Wheels and tires purchased - I finally convince the wife it was necessary to replace perfectly good wheels and tires!
Unfortunately, the plan for 285 width tires on AR torq thrust IIs did not pan out, for several reasons:
285s required 9.5" or wider wheels, torq thrust IIs (one-piece VN215) only come in 18x8 and 18x10, and I couldn't confirm a good fitment/appearance of the 10" wheels with 285 tires on the torq thrust IIs, particularly in the front. Besides, the 285 tires were almost $100 more per tire and, because my B is a daily driver, I needed all-season tires of the same size (to rotate) and the tire options are very limited. So, I settled on 275s. They are cheaper, there are more options, fitment is good (better range of offsets will work), will fit on 9", and the appearance, although not as beefy as 285s, are beefier enough.
The torq thrust IIs did not work out either. I really wanted the classic look, but AR’s 18x9 VN215s only come with a 0mm offset! There are, of course, the two-piece VN205s which I could get in 18x9.5s (and should fit with a whole range of available offsets), but they are more than twice the cost at $400 per wheel (vs. about $200 for the VN215s)! Finally, and really the deal-breaker for me, the more I envisioned the wheels on my B, I really couldn’t get over the gray color. I really like the mag gray, but it just didn’t work for me on the B. So I ended up starting my search over with a new mind set.
My research suggested that the safe bet for price and appearance was 275s on 18x9 black wheels – beefier tires on wheels that will support the 275s and more easily fit on the B, and look good (a 9” wheel is listed as the narrowest wheel recommended for 275/40 tires so will probably bulge ever so slightly, but I think I actually prefer the old-school look as opposed to a more vertical wall with an 18x10 wheel). I was still hooked on a classic wheel look and decided that, after much research and pricing, AR’s black 18x9 torq thrust Ms (AR105M) would meet that goal nicely – a bit more modern but still a torq thrust. I have been hard-pressed to find reviews/pictures of black 18x9 torq thrust Ms, with 34mm offset (AR105M8966B) and 275/40 tires for fitment and appearance, but in my research, the fitment/appearance should be exactly what I have been looking for. AR also offers a 24mm offset model (AR105M8165B) but I thought it might stick out too much.
So, I purchased black 18x9 torq thrust Ms with a 34mm offset and matched them to 275/40r18 BF Goodrich Comp 2 A/S tires. And I’m sure if anybody has made it this far in my wheel/tire chronicles, they are saying “great, happy for ya, BUT WHERE’S THE PICS?” And unfortunately, that’s where my story takes an annoying turn: AR’s black 18x9 torq thrust M wheels are nowhere to be found…back-ordered everywhere I looked! And, of course, the site I purchased mine from did not indicate that until the day after I purchased the wheels! My tires arrived within two days and have been sitting at the shop for two weeks now waiting for the wheels, which according to the latest estimate, might be shipped two weeks from now! Maybe in two weeks, two months, or two years, I will be able to post some pics…stay tuned.
You can imagine the wife's reaction to all of this...