Need help with R34 wheel and big brake clearance issue

[GSX-R35]

I'm hoping someone knowledgeable can help me with an issue finding wheels that will fit my R34 GT-R. 

So my R34 came with Volk TE37s in 18x10.5. Not sure about the offset but I believe they're +12. It also has huge Brembo 6-piston front calipers with 370mm rotors.

I wanted to replace the wheels with Volk CE28SLs - after doing research I thought a similar set in 18x10.5+15 would fit fine but unfortunately after getting them and trying to get them installed we found that the TE37s in the same size clear the calipers only because the TE37 has a wider, tapered barrel giving it a smidge more clearance than the flat barrel of the CE28. The wheels can be put on while the car is on a rack but once tightened up and with the suspension loaded the calipers rub because there's just millimeters of clearance to the wheel barrel. The spokes clear fine but not the barrel sadly.

Unfortunately the only solution seems to be to find a different set of wheels and sell these CE28s. I like the look of the CE28 but they don't come in a 19-inch version that would give me the clearance I need so now I'm looking at probably getting Advan RS-DFs in 19x10.5+15.

I figure in a 19-inch size that should give me the clearance I need for my BBK but as you can probably tell I'm no expert in wheel fitment since I made the mistake of getting one wheelset already that didn't work. And so I was hoping for advice from people with more knowledge than me. Unfortunately I live in a small city here in the US without any major aftermarket parts shops so I can't try before I buy - just a few chain tire stores that may or may not give me the right info. I'll probably have to order my next set of wheels online again. Being in the US there's also not a lot of people with in-depth knowledge about R34s in the first place.

Any advice on how to confirm my next set of wheels will fit properly? One thing I'm wondering about is if I need to take measurements of my Brembo's what should I be measuring to help a shop figure out what would fit (unfortunately I haven't been able to pin down the exact model of Brembo BBK that's on the car)?

Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give.

 

[Duncan]

Well, there is a reason TE37 (and their copies) have been popular on skylines over the years. They have the best brake clearance which helped back when 18" was crazy large.

I know this isn't too helpful...but there is really no way to ensure a wheel will fit when it is close without trial fitting.

Width and offset are a guide to getting the tyre to fit within the guards, but even then the width of the tyre and aspect ratio vary between manufacturers and models

For caliper clearance, as you've discovered it comes down to design of the inside of the wheel. Offset can be a guide for that because wheels with a lot of "dish" generally sacrifice room for brakes. Some of the Japanese rims have options which provide more or less brake clearance but again it would not be a guarantee they fit. Generally, forged wheels have more internal clearance than cast

My suggestion is stay with the classic wheels on your classic car.  If you are determined to change going up a size will almost certainly fix the problem unless you choose low offset wheels.

 

[GTSBoy]

Here's how it works.

1. You have a wheel that clears the brakes.
2. You have a wheel that only just doesn't clear the brakes. You also can see and mark exactly where the caliper contacts the wheel.
3. You therefore have two wheels that you can very carefully measure and build a model of in Google Sketchup, or anything similar. You can then mark on that model where the clearance problems lie.
4. You can provide that model to any wheel supplier and get them to tell you which of their wheels are larger (than the caliper, than the CE) at the critical locations.

Effort in = reward out.

[Ben C34]

Grind the callipers a bit.

[Kinkstaah]

Measure barrel diameter.

Attempt to get clearing barrel diameter from wheel manufacturer.

My god its harder than it seems and massively, massively difficult, getting the barrel diameter, I mean.

(I think the TE37 looks better too, tbh!)

[lidz]

ce28's were sold in 19" (possibly not the SL variant though), they're just not currently.
Best bet might be to hunt for a used set like these clicky