TVR Spider Wheels – fitting to a Cerbera and choosing the right tyres

The Cerbera looks great, it really does – a timeless design, but with those stock original 16″ wheels, it really needs some TVR Spider wheels, they just look so damn good.
 
Since owning this car, I’ve pretty much worked my way round all the oily bits replacing at no expense what it deserves, but now it’s time to focus on some aesthetics.
 
In typical TVR fashion, of course it’s not as simple as just buy some TVR Spider wheels and screw them on – oh no.


So here’s everything you need to know and everything you need:
 
tvr cerbera spider wheels
 

  • 4 front 18″ Spider Wheels
  • Front Tyres: 235/18/35 on a ZR speed rating
  • Rear Tyres: 255/18/35 on a ZR speed rating
  • Lock stops
  • A grinder 🙂

 
 
18″ TVR Spider Wheels are sold as either “front” or “rear”. You will need 4 fronts.
Those front tyres at the time of writing this are only made by 1 manufacturer in that size (Pirelli). I have heard of people dropping down to 225 size as that does open up cheaper/other brand alternatives.
 
The front wheels will foul the upper wishbone on full lock, so you will need a couple of lock stops. These small nylon clips very slightly restrict the full lock, and ever so slightly reduce the turning circle. Your 7 point turns may now be 8 🙂


cerbera hub nut beforecerbera hub nut after
Also, you’re going to need a grinder, or as I did, find a competent garage. When TVR started offering these wheels on Cerberas, the factory would grind away the thread on the rear hubs, else the centre caps wouldn’t fit.


One down side of these very low profile tyres I read about is that they can tend to tramline, especially at speed.
Since I’ve had these wheel & tyres on, I haven’t noticed this, but that is probably due to the fact that although all 4 tyres are Pirelli P zero, the front & rear tread pattern is different.
 
TVR Cerbera side old wheels
TVR Cerbera side new spider wheels
All in all, I am very pleased with the new look and the new stance, and having more rubber (wider tyres) is always a good thing in my books.
 
Including tyre, the Spider wheel weighs in at 21.7kg. The old wheel (OZ Saturn) with tyre weighs in at 21.5kg.
 
Note to self, I need to update the main photos on the homepage, and when the weather changes I will.
These winter months suck. It really is a rock and a hard place. I will not drive the car in the wet and even when it is “dry”, it is still damp and you just can’t get the hammer down anything over a third throttle. But I like to run it out at least once a week, just to keep things moving – these cars do like to be driven regularly. Come on Spring.. where are you.
 
edit: spring is here, site photos updated. Still loving these wheels, no tramlining whatsoever, and they do look so cool.


6 thoughts on “TVR Spider Wheels – fitting to a Cerbera and choosing the right tyres

  1. Mr. Cerbera

    I own a 2001 4.5 and I’ve always run the ‘standard’ front and rear wheels (42/33 ET) and dimensions (225 / 255).
    I used to be frustrated by the lack of turning circle in tight environments (!) but have improved the situation by using burnout turn technique.
    On the track, the car ‘turns in’ better than anything I’ve ever driven (Perhaps that emphasizes the limits of my experience) so I would never dream of changing the set-up.
    Just my tuppence-worth.
    Nice site 8-D

    1. admin Post author

      But Spiders just look so good 🙂
      I too have a spare set of the factory wheels with original size tyres on. I love them on a trackday – they are so much better.

      Spiders for “show”.
      Originals for “go”.

    1. admin Post author

      when it’s next in the air i’ll grab a pic. Sorry, don’t know- my TVR garage did it for me.

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