any info on the SSR Competition?

[GT-S Celica]

i kno that i've been asking a lot of quesions, but i dont want to buy something and regret it. so bare with me people...

ok, i know that it's light as hell and its not that expensive. and according to wheelweights.com, its forged not cast (ssf). i'm guessing that ssf means forged. anyways, is this rim any good? is ssr a good company? does anybody have this rim on the celica? i would like to see some pics of the ssr competition on a silver celica.

[4PASNU]

Over priced status symbol!!!!

[GT-S Celica]

ttt

[GT-S Celica]

come on guys, somebody has to know something about these rims...pics, info, or ur opinion is welcome...

[GT-S Celica]

ttt

[Peab0dy]

I'd be hesitant to get the Comps for the street. I haven't seen them on a Celica, but I follow the Miata boards and the reviews are pretty mixed regarding durability, despite the Miata's light weight and sweet suspension

[Phil C]

Personally I don't like the 6-spoke look but SSR makes wonderful wheels (I've always been a fan of the simple look of the Integral) and the SSF (Semi-solid-forging) process offers nearly the same advantages as a forged wheel for a lower cost.

I too have heard that the Miata crowd, and at least one BMW driver, who started using the Comps as race wheels have run into durability problems as well though. Race and street are two different things though.

[GT-S Celica]

thnx for the info phil and peabody. so the ssr comp is not durable even if its forged? i do not autocross or street race much, but the streets in Los Angeles is pretty harsh. damn, thats ashame, i really wanted to get those rims.

anybody else?

[ghostface]

i think the ssr are pretty good wheels..my freiend had hit some pretty f*cked up bumps with his and not a dent or anything on them..hjes got them in gunmetal ona blue rsx-s....18"...here are some pics of our cars together...just for an idea...

maybe u can photrochop it onto my car or soemthing...

http://photos.yahoo.com/chode0002

ghost

[GT-S Celica]

isn't the wheel suppose to be really strong if its forged? correct me if i'm wrong people.

[GT-S Celica]

top

[Phil C]

A forging made with the same amount of metal and in the same shape will be stronger than a casting. This is a general rule and has a whole lot to do with the design of the wheel.

The potential problem with the SSR Competitions is that the entire design goal was to reduce weight to create a low cost, relatively, race wheel that had the lowest possible unsprung weight for it's size while still being made out of aluminum. Durability in this case is a secondary characteristic. I don't think anyone is saying that these wheels will dent or crack the first weekend you go out cruising rather that they are more likely to dent or crack than another wheel of a different design that uses the same technology. It wouldn't surprise me if you got 100,000 miles on a set using them for normal driving. Autocross or any other form of racing puts far more stress on a wheel than any street driving you are likely to do.

Semi-solid forging isn't quite the same thing as forging. I know SSR used to have a very good technical explanation on their web site. Semi-solid-forging heats the metal and holds it right near the melting point then uses a higher pressure force to mold the wheel than would normally be used for pressure casting. It's cheaper, faster and easier than true forging but doesn't provide quite the same metallic structure. Someone with more metals knowledge than me could better explain it, but I remember that it is closer to a forging in it's crystal structure than it is to a casting. Aluminum right near the melting point turns kind of gooey like warm taffy and is easily pushed into a form.

[GT-S Celica]

thnx for the info phil. so wat do u think about the ssr competition? s. california has some rough streets.

[GT-S Celica]

wats the miata forum add?

[Peab0dy]

miata.net is a popular one

I just reread my post and I came across pretty negative regarding these rims.

Honestly I like them a lot, both for looks and performance, and I'm considering getting some myself. If I do though, I'll go with the 16" to get a little more sidewall and the 11 lbs. I've bent a couple 17" cast rims in the past year, so I'm looking for a little more protection ;)

There used to be a description of all the different manufacturing methods for rims on tirerack.com, which I found helpful when I read it. It's probably still there if you look around.

[GT-S Celica]

thnx peabody. yea, i know wat u mean. i love the looks and the fact that it only weights 13 pounds, but its the durability tahts keeping me away from the rim. i'll check out miata.net...