[EuroStopUSA]

Hello,
My name is Ary form ESM wheels and I would Like to introduce some great new wheelsoptions for the Alfa community!

We are the pioneers in designing classic German wheels for the old skool market! Although ESM WHEELS weren’t the first ones in the industry, they had the only wheels in the market that redefined “THE OLD SKOOL FLAVOR” of GERMAN designed wheels. ESM WHEELS now offer a wide variety of wheels and colors to choose from ranging 15”-19”.

ESM Wheels is owned and operated by huge automotive enthusiasts whose love and passion for what they do is reflected through their customer service. Customer satisfaction is our #1 priority. Our mission is to work hard to ensure that every customer is 100% satisfied with the service, product and price.

ESM WHEELS provides the best quality wheels without compromising quality in a helpful, caring, courteous and efficient manner.

We now stock the ESM-002 wheels in SILVER ONLY 16x7.5 and 16x9.0 in 4x98 and 5x98.

Please click the link for pricing and to see the wheel options: ESM Wheels

Please feel free to ask any questions or PM me.

Thanks for your time and have a great day,

Here are some of our cars with the ESM-002 wheels

 

[racingswim2006]

Have you already stocked the wheels or are they made to order? i.e. would other offsets be possible? Are they true multi-piece wheels? How much does a 16x7.5" wheel weigh?
Is the center bore stated on your site with achieved with a hub-centering ring or is it a machined fit?

I like the ESM001 - it looks like an old Shankle wheel. No chance of those in 5x98?

 

[EuroStopUSA]

The wheels are in stock here at our shop The only options and specs are the ones listed on the site. The hub is a direct fit no hub rings needed Also the wheels are a 1 piece cast wheel but made to look like a real 3 piece wheel. The weight on the 16x7.5 about 20lbs.
We are also working on another wheel design for the alfa cars.... its ESM-009R They will be in stock in about 2 weeks
Thanks and have a great day

Have you already stocked the wheels or are they made to order? i.e. would other offsets be possible? Are they true multi-piece wheels? How much does a 16x7.5" wheel weigh?
Is the center bore stated on your site with achieved with a hub-centering ring or is it a machined fit?

I like the ESM001 - it looks like an old Shankle wheel. No chance of those in 5x98?

 

[racingswim2006]

Will you be making other spec wheels four our alfas?
I ask because the 5x98 wheels listed on your site will only fit on the 164 hub (center bore too small for gtv6 and milano and isn't a simple correction via a different hub ring- machining would be required). Also the offset will put the wheel very close if not past the fender in the front for even the 7.5" width wheel. The 9" will absolutely not fit without body modifications.
These are the kinds of frustrations that limit the market for non stock wheels as our alfas unfortunately are not as flexible with wheel spec variations as other cars. I was hoping you would say they were made to order so these specs could be massaged! I hope some more specs become available because you have some good looking wheels for sale.

 

[Tifosi]

Who's the guy about to poop in the parking lot?

I like the look of the wheels. Complicated without being as tedious as spoked wheels.

 

[SamW]

I agree with Rob, love the 16" wheels, but 7.5 with a 20mm offset won't fit the rwd Alfas, I would be happy with the 16 x 7.0 size.

 

[EuroStopUSA]

Who's the guy about to poop in the parking lot?

I like the look of the wheels. Complicated without being as tedious as spoked wheels.

The guy is a photographer from Performance Auto And Sound Magazine

I agree with Rob, love the 16" wheels, but 7.5 with a 20mm offset won't fit the rwd Alfas, I would be happy with the 16 x 7.0 size.

Im sure with a stretch tire you can make them work...

Will you be making other spec wheels four our alfas?
I ask because the 5x98 wheels listed on your site will only fit on the 164 hub (center bore too small for gtv6 and milano and isn't a simple correction via a different hub ring- machining would be required). Also the offset will put the wheel very close if not past the fender in the front for even the 7.5" width wheel. The 9" will absolutely not fit without body modifications.
These are the kinds of frustrations that limit the market for non stock wheels as our alfas unfortunately are not as flexible with wheel spec variations as other cars. I was hoping you would say they were made to order so these specs could be massaged! I hope some more specs become available because you have some good looking wheels for sale.

We can bore the center for your alfa no problem so it will be a direct fit The et 20 will work fine is you use a stretch tire or roll the fenders.

 

[Alfaguy35]

Im sure with a stretch tire you can make them work...

All right I'll bite, What is a stretch tire?

 

[EuroStopUSA]

All right I'll bite, What is a stretch tire?

Lets say a 7.5" wide tire takes a 215/45/16 tire right.... what you do to stretch the tire is put something smaller like 195-205/40/16 to get more room to the fenders. This is called stretching tire.

an example.....

