Progress Check Part 3

Another round of progress check with the ever slow workshop. This should be my last time delivering parts and I hope soon the car will be well again. Just tracking for some hard to find parts but I manage to find them due to good luck. The biggest problem remaining is finding a suitable rim. This is a major headache for me

for the whole process. Many people out there are only familiar with the diameter of the rim and that is it. So, it does not seem to be a difficult task. However, one have to worry about offset for caliper clearance and tire width and also the P.C.D. of your wheel aka bolt size/nut size. 

When only one rim broke, I had to look for solutions and the best way is to buy 2 rims. While my dad had a tire shop look for 2 similar rims, I had sets of wheels on loan till a suitable rim is found. The first set I received on loan is a chrome 18" rim. When I first look at the rim I knew right away it will not fit. Why, you may ask. Firstly, it is the kind where the front and rear have different offset making the front have 235 mm width and rear have 255 mm width. The maximum my front can take is 225 mm. Secondly, I am sure it could not clear my 4 pot caliper. Finally, after putting the rim on, the nut could not screw in because the bolt is too short.

Since the first one did not fit, I got a second set. This is the now popular rota style where Japan design is copied with super width with 8jj, 9jj and evern 10jj. It looks like it could clear any caliper but I have my doubt. Again I am right because my caliper is huge and this rim could only clear the top part and not the lower part of the caliper. The fault in my opinion is the diameter. This is a 17" and if it is 18" it might have cleared. The solution is to use my existing rim on the front because it could clear the caliper with the help of a spacer and these rota style is put on the back. Normally, a 9jj rim could not fit a Celica even on the rear but I have my rear wheels on negative camber. So, it fits. 

Now I only need these rims so that the car can be tested and sent for painting which are the final processes for the car to be completely done. Then, the last thing would be wheel balancing and alignment which needs rims of the same sizes not the temporary measure of 18" in the front and 17" on the back. I hope the tire shop could find an 18" with 5 x 100 P.C.D., width of 7.5jj and offset of 42 and lower.