Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

Can we somehow put a block on SJM from posting in any topic except for those with Bogart in the title? Jesus Christ, every time I click on something that says "Billet Specialties blah blah'' or ''Greg welds a good choice?" all I see is "BOGART BOGART BOGART"

We ALL get it. You have made your point in EVERY SINGLE slick/skinny thead in existance on this board. We all know Bogarts are the best choice out there for all out drag performance. Leave the street guys to Dragwheelz.com to take care of, or Weld, or Greg Weld. Your wheels arn't intended to be driven on the street, and this guy WANTS to drive his car TO and FROM the track and TO WORK.

I don't think Dragwheelz.com thinks his wheels are "BEST EVAAAR" but I do believe he thinks, as do I, that they would be best for what he wants to do. Each manufacturer's wheels are BEST for different applications for different reasons. If I didn't want to drive my car on the street as much as I do, I would no doubt have a set of Alumastars on it, or probably even Bogarts. But since I do, Ill stick with my prostars, and or maybe Billet Specialties.

Different Goals = Different wheels.

RedRyder518

iTrader: (2)

I have considered all brands of wheels...the Jegs I do not like, nor the Greg Welds because as mentioned they are not going to offer much in performance and they are NOT made in the USA. I understand that my ZR1s are not made in the USA but there really isn't much choice when it comes to that style, which I want to keep as street trim. As I said before, I am interested in a light drag wheel that won't buckle/break/crack should I run it on the street to and from the track so long as I watch out for potholes, road hazards, ect (which I do anyhow), and still show a significant improvement over having my heavy ZR1s on.

Maybe this would be the wrong forum to ask, but would you really consider using drag brakes as a daily driver? I did a search in the brakes section and it seems to be a consensus they don't really handle daily driving very well. Maybe you or other customers have had better success?

Also regarding narrowing the rear, should I narrow it say an inch, would I just have to run a spacer for my ZR1s to fit? I would assume for sure stronger wheel studs would be used, but would that be safe having a 1" spacer?

Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

Can I ask your reasoning for this post? I can understand them not being made here, some people see that as an issue, but I dont understand how they are not going to offer much in performance? They are lighter than my weld prostars were, and lighter than almost any other street wheel out there?

RedRyder518

iTrader: (2)

I really meant that statement towards the Jegs wheels and more in comparison to all out drag wheels and not street wheels. I guess that came out wrong.

Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

Ahh gotcha..I think your car would look AMAZING with Billet Specialties on it! It has a mean stance.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

I have drag brakes front and rear on my '98 Formula, and I would NOT have them on a daily driver. One hard stop and then they fade thereafter until they cool off.

Dragwheelz.com

iTrader: (10)

Ill keep this simple. I like simple responses, you like long drawn out responses.

i am far from Digging myself a hole. I am answer simple questions with Simple answers about my product. And just a FYI i carry other products as well from many other wheel manufactures. I do not push many of them here as i see a set of 6k wheels not an ls1tech item. Do some research on Forgiato and Auto Couture. Those are some of my brands that i carry.

Now, Billet Specialties has been in the wheel market for over 20 years. I would think they know alot more about wheel manufacturing then you do. It's not just as easy as Welding a wheel spacer to a center so it fits. The make a Quality product, have a Quality name and will stand behind it 100%.

Also with warranty Concerns, we make Street wheels, We test them and make sure they are up to Spec, and will pass all stringent testing requirements. yes the 15" is SFI approved, the 17" Is Sae approved. That in itself is a selling point to some people.

Also Steve, I have been around bogart wheels for years, yes billet Makes a Outstanding product, And yes i think they are the best on the market Out of anyones 2pc wheels, And that is because They Stand behind there product, the fit and the Finish is 100% Quality. Thats why they are the best in the Hot Rod World, That is also why People Like Vic Edelbrock, Pat Musi, and Shelby Use and carry there product.

You might have more styles, More styles to me means Nothing.

Dragwheelz.com

iTrader: (10)

it is None of your Business. maybe 1 day we can meet.

I provide Simple Answers to simple questions with Common sense. I will Stand behind ALL of my Answers 100%.

It says you are an engineer, i can understand the way you have to come off and being so technical with your responses, but in reality 90% of these people want a simple Answer. they know the pros and cons of doing what they are doing and what they are looking for.

Dragwheelz.com

iTrader: (10)

I would not run a Drag brake package on the street, They are not designed for that purpose. You will go through Rotors like you do gas.

I would reccomend a Good Pad and rotor Combo also. That will add in the braking.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

So please tell me about YOUR product??? Please explain how your 2 piece design is beneficial over our 2 piece design which we’ve done many years before you came on this board. I love it when you throw ratings around. Please elaborate when I called out regarding your rating discussion and how they benefit the end user? Can you misquote usages again to others please?

I've discussed that we really will have little to no differences regarding strength and durability. I’m talking YOUR two piece design and OUR two piece design wheel which are BOTH a street/strip wheel. We've done them for years...I don't advocate them for most guys as there are (especially now) alternatives that are more economical.

