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Wheels and TiresNeed help with wheels or tires? Got fitment issues? Have questions about tire performance and handling? Ask all of those questions here!
Hey Joe, I didn't have any worries with the stud length when I installed my wheels with the spacers with stock brakes. You will absolutely LOVE the wheels!!
Here's a couple pics of my cars together for a comparison. One with the 17's and one with the factory 16" wheels
Wow it makes the 16” wheels look like the 15”s when you see them next to each other...
People keep saying how great they are in person too...
That Red very looks amazing BTW... what a transformation!
The gray 88-90 wheels are back in stock on Hawks website for anyone looking for these. I know they seemed to be out for quite a while but look to be available now.
For those that own these what are your thoughts on the paint on these? Because I have seen a few issues here and there with thin paint around the lugnut area and even some with thin paint on the inside of the spokes I am hesitant to buy these even though I'd really like to have a set. It's not making me feel any better that hawks has dodged my specific questions about the paint twice (while answering others) when I've reached out to them about it...
For those that own these what are your thoughts on the paint on these? Because I have seen a few issues here and there with thin paint around the lugnut area and even some with thin paint on the inside of the spokes I am hesitant to buy these even though I'd really like to have a set. It's not making me feel any better that hawks has dodged my specific questions about the paint twice (while answering others) when I've reached out to them about it...
I bought mine in February..I’ve been happy with the paint.
It's been covered either in this thread or another, but you are correct in that some of us definitely have "light" areas of paint. While frustrating, as it really isn't hard to paint it properly, for $250 a wheel, they're a great deal, even with paint issues. Not defending it, just saying when guys are paying over a grand per wheel.....you know....I mean they're dirt cheap.
I was hoping that the quality control issues were being addressed over time and maybe they are. I would personally rather them charge a little more and paint mine if $250 a wheel doesn't get you a good paint job. I do understand that the wheels are cheap compared to other aftermarket options, but those insanely expensive wheels are not even an option for me. It's really always been down to either the wheels from oe wheels llc (not aware of paint/powdercoat issues with those?) or these, and I really do like how these maintain the stock look with a subtle upgrade. I understand the value that Hawks brings to the market by supporting our cars with parts like this, and it is definitely much appreciated. I can live with the light paint in the lugnut area (although I'd rather not), but the spokes are a different story honestly.
Glad those are looking good @Galaxie500XL ! Those are the same wheels I'm looking at for my car!
I was hoping that the quality control issues were being addressed over time and maybe they are. I would personally rather them charge a little more and paint mine if $250 a wheel doesn't get you a good paint job. I do understand that the wheels are cheap compared to other aftermarket options, but those insanely expensive wheels are not even an option for me. It's really always been down to either the wheels from oe wheels llc (not aware of paint/powdercoat issues with those?) or these, and I really do like how these maintain the stock look with a subtle upgrade. I understand the value that Hawks brings to the market by supporting our cars with parts like this, and it is definitely much appreciated. I can live with the light paint in the lugnut area (although I'd rather not), but the spokes are a different story honestly.
Glad those are looking good @Galaxie500XL ! Those are the same wheels I'm looking at for my car!
They look even better mounted on the car. Took this picture a couple of weeks ago.
I was hoping that the quality control issues were being addressed over time and maybe they are. I would personally rather them charge a little more and paint mine if $250 a wheel doesn't get you a good paint job. I do understand that the wheels are cheap compared to other aftermarket options, but those insanely expensive wheels are not even an option for me. It's really always been down to either the wheels from oe wheels llc (not aware of paint/powdercoat issues with those?) or these, and I really do like how these maintain the stock look with a subtle upgrade. I understand the value that Hawks brings to the market by supporting our cars with parts like this, and it is definitely much appreciated. I can live with the light paint in the lugnut area (although I'd rather not), but the spokes are a different story honestly.
Glad those are looking good @Galaxie500XL ! Those are the same wheels I'm looking at for my car!
HI,
Sorry for the delayed response , the main place where Ive seen paint complaints is in the gold as it is on a silver aluminum base , we are addressing this on the next run as well as we can but there can be other issues that arise when you try to compleyl cover a blind hole but we are listening and working on it , happy to send you some pics of your order before we ship if you like , feel free to email direct if needed bruce@hawksmotrosports.com
HI,
Sorry for the delayed response , the main place where Ive seen paint complaints is in the gold as it is on a silver aluminum base , we are addressing this on the next run as well as we can but there can be other issues that arise when you try to compleyl cover a blind hole but we are listening and working on it , happy to send you some pics of your order before we ship if you like , feel free to email direct if needed bruce@hawksmotrosports.com
That is exactly what everyone has been wanting to hear. Me included. I bought a set of grey wheels already and am super happy with them! But I have been wanting a gold set for my blue car but have been hesitant to buy the gold ones with the paint issues that they've had. What you're saying is great news...these wheels are way too awesome to not want! New products usually have a few bugs to work out, so thank you for listening and addressing the issue!
