Lacessit

Hi all,

I'm looking to get a GC/Koni Yellow setup, and a new set of wheels in the VERY near future. I think I've got everything figured out thanks to searching through this site, but I've never messed with suspensions before and would appreciate it if some of you Gurus would chime in to confirm for me that everything is going to work out well.

I have an '04 Civic HX, it's my spirited DD and will see some occasional Auto-X. I'm looking to take it from the stock 185/70 14's (I think x5.5) to a set of Enkei J-speed 15x7 et25, running either 205/50 or 225/50's.

I expect to drop it 1.5" to a max of 2.0"

Online calculators show:
225/50 setup to be 5mm closer to suspension components, and 35mm further out toward the fender.

205/50 setup to be 25mm further out toward the fender.

So my questions for you guys:
Is this reasonable? am I going to run into any clearance issues? Got anything I didn't think of and should've?

TIA,
Dan

MindBomber

Thats a good set-up, I would recommend going with a 205/50 tire, only because you won't be putting enough power to the ground to require anything greater.

Lacessit

Thanks for the quick reply,

Honestly I've been thinking 225/50 mainly because it keeps a closer ratio for my speedometer, but also going off the reasoning that a larger contact patch for the same compound/tread rubber would yield greater grip when cornering. After all if you expect a fast lap time in this car, it will be all about maintaining speed; even with the small sacrifice in acceleration.

I'm just worried about fender clearance, if there's no fitment issue with the 225's I'd like to start there.. it's always a simple matter to get 205's on the next purchase.

Thanks

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

u wont be able to fit a 225 width tire on a 15x7 rim without stretching the tire drastically.

max u can go before stretching the tire is 215. i wouldnt suggest going anymore than that.

i would also suggest you go with 16x7 rims. 16 will give you a 50 profile (205/50/16) which will dramatically decrease your tire-wall flex (and tire wall flex is a big part of handling)

instead of getting wider tires (going 215 or 225), i would suggest getting sticker tires (like nitto 555, falken azeina...etc) and sticking with a 205 width. it will:

1. save rotational weight and therefore increasing your handling charaistics
(a 205/50/16 tire is MUCH lighter than a 215)

2. u wont rub
2.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

and ill coment on the GC+yellows since i have them.

if u are going to install them yourself, its going to be a pain in the *** because u have to cut the OEM strut up to install the koni yellows. there is a DIY on here by boilermarker (sp). google it, there are other DIY out there.

you might want to look into the tokico illumina + GC if u dont feel like cutting up ur oem struts.


the GC+yellow is an excellent choice. i have it drop nearly 4" and its been holding up for 3 years fine now. and i drive pretty aggressive.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

or have a specific wheel/tire set for autoX
keep in mind that EHP tires are built different, some have steel or nylon reinforcements in the sidewall, so even if they are taller, they are much stiffer than any wannabe UHP tire and much lighter (low tread thickness, but much stickier compound). Also, same 205 could have from 165 to 215 actual tread width - note how they look squarer.
Star specs, RE-11's, you name them.

As soon as me RE760's (nylon reinforce) are gone, i plan on using the 16" wheels just for autoX on the stickiest ones and rock me stock steelies 15"s around
But first, maintenance in miata, and then maintenance in the vic, and then mod more the miata

Lacessit

hmmm.. can you explain what stretching a tire is? I was under the impression it was sticking a narrow tire on a wide wheel- pulling the sidewall out. Do you mean to say it's the same as "pinching" where you put a very wide tire on a narrow wheel and pinch the tread into a conical shape like a motorcycle tire?

And I agree about the 16's. I settled on the 15's because I finally found one I liked, but it's only available in 15x7 or 15x8 (and 15x8 throws me into a different class for autoX) I started looking for 16's but "the one" I liked seems to be out of stock everywhere. Then I found the J-speed and thought it was nice, albeit not exceedingly light. I don't know why I grabbed onto the design, but my heart set on it quickly. Guess I can do some more shopping and see if I can find another 16 I like, I'm usually much more in tune with my head than my heart.