Please don't dodge once again my request. I as well as others would like to know about your age and background. I'm 40, I'm a professional engineer, and am multiple degreed and been in the industry for many many years. I don't just type words that I cannot backup.

It's funny how I'm in here discussing many manufactures products and we get folks like 19 year old camaro396 who works in a shop as a new expert in the field. It’s also funny how I’m suggesting many products going as far as not even suggesting what we design and manufacture…yet we get people like him commenting.

…Obviously in your response to your age and background "none of my business"???? You're kidding right????????? You must be very young from that response. You would think that others would feel maybe a bit more comfortable knowing your background seeing you sometimes use big words like SFI or SAE...though you've misused their meanings. What type of shop do you own or are you working from home or is that none of my business as well? Credibility is everything if you’re going to discuss a product that you are so passionate about.

I don’t feel this thread is going bad at all. It shows credibility to discussion regarding product and design. I unlike you feel that it is important to backup all statements as there are too many internet experts on these boards who really have no validity in their statements. Heck some may be 16 years old…who knows. You can be anyone you want to be on here. The sad part about this all is some folks do not realize who they are speaking with and take advice of others who really shouldn’t be giving it.

Dragwheelz.com

iTrader: (10)

Age has Nothing to do with anything here Steve. Common Sense and Knowledge do. And so what if someone is 19 and has an opinion, Just cause you do not agree with that person you attack there age.

Degrees Mean **** to me so please do not throw those around. I Know many people Self taught and without High School diplomas that are ALOT smarter then those with Degrees. Also alot richer. So back to reality and the real world.

I give Simple Answers To Simple Questions that are asked.

My SFI And SAE sayings are not a Misuse, They are a certification that they have been tested and passed for a Consumers and drag racers Sense of Security.

Also Steve, If you look at the title to this thread He states Street Lites, and i gave my Honest opinion on the Street lites and how they will work for him. You came with your over technical post about what you feel is Correct and Should be done. I as well as others will Disagree. I like driving my cars on Big n Littles, 1 reason is it Softens up the Hard suspension, And i love the look. I as well as many others Know the pros and cons and adapt to them.

I type this as i am getting ready to close up my SHOP, Yes a SHOP, Store front and Install Bay, In the city of chicago. I will be back later so im sure you will have another 20 Paragraphs for me.

here is a pic of my store before i loaded it up. i dont have my digi here now.



just so you know i do have a shop. i dont work from my home.

Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

Whats wrong with me being 19? I'd like to think that I know quite a bit for my age. Yes I work for a Chassis shop, and yes I work for a Speed Shop, and I've never had someone complain about having to come to a 19 year old for advice on their particular setup. I am in no way saying I "know it all" but I don't see how you can use age as a determining factor in ones knowledge. While I don't "know it all" I do know quite a bit more than most folks that are two times my age. I'm all about helping people out, and learning as much as I can in the automotive and drag racing world. I'm not afraid to ask questions or learn new things..I think that judging a persons knowledge based on their age alone, without having any knowledge of their previous education or experience is pretty arrogant.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

You're right age has nothing to do with anything here. Knowledge obtained by formal education and professional experience is what matters. Your response by "none of your business" lends itself to assume that you possess neither formal education nor professional experience. I'm not one to ever consider education being a hindrance.

I fully support forums such as this to help inexperienced/less knowledgeable people to gain a quasi-understand of the mechanics of my business and this industry.

I never once stated I know everything however I can say with confidence and conviction that I backup my iterations. At this junction, I now consider this a moot point and do not wish to put anyone down for their ignorance. We are here to help one another and share knowledge amongst those less informed.

Your rating discussions were totally false and misleading to the readers.

I wish you luck. I also wish the original poster luck. Hopefully I’ve shed some light with my discussions regarding products to consider.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

Nothing is wrong with it, and I'm not putting you down. I commend you on your background. I would comment that some of my posts you comment in have little to do with our Bogart products as I compare and contrast many brands. You tend to overlook all what is stated and only see the word Bogart.

You apparently do not even understand WE have had street/strip designs for many many years and have used them on F-bodies, mustangs, trucks as well. Some are shown in the gallery. Hence the name street/strip meaning it is a street and strip wheel as I've quoted being similar to many other manufactures street/strip wheels. At this point in time, due to the fact china builds street/strip designs for manufactures now...it is hard to compete with pricing since internet users many times choose price over quality. From a performance standpoint, there are little differences, so I can see some of their points…thus why many times I suggest them or other comparables.

You know this first hand as you have personally purchased non-USA products. Not a bad choice at all...they work, performance benefits from other street/strip wheels like ours or others listed in this post are going to be VERY small...so choosing the best economical choice was obviously a benefit to you. My comments were made exactly to the original poster but you jumped in here without reading my post assuming that I stated nothing else is better then what I have to offer. This is completely inacurate.

RedRyder518

iTrader: (2)

Steve, I'm a bit confused on what you mean by street/strip wheel...you're not talking about your race wheels like the bolted Floyds (which honestly is my favorite and probably the ones I would get if I did buy Bogarts) are you? Or are you talking about like a 17" setup?

