Krab

iTrader: (28)

I just got my SS fronts earlier this week and boy do they look nice. The fitment though, is another story. When I went to mount them on my car, they would not clear the calipers. I thought, no big deal, I'll just file them down some like is suggested in some cases. I filed each side down and test fitted every once in a while so I would not file too much material. After about an hour and a half on each side, the wheels cleared the calipers, but not by much. I don't think I can slide a piece of notebook paper folded in two between the wheel and the caliper. My question is, do you guys have any pics of your calipers showing how much you had to file off to get the Bogarts to fit? Or better yet, pics of the clearance between the wheel and the caliper? I just don't want to be driving around with that in the back of my mind.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

Generally, if folks are using STOCK OEM calipers, rotors and pads, there are no issues 99% of the guys don't have to do a thing. Ocassionally, there are nubs sticking out or a spot that needs touched with a hand file. Shoot me an e-mail with your information as I don't know your name by your screen name.

Occasionally, due to GM's fantastic tolorance levels ...ummm no...some do have larger then normal casted calipers. If your running other then stock parts (this does not include "stock" aftermarket replacment parts)...this may be the reason why you may be having issues. The only other alternative is if we built them for you, it may not have been put together as it was listed on the build sheet or an incorrect set was sent to you.

Shoot me an e-mail and I would be happy to discuss it with you to help you with any concerns you may have. If we find it was human error on our part, I would be happy to correct the situation for you.

Steve


Steve

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

btw, all you need is ~.100 of an inch clearance between any portion of the caliper and rotor. Not much at all.

Derek98z

iTrader: (55)

I'm going to guess you don't have stock calipers or use too fine a file to clean them up. Even touching the brakes up with a grinder wouldn't take 10 minutes.

Krab

iTrader: (28)

Actually, I do have stock calipers. I don't however have the stock rotors/pads on, I replaced them about a year or more ago with autozone rotors and O'Rielly brake pads. I'm also using a regular sized hand file (about 1 foot long) and it isn't very fine at all. I'll e-mail you with my info, Steve.

Krab

iTrader: (28)

Thanks for answering my questions about the wheels and clearance Steve! The wheels do look awesome! They truely are a show quality wheel.

Derek98z

iTrader: (55)

post up pics!

hand file was the problem. Air grinder is way quicker.

toddztoyz

Guys and Gals,

Bogart Wheels are really nice wheels, but don't use them on the street. My brother in law (Wicked_Hugger99) had taken his new Bogarts off his 99 SS and put them on his 99 Z28 daily driver. He was out messing around and found out too late that three inch tires on the front do not stop very well and then tried to steer out of the corner and his front drivers side wheel split in two. He went off a 15 foot drop off and totaled his car. He is now recovering from a broken 12th vertebrae in his back. Be smart with the Drag Only wheels. Let me know if you would like to see pictures.

Krab

iTrader: (28)

Derek, I'd post pics, but I only have the front runners for now. I'll have to wait until I get the rears to get some decent pics up. What can I say, paying tuition and high gas prices doesn't leave as much cash as I'd like for mods.

toddztoyz, that sucks about your brother in law. You're right, these wheels or any other drag wheel aren't meant for street use, especially not on a daily driver because of unexpected occurances that can happen. Such is the case with your brother in law. Steve/SJM state this to you and even have it engraved on the inside of the wheels "Racing only". Some of us are willing to take a small chance to use these wheels for ocassional street use because they look so good. I won't deny that I intend to use these wheels on the street on nice days/nights.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

Krab,

You’re more then welcome. Please let me know if I can assist you with any further questions or concerns.

Todd,

I’m sorry to hear about your brother, hopefully he is ok. As with any drag wheel, our Bogart’s, Weld's etc are not meant for the street. Drag wheels are meant for drag racing, not playing around on the streets. Please forward our condolences.

This danger is NOT only a Bogart danger, it is also directed towards any weld prostar/draglite or any of their drag series wheels. I'm commenting on other manufactures as some seem to think they are safe using a weld prostar or the like on the street when clearly they have a large stamp on it stating "for drag use only".

Your brother-in-law in the past 4 years of production is the first F-body to my knowledge was the first to ever have such a catastrophic failure. I would be most interested in seeing the wheels; you can send pictures to our e-mail.

Steve

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

Did the skinny hit a curb? When you run skinnies on the street, you need to take corners like gramma is sitting on the roof.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

Update:

I drove around my car yesterday for a while with the RT fronts, and they did not rub at all. My brakes are maybe a few years old. I did not have to clearance at all. I have bone stock, unclearanced calipers up front with stock pads.

Also, to the guy who's brother had an accident... sorry to hear that but honestly maybe he took the corner too fast. I took the first corner way too fast, I had forgotten how the car is with skinnies up front. Pretend gramma is riding on the roof and you don't her to slide off.

toddztoyz

Thanks for the condolences. I want to make clear too that I am in no way stating that Bogart Wheels is responsible for the accident. I was just making a point to everyone that these and all other "Drag Racing Use Only" wheels should take head of the warning on these wheels. These wheels that he had were some of the finest quality I had ever seen.

In fact Pro Stock John nailed it on the head. He was doing a G-tech run on his car and he did not leave himself enough road to bring the car back down and probably hit the hard right handed corner at or above 80mph when the car left the road. The police report stated that the car traveled over 685 feet after it left the road.

Now that he has had surgery on his back, they went in and put a titanium rod in his back with supports screwed into each of his vertebrae to provide support. He is doing well now and is even driving his Speed Inc. Turbo'd 99 SS a little now. Climbing over the roll cage is the biggest chore when in the back brace.


Again, I am not putting down Bogart Wheels, it was just pure lack of good judgement that caused this accident.

toddztoyz

Here are a few shots of the accident site to give you a little perspective of how hard this car landed. The first shot shows how sharp the corner was really was. The second shows the "flight path" of the car and how really close to the utility pole he came. The third shot is where the car landed after it went airborne. The drop off is about 15 feet below the road level.

CRAGER

My Bogart SS's that I bought about three years ago from Steve fit great! The fronts were close, but as long as I started to tighten down the lugs on the oppisite side of the caliper I had zero problems. If I would tighten a lug on top or near where the caliper is it would rub. Just keep that in mind.



toddztoyz- I'm very sorry to hear about that, very sorry. You can drive these wheels on the street all day/night no problems. It's how you conduct yourself on the streets is what matters. He shouldn't have been driving like that on the street + driving with those wheels and not knowing he can't stop makes it a tragedy.
I have driven on the streets with these wheels but the first time I was on them I was at the track so I knew they don't stop well. And I've heard the stories about front runners so I already knew that I can't go fast around corners or at high speeds for long. I have raced on the streets with these but only if I knew it was safe.

Please give Wicked_Hugger99 my condolences and I hope he makes a full recovery soon.


Peace,
Craig.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

A friend did that like 7 years ago with his Stang on Welds and I learned from see that accident.