348 Before & After Wheel Upgrade

ask the Papster

Pap drove it.

 

I'm sure its a beast. Too much $$$$ for now. Maybe next year I'll spring for it. Is the exhaust easy to put on? Looks pretty simple. I guess you have to get new gaskets.

 

no gaskets
just straight forward bolt on

nothing sounds like a Ferrari

 

Alright, I finally received the wheels and bolted one on the back using a couple of the front lugs (rears lugs were way too long as previously mentioned) and the wheel/tire sticks out a bit much for my taste. To the machine shop they go. I'm a bit nervous though as there does not seem to be much more then an inch of rim between the hub and the outer edge. Some have said they machined off 25mm? How much rim is actually required to maintain structural integrity? Machining 25mm would leave about 1/4 inch (give or take) of meat of mounting surface. Scary. I'd like to shave about 20mm. Next question is what to do with the area on the rim where the hub center ring fits? Does that area need to be bored out if the wheels are machined? Its only about 10mm deep and would disappear if machined beyond 10mm. And what of the two posts on the hub that line up the wheel on center? If the wheels are machined, will those posts bottom out and not allow the wheel to mount flush on the hub? Thanks in advance of the help. I've learned a ton from the brotherhood and I really appreciate the support.

Dan

 

Dan,

Somewhere I posted my 360 wheels on the 348 post with all the details on machining them down and cutting off the stock 348 bolts to fit. Just search posts from my name. I machined off .700" and re-bored the center to fit the brake rotor - no big deal. I cut the bolts off with a thin cutting blade (a machine made to do that). I kept my stock wheels and figured if I really wanted to put them back on I would just get a new set of bolts at that point. I really like the 360 wheels on the 348. Most people that don't know F-cars think it is a new model, especially with my rear le-mans grille.

 

Dave,
Thanks for the reply. What about the 2 posts on the hub? Did you have to cut them down?

 

I think I have read every wheel thread regarding the 348. I have a 348SS and I cannot find the correct offsets to have a set of wheels made, machined etc. It seems that the offsets differ on every set of wheels from 348, 355, 360s etc. Does anyone have the factory number that comes with the wheelsets on each of the 348 models. TS/TB and Speciale? I am thinking of having a set of wheels custom made and have no idea what to tell the wheelmaker in terms of correct offsets, brake clearance for standard calipers etc.
There is a thread with a spreadsheet on some of this, but from thread to thread the amount of wheel milling, etc changes.
Does someone have a definitive list?

 

Just remove them, I forgot about that. You don't need them for anything other than quick wheel changes - which unless you are racing it you won't need...

Make sure the machine shop gets the hub perfectly parallel to the rim face before machining or you will have wobble. I would think many machininst would know that though. It is AMAZING how much better the wheels look with just .700 machined off of them. Before from the rear it looked like I could take the thing off road they stuck out so far.

Happy machining...

 

Dave,
I figured those posts would have to come out. Thanks for the heads up. So I'm thinking I will keep my rear 348 bolts intact so I have them, and buy stock 360 rear bolts and cut them down by the amount I cut the wheels. That way I at least am ensured of a proper taper (that has been debated as well on the board, whether or not the 348 bolts have the same taper as the 360 wheels). I would think the machine shop could do the bolt cutting and threading? If not, I'll just send them to you....

 

Send them on down... If you are getting new bolts you should be able to buy ones that are the right length to begin with. Ricambi may have them.

 

Good point. I'll ring Daniel and get the available sizes. That way I can machine the wheels by an amount that allows the bolts to fit perfectly. That seems like a better option then cutting and threading.

 

Unless you are a cheapskate motorhead like me, I just cut the ones I had at no cost...

 

There is one member here that keeps good technical data, Tazandjan (Terry). Send him a PM and ask him to post his data in this thread. Terry hangs out in the 575 section so he probably won't read this thread. I'm pretty sure he's got an accurate list. I remember seeing it.