RS Watanabe's 15x10 vs 17x10??

General natter about Datsun/Nissans
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SR240Z
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Location: Auckland

RS Watanabe's 15x10 vs 17x10??

Post by SR240Z » Thu May 16, 2019 1:37 pm

I am obsessed with these wheels... have always been and always will be. The plan is to get some for the road going Z in 15x8 but the race car is the priority right now… The wifes said finish it or sell it.....

I have a set of x4 16x10 Simmons and x3 16x10 Schmidts so not enough to make x2 sets and trying to buy a single Schmidt is proven problematic. I am still looking into getting a Schmidt centre casted and modified to fit Arrow Wheel barrels but could be $$ . Tyre options to suit 16x10 are also limited so am considering going 15" or 17" wheels.

With the large rotors on the race car (13.06” diameter + 6 pot calliper) I am concerned about brake clearance and I would expect 15x10 RS Wat’s are unlikely to clear …. ?

Does anyone have any experience with 15’ Wats and what they are like with brake clearances?

maaaaark
Posts: 41
Location: Auckland

Post by maaaaark » Thu May 23, 2019 6:27 pm

I have been installing 305mm rotors and 4 pots on my z and have had issues with caliper clearance with my 16"x 8.5 arrow wheels, i was thinking about watanabes but didn't want to risk buying them and having issues since i didn't know if my breaks would fit.
So for the time being i have some 17x8.5 rota rbx, tyres 40x235. These still dont have enough spring clearance with the standard springs so coilovers are a good option.
260z 2 seater l28

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mikey
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Post by mikey » Fri May 24, 2019 7:48 am

Sorry, I can't say much about 15" RS's, but I run 16" RS's with 310mm rotors and R32 GTR 4 pots just fine.

Image

I can also confirm that finding tires in 16s are indeed very limited

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mikey
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Post by mikey » Fri May 24, 2019 7:51 am

Actually, I tell a complete lie! I'm running spacers in the front so the spokes clear the calipers.

It's obviously been a long while since I've worked on my car!

maaaaark
Posts: 41
Location: Auckland

Post by maaaaark » Sat May 25, 2019 9:02 am

yeah that's the issue i had with the 16" arrows,spokes not clearing front of caliper, i would of had to have about 8mm spacers all around but didnt want to have any
260z 2 seater l28

mikec(nz)
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Location: Tauranga, New Zealand

Post by mikec(nz) » Mon May 27, 2019 11:02 pm

Pretty disappointed with my wantanbes, found the aluminium really soft and the wheel nuts were wearing away the Ali. Ended up having them modified to fit steel inserts. They look cool though. As they seem to be copies of minilites maybe that might be an option. However you can choose all sorts of offset etc which you purchase your watanbes.

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mikey
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Post by mikey » Tue May 28, 2019 6:50 am

mikec(nz) wrote: Mon May 27, 2019 11:02 pm Pretty disappointed with my wantanbes, found the aluminium really soft and the wheel nuts were wearing away the Ali. Ended up having them modified to fit steel inserts. They look cool though. As they seem to be copies of minilites maybe that might be an option. However you can choose all sorts of offset etc which you purchase your watanbes.
Yeah I guess Watanabes are old tech alloy? But minilights on a Datsun is wrong. Japanese car should have Japanese wheels.

mikec(nz)
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Post by mikec(nz) » Tue May 28, 2019 8:09 pm

Maybe the magnesium ones would be better?

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mikey
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Post by mikey » Wed May 29, 2019 7:34 am

Oh yeah, the genuine Watanabe wheel nuts are two-piece with big coned washers which mate against the wheel, presumably to stop the nut gouging the wheels.

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SR240Z
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Post by SR240Z » Mon May 18, 2020 2:07 pm

Anyone in NZ or Aus bringing them in?

mikec(nz)
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Location: Tauranga, New Zealand

Post by mikec(nz) » Tue May 19, 2020 8:18 pm

Got my first set from Aust but they stopped supplying them ottomatta I think. 2nd set got via my broker direct from watanabe.

You can order all sorts of sizes and offset, but I had to run spacers to clear the AP brakes.

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