Aftermarket wheels for my 1994 Viper
- Thread starter dchow
- Start date
Rheeder218
Viper Owner
My brother is a salesman at Discount tire 16 and Van ****. ask for Brian tell him you know me from the viper club he should be able to hook you up with a nice set of wheels at a good price.
Spending $ on OE sized aftermarket 17" wheels is ill-advised.....Not many folks in hisstory have upgraded $$$ on wheels and stayed 17" !
Saving old 17" tires ditto.........with your NEW 17" tires, maybe you can find some used 17" wheels ??
How about 97-8 OE Viper 5-spokes?
Saving old 17" tires ditto.........with your NEW 17" tires, maybe you can find some used 17" wheels ??
How about 97-8 OE Viper 5-spokes?
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cfiiman
Viper Owner
I'm in the same exact boat, I don't want huge rims though, so would 18" be a better choice for a gen 1? I would like to select a rim that is easy to get several tire choices as well.
Lots of new 18" options. Some quite light.
Remember, a Gen 1 OE suspension was designed and valved and sprung to handle and power-steer and power-brake with lightweight 17" wheels and tires. Any Gen 1 OE suspension has AGED....and is less suited to handle big, heavy wheels/tires, esp with NO ABS. It would be like YOU (or me) aging to 60 years, and now we are told have to put away our tennies and to wear COMBAT BOOTS... Fatigue!
If ANY performance venues are a part of your driving menu, remember the weight of your decison.
Remember, a Gen 1 OE suspension was designed and valved and sprung to handle and power-steer and power-brake with lightweight 17" wheels and tires. Any Gen 1 OE suspension has AGED....and is less suited to handle big, heavy wheels/tires, esp with NO ABS. It would be like YOU (or me) aging to 60 years, and now we are told have to put away our tennies and to wear COMBAT BOOTS... Fatigue!
If ANY performance venues are a part of your driving menu, remember the weight of your decison.
What is your reason for wanting to ditch the stock wheels?
Why not just use em untill the tires are worn, Then upgrade the wheels/tires at the same time?
I agree with JonB that 18's are a nice match for a Gen1. He has the latest OZ 18"wheel which is Very light. Check out his website: http://www.viperpartsrack.com/store/
Why not just use em untill the tires are worn, Then upgrade the wheels/tires at the same time?
I agree with JonB that 18's are a nice match for a Gen1. He has the latest OZ 18"wheel which is Very light. Check out his website: http://www.viperpartsrack.com/store/
viper067
Enthusiast
Need some clarification here Jon .... looks like you are saying that it is silly to get new 17" wheels, that there are lots of 18" choices available ... then say that the Gen 1 was really designed for the 17" wheel?
Simply looking at the weight of a wheel/tire combo isn't going to be sufficient ... if the wheel is larger and lighter, will the tire be heavier due to the extra size? How about the rotating weight ... with the mass moved further out wouldn't the rotational weight of the 18" exceed that of the 17" even if the 18" is lighter standing still?
He said: "less suited to handle big, heavy wheels/tires"
Jon is basically trying to shun people away from putting heavy 20"+ bling wheels on a viper.(great intention IMO)
There are a few 18" wheels that are lighter than the stock wheels and with a similar overall tire diameter will be a better overall performer AND Looker
Jon is basically trying to shun people away from putting heavy 20"+ bling wheels on a viper.(great intention IMO)
There are a few 18" wheels that are lighter than the stock wheels and with a similar overall tire diameter will be a better overall performer AND Looker
Brian GTS
Enthusiast
Call me old fashioned, but I love the stock 17's on the Gen I. For me, they are a unique trademark of the original Viper. However, if you want to change them and keep the tires, like Jon said, go with a nice used set of the Gen II 17" 5-spokes.
streetserpent
Enthusiast
My good buddy Gene is the manager at discount tire on 11 and Van ****..He hooked me up at cost for tires for my 04 srt/10..if you tell him Nick from Wise Auto sent you, i GUARANTEE no one will beat his price, and he will do the homework to find wheels for your viper! If you think you can get a better deal, call or send me a message and i will personally look into it! I buy (average) 2 sets of tires a week for cars...Nick
Sorry for my late reply, gone to Dodge Viper Cup at TWS.
