Adapting Honda Wheels
| Engine
Compartment |
Technical Info:
| Vehicle Specifications |
| Adapting Aftermarket Wheels |
| Power
Steering Adaptation |
| California
Engine Swap Certification |
| Road and Track article from 1978 |
| Sport Z Magazine Article |
Resources:
| Links
Page |
| A commonly asked
question
is: Where can I find aftermarket wheels that will fit
my ZX or Z? Short Answer: You can't. Aftermarket manufacturers do not make wheels that are compatible with the Datsun offset and bolt pattern. The stock Datsun wheel for the '70 to '83 model years is usually a zero to 10mm positive offset on a 4 x 4.5" (114.3mm) bolt pattern. The wheels commonly available in a 4 bolt pattern are for front wheel drive vehicles that require around a 40mm positive offset. If you were to attempt to bolt up one of these wheels to a stock ZX or Z, the inner rim of the wheel would hit the strut and not fit. For a more indepth explanation about offset, please visit this link to The Tire Rack tech section. Long answer: You can fit aftermarket wheels if you alter the mounting hub in some way that will accept a more common wheel dimension. One of the easiest ways is to use adapters from Modern Motorsports Ltd. These adapters bolt to the existing hub and provide the necessary spacing to allow the use of wheels with a high positive offset, such as are available for front wheel drive cars. The most common wheel selection are ones that fit Honda cars with the 4 x 100 bolt pattern. Since the geometric centerline of the wheel is nearly at the stock location, there is no concern about extra load on the wheel bearing. The illustration at the right should help visualize this. The adapters are 1.5" thick and come with pressed in studs with the typical Nissan metric thread of 12 x 1.25. You will need to buy 16 open back, conical seat lug nuts for the adapters, and 16 lug nuts that are appropriate for the wheels you select. Before I orderded the adapters, I measured my wheel and tire combination from the inner most portion of the tire to the hub face to be sure that I had clearance to the strut using a 1.5" adapter. The fit was perfect. If you are looking for other vehicles that have a similar bolt pattern to the Honda, Datsun.'s or other cars, this handy cross reference table is a good guide. Wheel Cross-reference |
 American Racing Vortec, 17x7.5 +40mm, 4x100 bolt pattern with 235/45-17 Yokohama AVS ES100 tires.  Bolt up adapter from Modern Motorsports Ltd  Stock ZX vs Honda Wheel  Strut Clearance |