I am honestly on the fence between the Street Lites and Floyds...though I do have to stress, I don't plan on driving these on the street often, just to and from the track, and maybe a car cruise/meet or two...and being manufactured in the USA is a BIG plus on my side. As others have said, nothing wrong with Chinese wheels because I have a set on right now, but I am all about American made, even if it means paying a little more.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

I don't list the street/strip wheels. They are NOT our P1 or P2 wheels; they are NOT our road race wheels. We do them on a limited basis as I mentioned, there are other economical choices if you're looking for a look-alike drag setup. We’ve built strip/wheels on many models for many years. These would be a two piece design just as billet specialties apparently came out as of late. They are a one piece barrel utilizing one piece forged center. We drill some for shank lugs, some using steel inserts for stock lug-nuts, and its wheel dependant. I can design a setup using any non-bolted designs you may see in the P1 section.

China built products unfortunately are similar in performance gains and much more economical. When you can purchase a street/strip setup for 400-500.00 compared to 1000+, it is hard to compete and push a product of which we can offer little difference (aside from what the end users sees being appearance).

Most internet users make their choices based on price and only see the wheel is round and a 15x10 or 15x4 etc. Based on customer response, usually the person that wants a street/strip combo is someone looking for an economical choice as they rarely race the car and want more of the drag look. This is where the economical choices really flourish. Albeit pieces like what summit/jegs have now. …Thus the main reason why many people don’t see me discussing them.

I mentioned our street/strip wheels (which have been named this for many years) so that someone like camaro396 wouldn’t jump in here and state (as he did) that I always put my two cents in and suggest that everyone should only use our Bogart drag wheels. Unfortunately, it didn’t work because he only read what he wanted to. Many obviously didn’t even know we’ve done them for years. If you like the style of billet specialty wheels and don’t mind the price for the performance gains, it may be a good choice for you. As many find out, when they can purchase a set of street/strip wheels from summit/jegs less than half the cost, it is what most goes for. I don’t blame them, they won’t see any performance differences for the most part. This is why typically don’t bother discussing them as most go to the economy stuff anyways. I would rather discuss what opportunities a racer have using drag wheels using the typical slick/skinny setup.

An example of our street/strip would be http://www.sjmmanufacturing.com/customer_cam2.html first column first row. You can see the fronts are street/strip; the rears are our drag wheels. http://www.sjmmanufacturing.com/customer_stang.html 3rd column 3rd row pictured is a mustang with 15x10 and 15x3.5 street/strip wheels.

In short, our Bogart street/strip wheels are NOT like our Bogart P1 or P2 drag wheels and NOT like our road race wheels and do NOT reap the same racing benefits. They are a very strong durable wheel that can be used as a street or strip wheel…the big problem; they do not offer the racing benefits…the main reason why one really should even consider going to a 15” slick skinny combo. It really is a very poor street driving setup to say the least.

There may be more pictures; these are just two I happen to notice.

SJM Manufacturing Inc

iTrader: (5)

btw, I'd suggest, if you're considering using drag wheels on the street (against every drag wheel manufactures suggestions including weld, centerline etc) using our bolted setups, we've had almost zero failures in almost 15 years from the F-body crowd. They are VERY strong and VERY durable. I think offhand we have had a few people crack a shell which we can easily replace at minimal costs.

In response to our F-body drag wheels that have failed (which is a very limited number, off the top of my head, 25 by now in the years), most have been a result from guys using incorrect tires. Almost every one of those users had our non-bolted designs and were using against our recommendation the VW radial tires which are not load rated or speed rated for the car and designed for 5-6 inch wheels. Using a drag wheel as a street wheel is bad enough, using it with tires that are not rated for the car nor rated for the width wheel exacerbates the situation. Pump the pressures to the typical 40-50psi’s now and run it on the street work-hardening the material creates more problems. There’s always more than one side of a story when you hear about someone’s misfortune. I try to set the record straight on the boards. I am not advocating to anyone to use a product against the manufactures suggestion…I’m merely giving examples and causes of many of the issues.

I’d say, since you already have the non-USA products, you’ll really not see any difference in performance if you choose our or other street/strip wheels. Save your money and move elsewhere. About the only reason to change would be you’re tire of them or you want a different look. What you'll find is compared to the pieces you have right now...none will be "a little more".

If funds are tight, at least moving to weld prostars would give you more of a benefit without breaking the bank. Just like our drag wheels, many people have used the prostar drag wheels (against their street recommendations) without issues. Just stay away from the VW tires!

Dragwheelz.com

iTrader: (10)

so now its ok to run your Drag race wheels on the street..............

Dragwheelz.com

iTrader: (10)

Steve, I would like to thank you as i have had one of my best days ever on ls1 tech in sales.

Thanks.

Jason

Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

No matter which brand front skinny you use, like Steve said be sure to stay away from VW or cheap front tires! Go with something designed to go at a high rate of speed.

For Street use, MIC-1573 work great. 26x7.5-15 M/T Sportsman Fronts 8ply
For Strip use, MIC-3007 are the best choice. 26x4.5-15 M/T ET Fronts which are very light.