Thanks Dom for expanding on the answer.
The OP wants to save his 17" new tires (how new?) and spend potentially large $$ for SEVENTEEN INCH wheels!?! If OP spends $3k on 17" custom wheels he is locked into to 17" tire options forever, few and far between. Quite an investment to salvage one set of sulightly-used 17" rubber! As I stated, most owners would NOT and have not done that.
17" OE wheels (and some 18s) are light, and even classic "sawblade" OE 3-spokes can be made to look great with chrome, or black-chrome, for far less $$ than new or used custom 17" aftermarket wheels. Before buying 17" Aftermarkets Id suggest chrome and/or color ..........or 96-7-8 17" OE versions.
And if PERFORMANCE DRIVING VENUES matter, remember the weight and suspension before bling.
Thanks Dom for expanding on the answer.
The OP wants to save his 17" new tires (how new?) and spend potentially large $$ for SEVENTEEN INCH wheels!?! If OP spends $3k on 17" custom wheels he is locked into to 17" tire options forever, few and far between. Quite an investment to salvage one set of sulightly-used 17" rubber! As I stated, most owners would NOT and have not done that.
17" OE wheels (and some 18s) are light, and even classic "sawblade" OE 3-spokes can be made to look great with chrome, or black-chrome, for far less $$ than new or used custom 17" aftermarket wheels. Before buying 17" Aftermarkets Id suggest chrome and/or color ..........or 96-7-8 17" OE versions.
And if PERFORMANCE DRIVING VENUES matter, remember the weight and suspension before bling.
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cfiiman
Viper Owner
Ok so 18" wheels are ok then for my gen 1, but will the brake rotors look small with 18's?????
No. 1992-2002 have the same size OE rotors, but had 17" wheels 92-98 and 18" wheels 99-02.
opnwide
Enthusiast
Just keep those sawblades until you burn the rubber off. You've just bought this viper, so it won't be too long. When you get the chance, $3500 will get you a set of sidewinders in 18/19. Those will be just as light as your 17s, and lots of tire choices as Vipers since 2003 have had them.
I've got 18s on mine, and its hard to find sport cups any more for the rear.
My '95 has 19" forgelines all around and they're a little heavy with the ps1s. My wife still likes the old chrome 17s and we're keeping them around just in case....
I've got 18s on mine, and its hard to find sport cups any more for the rear.
My '95 has 19" forgelines all around and they're a little heavy with the ps1s. My wife still likes the old chrome 17s and we're keeping them around just in case....
cfiiman
Viper Owner
Jon B, thanks for the reply, that is good to know, I've seen some that look really weird they must be much bigger. So I see that some mention 18 F and 19 R, is that what you would be looking to do on a gen1 or would you go 18 F and R??
There are "long spoke" Special Edition 18-19 OE 5 spokes, big and heavy spokes. No lip or rim. Total offset. Many like them.
The ACR-Sidewinders have the classic shorter 5-spokes, full lip and rim, lightest 18-19 Viper wheel, and only the Gen 2 ACR wheels (and OZ and SSR) are lighter than Sidewinder ACRs in 18-19 Only. They come in Full polish or Black.
If PERFORMANCE is not a primary concern, buy what you like! If Value matters, OZ, SSR, Sidewinder rule, and a bonos is LIGHTNESS
The ACR-Sidewinders have the classic shorter 5-spokes, full lip and rim, lightest 18-19 Viper wheel, and only the Gen 2 ACR wheels (and OZ and SSR) are lighter than Sidewinder ACRs in 18-19 Only. They come in Full polish or Black.
If PERFORMANCE is not a primary concern, buy what you like! If Value matters, OZ, SSR, Sidewinder rule, and a bonos is LIGHTNESS
cfiiman
Viper Owner
Ok, so it sounds like either way is ok either 18/18 or 18/19 just a personal preference, thanks!
