Is there a reason why 21" wheels aren't available for the TC CX-9?

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ACT, Australia
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2016 CX9 Azami
I'm trying to purchase a set of 21" wheels (between 9.5-10.5" wide), and can't find any. I then got in touch with a local wheel supplier who offer a fill-redrill service to make a wheel fit your PCD, and said that a set of 21x9.5 (PCD 5x120) wheels I was looking at would not fit, even if the offset was perfect, and with tyres would be the same overall diameter as the 20" Signature/Azami stock setup. I haven't heard of an explanation as to why, but it's starting to seem bizarre that I can't find any compatible 21" rims for the CX-9.

Is there something I'm not aware of?
 
No idea, but if I can fit 22s on my CX-9 with tires that bring the overall diameter to within 5mm of the original diameter, there is no reason I'm aware of that would prevent you from doing the same thing with 21s. I wonder if maybe the reason they said it wouldn't work is because of the fill/redrill process? Maybe it results in a wheel structure that isn't strong enough to support a car as heavy as the CX-9? 🤷‍♂️

In any case, the supplier offering the redrill should be able to tell you exactly why the wheels you want to use wouldn't work. If they can't, I guess its time to find a new supplier.
 
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That was what I was thinking as well (process impacting structure), but wasn't sure. I've asked again to see if it's dependent on the complexity of the wheel design. Will update if I get anything for the sake of sharing info.
 
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I personally would advise against fill/re-drill because the structural integrity will never be the same as the original one piece alloy. I would be so paranoid about the welds failing and the wheel falling off.
 
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You should also take the load rating of the wheel into account when choosing your wheel. Not all wheels are designed to support the weight of the CX-9, and not all wheel manufacturers disclose the load rating of their wheels.
 
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You should also take the load rating of the wheel into account when choosing your wheel. Not all wheels are designed to support the weight of the CX-9, and not all wheel manufacturers disclose the load rating of their wheels.
Yeah, the wheels in question have a load rating of 900kg. As far as specs go, I'm extremely careful that I'm looking at wheels with the right load rating, as well as a lighter wheel weight.
 
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I personally would advise against fill/re-drill because the structural integrity will never be the same as the original one piece alloy. I would be so paranoid about the welds failing and the wheel falling off.
I wondered if this was something to think about. The company is pretty legit, and offer a number of wheel services (custom machining, custom forging, etc.) aside from being distributors for decent brands like Rotiform, Asanti, etc., so I was surprised when they said no to that particular wheel model.
 
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I did a quick check on tirerack.com there were a few 21 inch available ( well 4). but interestingly there were a lot more 22’s on the list (50!). Not sure why.
 
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