I doubt I'll run a dedicated autoX wheel/tire set, unless something really cheap falls in my lap. I already have 2 sets of tires/wheels (summer/winter) and need a third like a hole in the head. However, I didn't know the sidewalls were reinforced on the EHPs; I'll have to look into that.

and thanks for the heads-up sl33py, I actually already found boilermaker's DIY guide (didn't see another though, I'll have to look more carefully). It does look like a royal B***, but I think I'm going for the Koni's anyway. From what I've read they seem to be the closest match to the setup I'm looking to get, and it's only a pain in the a** once.

Damn, 4" ?!? I gotta see a pic of that! How do you drive that thing on the street?


thanks, and +1 all around

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

yes sorry, i meant pinching... haha im retarded sometimes...err...most the time.

i cant photoshop if my life depended on it, so here is my sketch of what im talking about:




check this video out. i advise against 15 because the sidewall will flex too much. something like a 16" would be a good trade off for daily+handling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_4hnKENW1o


here's the other article. pretty much the same as boilmarker's
http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/t...ion/index.html



gearbox says i have mudflaps...

i have less than a credicard's length clearance




you just gotta drive slow.... lol but the lower center of gravity is really nice.

Lacessit

THAT sir, is a badass picture!

MindBomber

+1!!

even if its of a ricers car

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

thanks!


yea koni yellows are pretty amazing. they take a beating pretty well. i did over 100+ canyon run days with these last year alone.

they are also LIFETIME warranty for the original buyer. if they blow, koni sends you a new one.

i found that autoanything has the cheapest prices around.

Austin62

sl33pyriceboi: what kind of body kit do you have? it is hot!

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

drive over here during the winter, sl33py - you will love to see what a plower is for

nice drop - does it ride very stiff?

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

its actually a lip kit/body kit hybrid. its front bumper + side skirts + rear lip.

and its the tsunami ricer kit.




i actually drive to bigbear during the winter to snowboard. all i needa do is cover the ricer vents on my bumper and i become a snow plow (even tho i do raise my car +6 inches from my daily stance.


as far as ride quality, its pretty damn awesome. when you dial it in to soft, its VERY comfortable. not stiff at all...and it still corners very well.

dial it all the way to full Firm and it handles amazing. you can tell its much stiffer than the soft setting...but i like that. i DD on full firm. doesnt bugg me. and its not so stiff that you'll break ur back.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

ahhh, OK!
thanks for the info on the coilovers, was not sure it it would have to be "weirdly" adjusted to run.
full stiff might be (easily) stiffer than my mid-to-cheap setup

Austin62

thanks sl33py!

Lacessit

Thanks again for the help guys, just to update:

I finally found a set of wheels I liked in a 16x7. So I'll be running 205/50-16's. Wheels are in the mail, tires are picked out and will follow soon, then it's time for the suspension. I'll post some pics after all is said and done.

...but I might not be able to wait for the suspension to show off, even though I know it's going to look goofy with 16's and no drop. =)

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

u gonna show us a pix atleast?!

Lacessit

LOL, Actually I wasn't. I haven't been able to find a lot of nice pics.. but this is the pic that sold me (in 18x10 instead of 16x7)


Personally, I'm tired of silver wheels. Thought I'd be going black or gunmetal, until I found hyper-black. I know a lot of you guys don't care for the silver lip but I like it, and haven't seen it much here.

For the record:
Rota SVN 16x7 4x100 et40
Hyperblack/polished lip
rated 15-17lbs depending where you look.

For tires I've decided on a set of Continental Extreme Contact DW (205/50-16)

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

thats' one of the most extreme body kits i ever seem for the civics - it almost reminds me of an EVO X

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

loll

Lacessit

Told you I couldn't find a lot of nice pics! LOL

Still that's the pic that made me like 'em. Just received the confirmation email they should be here Friday. I'll get pics up to show what they look like on a silver civic soon.