My recently acquired 91C4 has some wheel rash. No problem, says I, I'll just buy a couple of used wheels in good condition and replace the bad ones. No so fast, I found.

My wheels are sawblades and they seem to come in more flavors than an ice-cream parlor. My car is bone stock, so it sports 17 X 9 1/2" wheels, than I discovered, but should have known, there is a left side and a right side. Also some Corvettes have larger than 9 1/2".

The part numbers for my car are (I think) 10123052 and 51. First question: Is the part number embossed on the wheels?

Are these cast wheels?

My car has something that reports air pressure. I don't understand this system at all. Must be my age since I don't accept that inner tubes are history as well as replaceable spokes. Is the pressure sensing thingie part of the wheel?

I don't want aftermarket wheels since I don't trust the manufacturing process. I just believe GM's buying and inspecting process is better than aftermarket. OEM just seems and feels right.

I don't think there is anything magic about these wheels per se. But replacing like with like assures things like weight, diameter consistency, manufacturing quality and serviceability are consistent and high.

Any suggestions on used part vendors will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Best to have your wheels sent out to get reconditioned. Google recondition wheels in your area. Any local bodyshop or repair facility can do it for you; usually a 24hr turn around time if local.

 

The sawblade wheel DOES have several variations. Its most common styling is the painted 9.5 X 17".
There is also a 8.5" on certain yr models. The wheels ARE directional. They only go on one side and rotation is simple front to back. Back to front.

There are some 11" that came on ZR1s rear.
There are a "machined finish" style that has very fine machine grooves in the disc area of the wheel. Most others are painted with the aluminum sliver look-a-like color. Cast underneath.
All are cast, some are machined for the finish.
ALL are made by Enkei. That company makes wheels for almost every car mfg on the planet. You can tell by the symbol of an 'M' joined to a 'J'. JM....except sideways.....Can;t be duplicated on a keyboard but you get the idea.

Take the original wheels and find a wheel shop that can restore them to original. Most of these places will either swap it out or fix the wheel and make it exactly like factory. Most do this for around $130-150 each. Some places will remove the rash by reshaping & welding if necessary, then repolishing. Thats more expensive but its fixed. You can sometimes simply grind out the rash if the rim is not bent and make it vanish. No ones the wiser.
Beware of chrome plating. the chemical process damages the aluminum and there have been sawblades that broke after chroming.

Take the "spares" you bought and sell them or IF one might fit one side of your car and is the same sawblade style/type, keep it for a rainey day. You'll never need it if you hold on to it, so look at it as insurance.

I polish wheels everyday and can tell you that the sawblade will confuse many folks because everyone assumes that all the others are like theirs when seen at a distance....SBs were very popular and still are with the purest C4 owners, so keep 'em nice and the look of a good wheel helps hold the value of the whole car.

 

Thanks.

 

I just bought a whole set of 91 17x9 1/2's polished for $300.00.. good condition too. They look a lot better than the 95 SB's I had. got em mounted and balanced w/stems and tax, totaled $375.00. I had 2 bent SB's on the 95 I just purchased.
i really wanted some Torq Thrust D's in black but I bought the car cheap and don't wanna spend a lot on it yet til I know it will be somewhat reliable. I will sell or trade for the ones I want.

 

Where did you find them ? I need some also.

 

I spent a couple hours calling the junk yards w/ no luck. Then I started calling around the LOCAL aftermarket wheel companies that hang on to trade ins and found them on my third call, at Tops Tire and Wheel in El Paso, TX.