GQ wheels

[Bartho]

Hi Guys,

Have just joined and from South Africa. Greetings !

I acquired an 96 GQ60, SGL 4.2 petrol, lwb, s/w about a month ago. Mods that is in the pipeline is the OME conversion and shackle lift. If my terminology is correct the shackle lift entails the coilspring-chackles to be re-positioned.

My GQ came standard with 15x7" steel rims with 31x10.5 BFG's fitted. I want to go up to 33x12.5x15 BFG AT's. Problem though is the rimms and therefore I need to get wider steel rimms and am thinking of going to either 8, 9 or 10" rimms. I don't know what will fit and what backspacing to use. By the look of it I would need to go for a 15x8 with a backspacing of 5". Is this correct and is there any of you that have fitted 9 or 10" rimms and what backspacing did you use ?

One set of wheels that I am interested in :

http://www.mrt-wheels.com/catpages/page09.html
(the indications is that they can make this wheel for offroad as well)


I have been emailing them but they do not seem to keen to do business. Ideally I am looking for a chrome/Black steel finish. Is there perhaps any sites you can suggest for online shopping ?

Much appreciated and good to have found your site. I got it off the nissan4x4 site in SA.

Cheers
Bartho

[Link]

Welcome to the board :)

I don't personally know of any online sites from which you could buy wheels. Every tyre store in Oz that caters to 4WDs has rims in stock that size, or can get them in.. but we don't really have any online stores offering them. One of the main rims in use are the steel rims from ROH - http://www.roh.com.au.

15x8 will suit the BFG's in that size.. Offset is not overly important, as standard offset if "0" from memory.. People who go to the larger tyre sizes generally use up to a -25 offset..

What sort of a lift height were you looking at? If it's coil sprung and you are going for say a 2" lift, chances are all you need to do is put on the new springs and shocks. If you go higher then it can get more interesting..

[Link]

Just had another thought.. Tire Rack in the states sells wheels online, and their range is huge.. I'm not sure if they ship overseas though..

http://www.tirerack.com/

[Bartho]

Thanks for the reply Link.

The GQ is something of a rarity here in Cape Town so there's not too many guys that can help me with the sizes. The feedback that I am getting though is that the standard offset on the 7" is 0 and then that I must use 15 to 25mm on the 8". 8" is also the recommended size.

I am speaking under correction but I believe the the full OME upgrade should give me about 3" and then with the shackle lift I will get another 2".
My concern is basically with turning under articulation. I don't really foresee any problems but rather want to be on the safe side because once I have imported them I can't really take them back.

There's nobody here that can do decent chroming on a wheel otherwise I would have a 7" steel wheel widened. Want to do it decently as the Patrol is a long-term project and I want to make it a show-piece. Obvioussly use it as well.

Thanks for the site - I will go and have a look around there.

Cheers

[embryo]

can you tell me more about this 'shackle lift', i dont know what you mean. im looking into lift for my gq at the moment, with a 3" supension lift you may need caster correction bushes (the bushes that hold the control arm to the diff) some people say you do some say you dont, put your springs in and see how it steers. any thing over 3" you may need adjutable panhard rods longer brake hoses and diff breathers poss a gear box spacer (depends if when its all fitted you get a driveline vibration) and depending on what you mean by shackle lift as to weather you need to do all this but from what i found everyone has their own theory, its all tryal and error i think

as for the rims a standard ROH 15 by 8 rim will suit your purpose, i dunno where you could get them try links web sites, just tell them its to suit a GQ and theyll send you the right ones, most places will send them to you but itll cost $$$ id think there is somewhere in S/A that would sell them. they retail at about $55 aust. dont buy tywanees cheap sh** the bend easy.

good luck

[blu125]

There has actually been quite a few people import steel wheels from SA to Oz in the size you need - I think they are a division of Tiger Sporting Wheels (TSW).

[Bartho]

I think u're referring to Tiger Wheel & Tyre - if so - I can't get helped there.
Not good news though if u're telling me u're getting wheels from here and I looking over there ! :D

On the shackle conversion, I saw another GQ here in town and this thing is totally awsome ! at least in comparison to mine ! Spoke to the owner and the guy that did the conversion - he seems to know what he is doing and the guy with the conversion have done some extended overlanding after the mod, no hassles - so if you can give me some time till next week I can see what I can find out for you.

