheels with a 38mm offset and I use spacers. My fenders are rolled and I'm using low profile rear springs. Hope that helps.

[broad13]

Kosei Wheels

I gave this some more though and I am thinking about using a vw wheel or ford escort wheel but I can't seem to find any weight on these wheels anywhere on line. The 93 to 96 escort came with a 7 spoke wheel which is similar to wheels used on the RS Fiesta in England. The escort wheel seem to be a 14x5 with a 45mm offset which should fit with out any problems. I am also thinking of a vw 15 spoke wheel used on 85 to 92 jettas which resembles a bmw bottle cap wheel. Based on your feed back this would require spacers so I would have to deal with it if I am fortuanate enough to get four of these in good shape. There is also a 14x6 audi 4000 16 spoke wheel which appears to be very light. Apart from these I would look into mazda wheels also.

If you have any idea of the weight of these wheels that information would be great. I tried finish line wheels and original wheels.com hoping to get weights but there wasn't any data.

Had new bearings pressed into the Aspire carriers and machinist encountered a problem with one of the spacers and I had to go to another machine shop and get a slighly larger spacer than the one removed from the assembly. I am greatful the machinist knew what he was doing otherwise it would probably runs for 4 months and become noisy.

I intend to install new bearings, wheel cylinders and shoes this weekend put a few more quotes of paint on the bean and bolt everything back together.

Was thinking of installing high durometer busings in the beam do you think that is necessary for a daily driver. I am having a difficult time getting a hold of some one at FMS. Even if I exclude the bushings I still need springs and that is holding me up at the moment. I want to replace the 4 speed transmission with the 5 speed and install the Aspire under pinings all at once that way I can have the car alighed one time.

Will keep you posted on progress.

By the way I read your thread on suspension tuning and must say you posess a great deal of talent

Thanks

[Advancedynamix]

Those 14x6 audi wheels are super rare in 4x100 pattern, but if you can get a set they are very light and strong. I think the 4x100 pattern came on the 4000 non quattro.
As long as your stock festiva or aspire beam bushings are in good condition they are all you'll ever need on the street. Mine have held up great through 2 sets of r compound tires, being flogged on the limit (not to mention around 150k miles of daily driving). You want the proper amount of flex in the bushings of a trailing beam in order for it to work properly. I once bought a VW rabbit GTI prepped race car (SCCA ITB) and it had delrin trailing arm bushings. They did a horrible job and the car was noticeably faster with new stock bushings. I still have those delrin bushings if you know someone who wants to prove me wrong. Lol.
Honestly, your best bet for a lightweight, strong and relatively inexpensive wheel is a Miata 14" daisy wheel. They are easy to find and are extremely light. I am almost certian that they are forged by Enkei. My second choice would be some of the stock 14" Honda alloys, also strong and very light. Third, there are some other great Mazda wheels to choose from off of mx3 and proteges. The VW wheels are kinda heavy, not that strong and they are usually a 35mm offset, which will be more prone to fender rubbing. There are better options. The EGT wheels look heavy (doesn't mean they are), but your right about them being close to the Fiesta RS wheel, and I'm also a sucker for anything RS Ford.
Good luck on your wheel hunt, keep us posted on your choice. Maybe you'll find something that nobody has tried yet (i'd love to see a set of those 4000 wheels on a festiva).

[Safety Guy]

My experience is that the VW alloys are indeed heavy. My 13 X 5.5" seven wide spoke (like on old Cabriolets--came in silver or white) wheels measured 15 pounds via my bathroom scale. Honda VXs (13 X 5") are supposed to be 9 pounds. The 14 X 5.5" Miata Daisies are supposed to be 12.3 pounds.

I'm starting another thread I'll link to in which I get some conveniently grabbed wheel and tire weights with my new fish scale:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?p=526350#post526350

Karl

[broad13]

I am happy to report that I was able to get a very clean set of 14x51/2 Miata daisy wheels on Sunday. I am still waiting to get in contact with someone at FMS to get a set of springs and then I can transform the little toy.

Any one heard of a place call Road Magnet? They apparently manufacture lowering springs and I believe they can make sprngs for any vehicle.

I am looking for feed back on they product on any car since they probably don't have applications for festiva on the shelf but have the ability to make custom make them.

Thoughts and comments

[Safety Guy]

Good wheels.

You might want to find out if anyone has talked with Roger at FMS in the past week or so. My impression, which could be wrong, is that his last "changing inventory sale" may have been his "quitting-the-business" blowout. I really hope I'm wrong! I'd like to see him come back with a lot better FMS plan.

Karl

[broad13]

Icontacted the folks over at road magnet and they are willing to make up a set of springs for me. If anyone would be interested in a group buy they would use my car as a base and then they would have the specs for producing others. If anyone is interested please let me know.

The said I would have to leave the car with them for 3 to 4 days and everthing would be manufactured and installed.

For anyone wanting to take a sneak peak of their products

http://www.roadmagnet.com

[Safety Guy]

One thing you'll need to do is to describe exactly what you are after so everyone knows that as well.

For example, I would be in for springs to lower the front end slightly (1 to 1.5") while working perfectly with Kia Rio KYB GR2 front struts. For the rear, I think I'd best go coil over for more tire room and to be able to have some height adjustment for carrying loads or lowering the rear for better handling. So I'm probably not the guy to go in on this with you.

Karl