Hi Forum,
I went wheel shopping today and saw a set of Lexani wheels that i really like. The salesman said he would give me the wheels, custom painted and a set of Nitto Z rated tires for $3,500. Has anyone on this forum have any experience with either Lexani wheels or Nitto tires? I want to know if both are quality products. Also, I plan to track my car occasionally, therefore I definitely don't want a low quality wheel that might fall apart at close to or over 200 mph.
Let me know what you think. Thanks.

 

Chris:

I have spoken with the folks at Lexani located in Nevada. They get their wheels from China, then drill the centerbore, wheel lugs and mill down the hub. I would price the Lexani wheels separately, as many vendors offer Lexani wheels. The vendor takes your order, sends the order to Lexani for custom drilling, and then sends them to the vendor for final installation or distribution.

Lexani has some very nice looking wheels and are considered low priced.

Then price the Nitto tires and see what you come up with. I would imagine that you won't be able to beat a Tirerack.com price.

Shop for the Lexani. If your guy's pricing is good compared to what others sell the wheels and tires for, then go with his deal. Make sure you get proper fitment. Lexani could NOT produce a wheel that would fit my 2009 Jaguar XKR in a 20" wheel with the oversized Alcon brake calipers and rotors.

I suggest you call Lexani direct and speak with them. They won't sell to you direct, but only thru a dealer of theirs. They are however very helpful in determining proper fitment.

 

I've had Nitto tires on a different vehicle in the past (I was show-sponsored by them for about 3-4 years) and if I'm honest, they ride great when new, but fall off quickly and then have incredibly loud road noise.

 

I wouldn't track those wheels or tires if you paid me.

 

Hi MaximA, are they just poor quality wheels/tires? Any known issues with them?

 

Chris:

What type of track and where do you expect to put your Jag on a track in AZ.

I raced my Formula race cars at many tracks in AZ, so I am very familiar with them.

Advise.

 

Those wheels just aren't the high quality forged wheels I would trust on a track. The amount of heat generated buy the brake on these 4000lbs cars in immense and that heat is transferred to the wheels and tires. I've had my HRE center caps deform from the heat of long sessions. So when its comes to track wheels I stick to BBS, HRE, CCW, OZ, Forgeline, and a few others that I can't Remember off the top of my head.

The last thing you need is a wheel slightly deforming or a tire delaminating from the heat. At those speeds things happen really fast and the last thing I want to worry about are my wheels, brakes and tires.

 

Do you have 20s on the car now? I was told that there is some recalibration necessary when changing rim diameter, but what do I know....I love the factory 20s (Kalimnos) that are optional on the XK, but didn't want to go for the premium dollars for new wheels and tires. They are super sharp and do make the car stand out.

 

I agree with the above.....

The Lexani wheels are monoblock cast aluminum wheels manufactuered from a mold in China, then centerbored and the bolt pattern drilled. MaximA is 100% correct in his statements. I looked closely at the Lexani wheels and since they are low priced, you have to realize they are a great wheel in quality and appearence for everyday driving, but not on a racetrack environment.

 

I actually don't know of any in AZ, though I would love to find one. I was thinking Miller Speedway in Utah. They have wide open Wednesdays where you can put your car on the track and go as fast as your car, (and driving skills), allow. They claim to have the longest straightaway in the US and faster cars can hit 200+ mph. They have definitely caught my interest. Also, there is the 1 mile straight in TX. I'll look up the exact name, but if I'm not mistaken, there you have a straight road/track 1 mile long with a radar thingy at the end. You pay and go as fast as you can for 1 mile.......I would really like to see if the XKR can break into the 200 mph club after the speed limiter has been removed, which is part of the tune/pulley mod I'm getting in about 3 weeks. I would be very interested in hearing about any other locations where I can track my car as well.

 

Agreed. I was also looking at a set of Savini forged wheels. Kinda pricey, but may be the way to go if I want to track the car from time to time.

 

No, I have 19's on the car now. Not sure if any additional calibration is needed. I probably should have asked that question myself....I'm new at this, what do I know?? LOL I agree with you on the Kalimnos. Those are great looking wheels. I'm actually considering those as well. Now that I know the Lexani's might disintegrate at high speeds..LOL

 

Chris:

Check out Inde Motorsports Park in Wilcox, Az. It is a beautiful and fantastic track. Privately owned and they have many events.

Also Wild Horse Motorsports Park in Chandler, AZ has reopened. Mile marker 160 on I-10....formerly Firebird International Raceway.

Bondurant driving school is located there.

I have raced at both tracks many times as well as Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, AZ.

See my website:

Home Page

The 2 tracks have open track days which would be what you want.

BTW: Arroyo Seco Raceway in Deming, NM has several open track days as well as Napa Raceway in Albuquerque, NM... I have raced them all.

 

i couldnt agree with you more about tire rack and their pricing.
They go out of their way to low ball prices for me cause of multiple orders.

However, custom applications of wheels and tires need to be verified before even placing an order

Their legal team doesnt allow them to tell you if an application will work unless it is within OEM specs

On several occasions I have refused to tell them the vehicle i was ordering wheels and tires for on the basis that I knew they would say "Inappropriate application or the factory doesnt recommend this product"