Bump. I believe somewhere in this thread I mentioned throwing C6 brakes behind these wheels. Just an update. They fit and the braking is night and day compared to the stock brakes. Worth every penny.
Stock IROCs are 0mm up front, +16 out back. These are 0mm on all four corners, and are considered to be stock fitment, even though yeah technically...0mm, instead of +16mm. LOTS and LOTS of aftermarket companies make thirdgen fitment wheels this way, PLUS....it allows you to rotate tires. Lots of guys will run four front wheels, so their wheels are all 0mm.
I just put a set of the 17x9’s on my car with the Nittos and they fit great. They came with 1/4 in spacers for the front. i had to change the wheel studs to 54mm studs so I had enough thread to properly tighten the wheels. I used the stock steel spacers on the rear. I have Koni yellows on the car and the left front wheel scraped the inside of the wheel...not much but it did rub. I had to grind a small amount of the Koni down not to rub anymore. The right front and rears were ok.
The wheels look great and the paint looks even unlike the earlier examples posted here. They look great and you can barley tell the difference in before and after pics. On their own they look like the stock wheels. I got grey and it is a little lighter color than the stock wheels. Now I can rotate and have more tire choices. I also preserve the stock wheels.
Handing is better and the ride is also great. Original wheels had 15 year old Goodyear’s that were like bricks. These actually ride better no doubt. Hawks did a great job on this wheel and tire package. Totally satisfied.
Last edited by Reim; 08-23-2021 at 09:27 PM.
Reason: Grammar
I was working on mine today, and did find a tiny spot at the left rear that was apparently rubbing slightly. A couple of taps with a ball peen hammer moved this back about 1/4” without much effort.
Last edited by Galaxie500XL; 08-24-2021 at 01:19 PM.
I sure wish they offered these for those of us with 4th gen rear axles. I'd buy a set in a heartbeat.
I don't think it's really possible. At least in my opinion. The dish is part of what makes it an IROC wheel. To lose 45mm (ish) of offset would kill the wheel. -again...just my 2 cents.
Yes - in the picture of my car above, I'm running 275/40/17 BFGs on all four corners. Car is lowered 1" on hotchkis springs and has no clearance issues. The GTAs came with a small space for non-1LE cars; not sure what the offsets will be for the IROCs.
Hey, I know this an old thread but I am in the process of restoring / modding my 87 iroc.
I am going to be lowering the car 1" in front and 1.5" in the rear by means of a koni suspension kit from Hawks. I intend on running a set of the 17x9 iroc replica wheels with 275s from Hawks as well.
But, I'm having. A hard time finding a pic of my setup choice to see what the end result looks like. Could you please post a pic of your car again? I can't seem to find it
I just bought a nice 1989 IROC that has these 17x9.5" Hawks wheels installed. I was giving the car a once over like I do all used cars I purchase and noticed the front lugs with the mandatory spacer installed (with factory brakes) only contact the lug threads about halfway. I am surprised this has never been mentioned except on one post where someone installed 54mm studs to remedy this. It is clear without longer studs the factory front setup on my car is totally unsafe.
I picked up some 54mm studs for the front wheels. The grip length is perfect with the spacers in place. I will probably replace the rear studs too as stock length is marginal but probably safe? For how many of you are using these wheels on your cars I'm very surprised this problem is not mentioned here and even more surprised Hawks does not recommend changing the studs when using these wheels especially with spacers in the front? I also recommend cutting the tab off the struts as it is very close to the rim.
Here is the grip length on the front. I'm sure I would pull threads if I tried to torque to 100ftlbs!
Here is the rear grip length. Probably safe but still marginal.
With 54mm studs its perfect.
This tab on my Koni struts is very close to the 17" rims. It was actually nipping at one wheel weight. I think stock struts are the same?
I appreciate you mentioning this. Wanted to acknowledge it since no one else has. No skin in the game right now, but it's good to be on record for people reading about it.
I've never felt safe going high speeds in my car after seeing how little meat the lugnuts had to grab onto. Does anyone have a link to a set that would work? I'd like to use ARP but it sounds like the holes in the hub will need to be drilled out or risk cracking particularly if they have been machined down for BBU.
I've never felt safe going high speeds in my car after seeing how little meat the lugnuts had to grab onto. Does anyone have a link to a set that would work? I'd like to use ARP but it sounds like the holes in the hub will need to be drilled out or risk cracking particularly if they have been machined down for BBU.
You should be very concerned even at low speeds.
This is what I used: Make sure you press/pull them in completely.
What I find interesting is that studs in the Amazon link are listed as 54mm under head length. The ARP's are 63.5mm. IIRC, an extra deep bugle acorn nut was needed.
The extra length in this case was racing class mandated with an open lug nut required and the stud visibly protruding past the nut.