The quote in rands seems to be quite cheap but I get the impression that the OME conversion along with the torsion bar - whatever - is a pre-limanary. Before I speak to much nonsence and give away my total ignorance - let me rather came back to you. I will pose your questions/concerns to this guy and note down his response and then you can give me some comments.

on the wheel side - the other option is the Mickey Thompson Series II.

ps - I were in Tanzania recently, should I post some "african" Patrol pics for you guys ?

[Chookman]

Have you considered buying some good condition second hand rims and having them Powder Coated black.
The ROH steel wheels seem to be similar in style to the ones your after.
Once the powder coated they will look like new.
Have had quite a bit of stuff done for both my 4wd and Hot Rod and isn't as expensive as you may think.

[Link]

Once the powder coated they will look like new.
Have had quite a bit of stuff done for both my 4wd and Hot Rod and isn't as expensive as you may think.
Or you could be slack like me and just get out the spray cans :lol:

I'll be a lot happier when they invent tyre machines that don't remove my paint :evil: :lol:

..and welcome to the board Chookman :)

[Bartho]

I did the powder coating on my Hilux's wheels but I feel different about the GQ. It's got a very nice chrome grill, mirrors and bumper and I sort of want the wheels to compliment the rest.

Just me being full of sh*&%^

[ozy1]

may i ask, if youve looked into the OME suspension setup, what part numbers have they quoted you on?

[Bartho]

Ozy1, embryo -

I spoke to the guy today and he were not that keen to give me much detail re his conversion. I suppose one has to see where he is coming from :!:

He does do a 3" conversion with the OME's and then another 2 with the coil spring adjustment (not a shackle conversion like I mentioned earlier).

In summary, if my memory serves me correctly :

The brake-pipes is not a problem as they come down in the middle of the diff,
The coil-springs "cones" get both lowered and also hightened to accomodate the lift (30mm at bottom and 20mm at top),
The crossmember gets bend at certain point to accomodate the "whatever",

and the gearbox spacers you stay away from !

I did ask him for some detail with a promise that he will send me some pics and a write-up. If I do get it I will post it, naturally.

Why am I going with him ? He did the conversion for another guy that does extensive overlanding and there is no complaints coming from him.
This guy in question also makes the most stunning bull-bars and I am to use him for that and also to replace my "sliding"steps.

[embryo]

yeah you shouldnt have any dramas doing a three inch lift, howevere my ars*hole nearly fell out when you mentoned BENDING the cross member??? this crossmember fits between the chasssis rails and when you bend it it aint gonna fit back in there! you shouldn't need to bend it. but if you havent herd any bad reports from this bloke go for it, just cross reference what he plans to do with another shop. can that bloke get you wheels?

shackles are the piece that holds the leaf springs to the chassis and so you shouldnt have them on your coil sprung car.

what do you mean by OMEs

look at www.autoalliance.com.au or try the links page on this forum, i dunno whats there. email as many companys as you can, tell them what youve got and what you want out of you car and they will point you in the right direction. autoalliance will post stuff any where even to you

[big red]

the cross member sometimes is "dented" to allow clearance for the front tailshaft and the same on the rear tailshaft.
I haven't had to do it with a 7 inch lift so you shouldn't have to do it with a 3 inch lift.
you can turn the rear tailshaft around to get plenty of clearance [thin section at the gearbox end] with no worries.
shane

[Bartho]

Thanks for the advice guys !

He apparently has some pics and some write-up which I am trying to extract out of him but I am getting a feeling that he does not want to give his "trade secrets" out. I'll keep working on him though.

OME's = Old Man Emu suspension :D

Not shackles, u're also right, he modifies the "cones" at the bottom and top of the coil springs.

Thanks for the advice of turning the tailshaft around. I will definately take that up with him. Bear with me - I will get to post some decent feedback from him soon :wink:

[embryo]

you shouldnt need to do any serious mods for a 3" lift. springs and shocks, maybe caster correction but thats it!

[grover]

Thanks for the advice guys !

He apparently has some pics and some write-up which I am trying to extract out of him but I am getting a feeling that he does not want to give his "trade secrets" out. I'll keep working on him though.

OME's = Old Man Emu suspension :D

Not shackles, u're also right, he modifies the "cones" at the bottom and top of the coil springs.

Thanks for the advice of turning the tailshaft around. I will definately take that up with him. Bear with me - I will get to post some decent feedback from him soon :wink: :worthles: been wanting to do that