Short story: It's been a long, hard two months getting this put together, but my truck finally has new shoes. Wheels are ZQ8 S-10 wheels (1991 Camaro Z28 front wheels with different centercaps). 16"x8", with 245-50R16 Bridgestone Potenza RE950 tires. I love the way they look and so far am happy with the tires. I want to lower it 2" front and rear, but I have to check on some aftermarket front brake upgrades first, as these brake systems are usually based on modified or different spindles. I wouldn't want to lower it with springs only to have new front brakes lower it even more! Or worse, I drop it with spindles only to find the brake upgrade requires me to lower it with springs instead.
Long story (might want to grab a drink for this one). Best told as a timeline:
Thursday, August 10: Decide I want the ZQ8 wheels, which means new tires, too. I call Tire Rack and tell them the size I want (245-50R16) and ask them for their best tire for the rain, since my truck (like all trucks) has stability problems in the rain. They immediately recommend the Bridgestone RE950. I like the way the tire looks and read the reviews, so I ordered it.
Call my favorite GM dealer (Herb Jones in Elizabethtown, KY) and order GM wheel kit 12371218 -- the ZQ8 wheel kit. 4 wheels, 4 centercaps, and 20 lugnuts. I like the way they look, and since it was originally used on S-10 trucks as an option, I know they'll fit without the usual clearance problems that you can have with aftermarket wheels. Herb Jones says they'll be here in a couple of days.
Monday, August 13: Tires arrive. Darn they're fast! Call Herb Jones -- no wheels.
Friday, August 17: Take tires to Hodgenville, since the wheels will be in E-town. Plan is to have them mounted in E-town. Wheels haven't arrived.
. . . Call Herb Jones weekly. No wheels. Backordered.
Thursday, September 20: Wheels are backordered, with no tentative arrival date. I cancel the order with Herb Jones and call Jim Pace Pontiac in Niles, Ohio. They are a huge GM performance parts dealer. They have the wheels in stock. I find this odd, since Herb Jones should have seen them in their inventory and got them for me. I think Jim Pace is hoarding popular parts. Order the wheel kit.
Monday, September 24: Wheels arrive. I have a class at work on Tuesday, so I take Wednesday off to go to Hodgenville (where my tires are) and have them mounted in E-town.
Wednesday, September 26: Take the day off and drive 90 miles one-way. Pick up Dad, we go to the tire shop with wheels and tires. They mount three tires fine, but the fourth wheel is BENT!!!!! Damn!
Call Jim Pace Pontiac and complain. I get a return number and UPS the wheel to them. They promise to send a new wheel as soon as mine arrives.
Friday, September 28: My old wheel arrives at Jim Pace according to UPS.
Wednesday, October 3: My replacement wheel isn't here yet. I call Jim Pace Pontiac. They didn't have the wheel in stock, and ordered it. I tell them of my woes with ordering these wheels. They get my VIN # and say they'll do what they can.
Thursday October 4: Call Jim Pace and ask about the wheel. I am told it's been shipped to my house.
Monday, October 8: Wheel arrives at 6 P.M., too late to have it mounted.
Wheel was shipped in the same box I shipped my old one in -- the old labels are still on it. Wheel is obviously hand-packed. It has some minor blemishes on it which make me mad but they're not noticeable unless you are close enough to leave nose-prints. A lot of careful inspection shows that the wheel is not bent.
Tuesday, October 9: Leave work at 4 P.M., get wheel and tire, and take it to S&S Tire on New Circle next to TrailBlazers. They quote a price of $25 to mount the tire which is 2x what it should be but I decide to do it anyway. They did a great job, no problems, and only charged me $12. Finally, I'm getting a break on this endeavor!
5:00 P.M. I take the wheel and tire home, and put the truck on jackstands. I install the passenger side wheels without problems. I install the driver side rear wheel without problems.
I go to install the front driver side wheel, and it sits funny. I go to torque the lug nuts and they keep turning, and turning... Afraid I've got a damaged wheel stud (they are 19 years old) I try to pull the wheel off. It's stuck. 15 minutes later, the wheel's off. Wheel studs are fine. I clean and sand the hub and reinstall the wheel. Still doesn't fit, and is stuck again. 30 minutes later, the wheel is off. I take the rear wheel off and install it on the front (to see if the hub is bad). Fits without problems.
The wheel I can't install is the replacement wheel they sent -- the center hub hole is too small!! It wasn't machined large enough by a few ten-thousandths. It's enough smaller that it won't fit over the hub without cocking and getting stuck as it goes on, but not different enough that it's obviously not going to fit. Either this wheel is not correctly machined, or the wheel is meant for a '98-'01 S-10, which has a smaller hub. I sit down on the garage floor, madder than ever at having the wrong (or bad) part sent to replace a bad part. Right about the time I realize this, a telemarketer calls. I normally don't answer the phone (caller ID) but I grabbed the phone and roared at some unsuspecting salesman. I doubt the Lexington Herald Leader ever calls me again.
7:30 P.M. Now I'm pissed. I don't have any way to machine the hub or the wheel. I drive to Autozone and buy a brake hone.
9:00 P.M. After honing the center hole in the wheel for about forever, it finally slips on the truck. I clean and torque the wheels, and take it on a shakedown run. All seems fine. I seethe with murderous rage at Jim Pace Pontiac and GM Performance Parts until I go to bed.
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