What I find interesting is that studs in the Amazon link are listed as 54mm under head length. The ARP's are 63.5mm. IIRC, an extra deep bugle acorn nut was needed.
The extra length in this case was racing class mandated with an open lug nut required and the stud visibly protruding past the nut.
I am so glad the lugnut issue was brought up because that is the exact reason why I logged in today. I finally received my 85-87 17x9 IROC replicas after waiting for about 6months for the right center caps. When I took my wheels to the local tire shop they refused to use the provided lugnuts for the front wheels (with spacer) because they said they only got 3 turns out of them. I refused to believe that so I just went into my garage and tried it and I got 7 turns; do you guys think that's enough?
I see that some of you changed out the studs for longer ones, that's exactly what I was going to do. I was recommended the ARP 100-7725 or the 100-7708, looks like the difference is just the tip? I see the amazon ones seem to fit pretty good as well. I guess what my question is, for those of you that used longer studs, were you able to still put on the black lug nut cover/cap provided in the Hawks kit?
Appreciate any additional insight I could get on this, although looks like you guys kind of address the safety concern I share! Meanwhile, I'll add those amazon ones to my cart, their about $25 cheaper than the ARPs.
Also one more question, what did you guys torque the lugnuts to? Thanks!
The black covers still fit with the studs from Amazon. They don't protrude past the end of the nut. I read that some people had issues cracking the hub with the ARP studs so I went with the Amazon ones.
I am so glad the lugnut issue was brought up because that is the exact reason why I logged in today. I finally received my 85-87 17x9 IROC replicas after waiting for about 6months for the right center caps. When I took my wheels to the local tire shop they refused to use the provided lugnuts for the front wheels (with spacer) because they said they only got 3 turns out of them. I refused to believe that so I just went into my garage and tried it and I got 7 turns; do you guys think that's enough?
I see that some of you changed out the studs for longer ones, that's exactly what I was going to do. I was recommended the ARP 100-7725 or the 100-7708, looks like the difference is just the tip? I see the amazon ones seem to fit pretty good as well. I guess what my question is, for those of you that used longer studs, were you able to still put on the black lug nut cover/cap provided in the Hawks kit?
Appreciate any additional insight I could get on this, although looks like you guys kind of address the safety concern I share! Meanwhile, I'll add those amazon ones to my cart, their about $25 cheaper than the ARPs.
Also one more question, what did you guys torque the lugnuts to? Thanks!
In general terms, the thread engagement should be equal to (or greater than) the diameter of the stud. If my math is correct, a 12 mm stud with a 1.5 mm pitch requires 8 turns for full engagements. Try an open lug nut to see if the stud is at least flush with the face of the nut.
Not sure of the origins of the Amazon studs but I'd research them before relying on them. Who is Muzzy? ARP is a proven manufacturer. You can't go wrong there.
With the longer ARP studs used in the link above, it was necessary to use an extra deep bugle acorn nut to keep from bottoming out.
Hi, new here. I recently got an early inheritance of my grandpa's old 86 camaro and have been looking up appropriate wheel set ups. Car has been sitting for 20 years, and the old tires are nearly $400 a piece so I've decided to get new wheels with more available tires.
Regarding these hawks iroc replicas, would you recommended new studs all the way around? Or just in the front with the adapter?
A side note: the camaro is all black everything, so do you think these replica irocs with the grey would look alright, or would the replicas with black be better suited? I'm torn because the 17x9 is ideal, but I think I like the black which only come in 17x8. Anyways thanks for your time in advance. I'm glad theres a thriving community of third gen enthusiasts.
If you're not racing the car, the 8" wheel (245mm tire) is plenty, and you'll never miss the bigger tire. ...that being said, black was never offered from the factory. Every black IROC had the "silver" (or gold) wheel accents. Might not be what YOU want, but no doubt it's gonna look good if you go silver.
If you're not racing the car, the 8" wheel (245mm tire) is plenty, and you'll never miss the bigger tire. ...that being said, black was never offered from the factory. Every black IROC had the "silver" (or gold) wheel accents. Might not be what YOU want, but no doubt it's gonna look good if you go silver.
Thanks for the response. I know they look amazing on irocs which have the silver trim and iroc lettering to help tie everything in. Just checking to see what people thought on an all black model.
Thanks for the response. I know they look amazing on irocs which have the silver trim and iroc lettering to help tie everything in. Just checking to see what people thought on an all black model.
Personally, I've often thought the black version would look pretty sharp. Further to that, at one time I had a black Sport Coupe that had the OEM 15" cast 5-spoke rims. They were totally black with no polished edges to be seen, and I though the result was pretty sharp. I believe the expression is "murdered out" as in all black. No chrome or shiny bits. I've been a fan of that since before it was cool.
FWIW: BFG still offers a 245/50-16 tire for under $200.
04-23-2021, 12:18 AM
