ltomn

Knowing that there are a few sports car manufacturers that utilize center lock, forged wheels versus conventional, 5 lug nut wheels, please give us the positive, or negative, reasons for using or not using both wheel types? Porsche does have a center lock, forged wheel option on some of their models that are sub 150K. Since Corvette is approaching 150K with the ZR1 would Corvette consider forged, center lock wheels on it, or any of the Corvette models, as a option? Further, since the ZR1 and ZO6 have massive, broad torque bands, and much higher horsepower, would that affect the reasons for using forged wheels in general?

skank

This is a excellent question! Good job ltomn

ltomn

Thank you! I realize that the raw, bottom line for this question revolves around the cost of a vehicle but a lot of the options and accoutrements of a car are relative to that. Center Lock forged wheels have pluses and minuses! I am anxious to hear about them from Tadge.

hcvone

Glad this was brought up, my turbo s has center lock wheels, thought they would be a pain, but really they are easy, of course once you have a 3/4" torque wrench and breaker bar

ltomn

Porsche recalled a few years of their models that had their center lock wheels about 5 years ago. Apparently, there were no issues since then.

AZ Car Guy

slickstick

Just watched a video because I had never paid attention to this... I was turned off by the need for the grease. To me, this seems like a big negative compared to standard lugs.

slickstick

Isn't this post kind of mixing topics... it would seem to be using the center lock mechanism vs lugs and whether the wheels are cast or forged are two different topics.

jvp

It is. And if it wins, we're NOT going to ask about "Forged". It's a tired topic that isn't going to Tadge. The center-lock part can.

ltomn

It is my understanding that forged wheels are required to withstand the torque that is needed to put the center locks in place. Regular wheels might crack. If I'm incorrect, I'd be happy to alter the question, however, I believe they go together.

skank

Center locks require forged wheels with up to 450 ft/lbs of torque on the single lug. It is absolutely necessary in this question.
https://www.thextremexperience.com/b...e-wrench-ever/

jvp

To be perfectly fair, I find this question quite comical. Hopefully folks know exactly what Tadge would say should this win a vote:

"It's too specialized and would cost way too much, therefore further raising the price of the car."

Think, folks.

skank

Actually. I've yet to find any center lock wheel that fits on any higher end sports car that is not a forged wheel. The mere fact that a forged wheel can take a 500 ft/lb impact on a single lug torque setting replacing 5 single lugs at 95-110 ft/lb per lug is a reality. JVP, I suggest you research as I have on this issue and you will find this to be the case whether you modify ltomn's question or not. Tadge's response to your modification will reflect this either way.

skank

Grease is absolutely required when these single lugs self tighten. If not, they can fuse to the wheel. There are two left hand threaded lugs and two right hand threaded lugs for either side of the car.

jvp

I'm handling this section well enough without the need for help, skank. Thanks. Stand down. Here's the concern:

"Why doesn't Corvette have forged wheels!?"

That's why people are so interested in this question. NOT for the center lock. I can almost guarantee it.

My point still stands: this is a silly question. We know why Corvette isn't using center lock wheels: cost.

Cost of the wheels
Cost of the hubs
Cost of the tooling at the dealerships
Cost of the (little) training at the dealerships
etc, etc, etc.

And that gets amortized over how many models? Answer: nearly none. So guess who gets to pay for all of that? ZR1 buyers, that's who.

It's, IMHO, a silly and useless novelty that's pointless on a road-going car.

skank

Actually, the reasons for the interest has nothing to do with the center lock function or forged wheel option. It has to do with the perceived visual look of a high tech race car. Obviously, center locks are a pain in the *** to live with as there is no reasonable need to take a wheel off in seconds vs minutes requiring a huge owner paid 4 foot breaker bar/torque wrench. Most high end cars are going the center lock route for visual reasons only. Hence, the question in the first place.

ltomn

JVP & Skank - you two can fight this one out! I stand by my question and assure you that I was not attempting to hide an inquiry about forged wheels in it anywhere. It was sincere and frank. Let me explain it a little further. I canceled a build order on a Porsche 911 GTS just last year and center lock, forged wheels were a no cost option on that vehicle. My interest was expressly as mentioned above, it is a very good look on the car.

slickstick

That makes sense, but is just an artifact of the current state of wheel technology, right? If a stronger wheel could be made by casting or other methods that was suitable for centerlock, then the wheels wouldn't need to be forged. To me, while they are interrelated, it just confuses the question a bit. Tadge's response might certainly involve the need for more expensive forged wheels to support centerlock as a factor, though.

slickstick

Understood. I was just saying to me personally, that requirement makes centerlock technology undesirable.

skank

I would have reservations as well. I do realize though, the high tech look of the center locks is very appealing to the high end exotic car market. That's why ltomn's original question posed it as a option and not standard equipment. It also would not surprise me if the reason for Porsche and other exotics are putting these labor maintainance intensive wheels on are to force them as standard equipment. Another reason to keep the buyer using the dealership service department for a simple tire rotation or other wheel service. More money to the service department!