I haven’t seen this topic discussed before so I thought I would raise it to see what the received wisdom is on FChat. When changing away from OEM wheels, do any of you pay attention to the maximum wheel load of the wheels you’re buying? In my case, I’m looking at a set of summer wheels for my FF. I’m considering Lusso, F12 and 812SF OE wheels as well as aftermarket forged wheels from OZ Racing. The issue with max wheel load has raised its ugly head when I was looking at some nice 458/488 OE wheels which would fit but are simply not strong enough. The FF’s axle loads are 998kg front and 1330kg rear. This means that any wheels I put on need to have a max wheel loading of at least 499kg front and 665kg rear. The 812SF in comparison has max axle loads of 905kg front and 1145kg rear. Superalloys of Taiwan stamp their wheels with the max load (435kg in the case of the F12 forged front wheel) so this wheel is, in fact, too weak for the FF. I know that some FF owners have run F12 and 812 wheels on their cars and the forum’s wheel sponsors even advertise these wheels as being suitable for the FF. But I am left wondering what would happen in the event of an insurance claim - would the insurer refuse to pay out in the same way that they would if you used a tyre with a too low speed or load rating. Apptech make the 812 forged wheels and they don’t stamp the wheels with the max load. I’ve tried to contact them to get an answer on what the max load is but I’ve had no response. I’ve also seen a set of used HRE wheels which were fitted to a 458 but the max loads are 650kg all round - so the rears are out by only 15kg. OZ Racing make a forged set which meets the load criteria but the rear is only 10.5x21 and I need to put a 315/30/21 tyre on it which might be a bit too much for a 10.5j rim - I appear to be at the limit size wise for putting a 315 section tyre on a 10.5j rim. 295/30 and 305/30 tyres don’t have a high enough load rating themselves so that’s why I need to go to a 315/30. I’d appreciate people’s thoughts or experiences in this matter. Thank you.
you could try some Lusso wheels? https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/gtc4lusso-anthracite-wheels-and-winter-tires-new-lower-price.617789/
I am considering Lusso wheels but sadly yours will be too expensive to ship and I also have to pay 25% tax on top...
Thanks Joe. It seems that nobody has any opinion on this. I have contacted Apptech directly and they have refused to tell me (as a private individual) the max wheel loads of their products. Shame. They have helpfully provided some contact numbers for the Ferrari purchasing department but apparently there has been a lot of staff turnover there so no direct person to speak to.
Max wheel load rating is certainly an important consideration. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable driving around with wheels that are not rated to handle the load. OZ Racing fits the criteria except for the 315 size. BTW, what's the reason for the need to increase load rating on the rear with 315?
The trouble with 295/30/21 and 305/30/21 tyres is that their load index is 102Y and 104Y respectively. The FF has a minimum tyre load index for the rear of 105Y and this is satisfied by the 315/30/21 tyres out there. OZ do make a 11.5j x 21 rim in the Zeus design but the PCD is not for Ferrari. The Zeus is part of the atelier series which is notionally customisable but I have asked an OZ dealer to investigate this for me without much success (OZ not responding!). At this rate, I’m going to investigate BC Forged rims which will give me full customisation possibilities. I notice that Mickey Bharat has had success with them. My reason for persisting with OZ is that I like the Zeus design, they are TUV certified and, of course, OZ supplies Ferrari F1. I figure that if I’m going to dilute the brand ‘purity’ of my car by using non stock wheels, I might as well go with the wheel manufacturer which Ferrari uses for its F1 team!
315/30R21 is not an issue on 10.5 wheels. The recommended wheel width for that size tyre is 10.5-11.5". This is not an assumption, this is the official recommendation from Michelin. Pair that up with 255/30R21 and you're good to go. As far as insurance go. What you need to consider is this. IF, and only IF weight should ever be a concern in case of an accident where a heel has failed, the weight of the car at the time, will also have to be taken into consideration. Try and take your car to a weft station and see what it weighs on each axle. That is what you need to do to see if you're at or over the limit for a wheel. Then consider what you're using the car for. If you never run above what the wheels are rated for, you can run them with no issue.
thanks Il co-pilota. That’s reassuring. I was planning on a staggered 20” front and 21” rear combo. Fronts would be 255/35/20. OZ also do a 8.5x21 or 9x21 front so that could work with your suggestion of 255/30/21 too. Do you have any advice or are there any rules of thumb about going 20/21 or 21/21?
Rather than BC Forge, look into Forgeline. Better wheels. If you want to go with 21 inch diameter, I''d do the following. Front wheel 325/30R21 rear tyre on 11.5" wide wheels 275/30R21 front tyre on 9.5" wide wheels Front wheels 9.5" x 21 ET 45 Rear wheels 11.5 x 21 ET 50 You could run a more aggressive offset, but this offset will keep the manners well balanced without additional tramlining and understeer.
I personally ry to keep the front and rear with difference within reason. I don't like an overly large rear tyre in relation to the front. It gives way too much understeer and makes the car feel boring and unresponsive. The best front for a 315 would be a 265, but that will need a 9" wheel. like with the above 21/21 suggestion, if you go with a custom wheel from a company like Forgeliine or the like, a 11.5" and 9.5" front that makes a 325/30R21 and 275/35R20 possible, would be the best thing. But other than that, MPS4S using the 255 and 215 sizes would still work well. Don't go crazy with offsets if you go custom. It may look good, but it can also make the car drive poorly as an aggressive front offset will change the steering rollcenter.