 

[Del]

Is that gap between the stretched tire bead and the wheel rim legal/approved? I would have thought that the bead/rim match up was to be rigorously designed/controlled for safety, esp in hard turns. Looks pretty questionable, but it's only my opinion.

 

[EuroStopUSA]

Ye its legal Stretch has been done sine the early 80's on myany euro cars including bmw's and vw's till this day. If the rim is too wide for your application you can make it work with the stretched tire
Thanks,

Is that gap between the stretched tire bead and the wheel rim legal/approved? I would have thought that the bead/rim match up was to be rigorously designed/controlled for safety, esp in hard turns. Looks pretty questionable, but it's only my opinion.

 

[italcarguy]

Are you guys over by Germanex?

 

[EuroStopUSA]

Are you guys over by Germanex?

YES Stop by and check em out!

 

[racingswim2006]

Ye its legal Stretch has been done sine the early 80's on myany euro cars including bmw's and vw's till this day. If the rim is too wide for your application you can make it work with the stretched tire
Thanks,

Just because some instances of "stretch" may be legal doesn't mean it should be done, right?

A stretch tire may be fine for a show car, but it shouldn't be done on a street car and it would be impossible for a performance application because it won't pass tech at any HPDE event.

The Belle Tire and Discount Tire stores in Michigan that I spoke with today will not mount a tire in such a fashion, aka "stretch," even if the wheels and tires are off the car. I asked Tire Rack today also, and they will not mount a tire on a wheel that doesn't fall within the manufacturer's range for obvious liability concerns. Stretching a tire prevents the bead from fully seating, and constantly puts a load on the sidewall that it wasn't designed to endure. The smallest possible tire for a 7.5" wheel, according to Discount, Belle, and Tire Rack, was a 205. This may not rub on a 164 which means that it will work out just fine. But, recommending a stretch (especially as a wheel provider) raised eyebrows at the aforementioned businesses.

They also advised that even if you could have a "stretch" tire mounted, say at a buddy's shop or wherever, mount it on your car - and then have an accident - by not adhering to the manufacturers and DOT specifications, you put yourself (and others) at risk - and it may very well preclude you from any insurance claim or protection from another claim. I'm certainly not an expert on these things, but I have only put shared what the manufacturers have shared with me, and nothing else. It seems to me a more serious situation than simply having a slimmer tire mounted to allow it to fit under the body.

The solution would be to increase the offset and make it a proper fitment! Then a tire can be mounted that falls within the specified load range, etc. AND it will pass tech so you can enjoy the benefits of a lower profile, wider, stickier tire which most of our stock wheels don't allow! They are good looking wheels so there's motivation to make it right!

 

[EuroStopUSA]

Et 20 on a 16x7.5 will work fine on most alfa cars.... No need to hardcore stretch your tires. on a 16x7.5 a 205 tire would be great. Please contact us for more info. But what you decide to do with tire options is in on YOU. Always test fit the wheels and make sure they clear everything then mount your tire and call it a day
Thanks,

 

[Del]

Yes, after doing a bit of reading on the subject, it does appear to be a rage right now for some sort of aesthetics. The consensus in the industry seems to be that it is hardly recommended for cars which are to be driven on the street, only show types. There are apparently documented cases of tire failure due to this practice, and as stated above, if it goes against the stated manufacturer requirements for legal fitment, then there is no protection against legal judgements. Granted, people can do what they want, but if there was a tire failure on the highway, and others ended up being involved in an accident, someone could end in a world of legal hurt.

I would think that you would be careful not to advocate this practice lest you potentially be judged an accessory. But, just a thought, and my opinion. Personally, as a structural engineer, the idea of stretching fitment as I saw in many web photos just scares the dickens out of me, esp, just for looks?

P.S. I do like a couple of your wheels, however.

 

[MR2 Zig]

Would a spacer (10-15mm plate between wheel and hub) solve the problem?

 

[adamreed31]

Great looking wheel....has anyone successfully installed a set on their gtv6 or milano? I am curious how the whole offset/width issue can be resolved without rolling fenders or similar. thanks! ab

 

[gtv27]

I have 17 x 7.5 et35 with 205/45 on a gtv6 and it only barely clears the spoiler and inner guard when the wheel turns (in fact, a bit of massaging with a grinder and hammer was required).

A smaller offset (ie that pushes the wheel further out) will simply not fit unless you go to a much smaller diameter tyre. I have other wheels with a 30mm offset and they are marginal with 'shorter' tyres. IMHO a 20mm offset is just fantasy, unless I could see evidence to the contrary.

Spacers are not legal here.

Shame, they are fine looking wheels.

 

[EuroStopUSA]

Bump Thanks for the sales!