rim suspension

dominate9 · #1 06-10-2002, 03:30 PM

I have a 97 Accord on 18"s with 225/40/18s and I have noticed that my cornering ability has decreased..obviously. If I add a front strut bar to my car, will I make my cornering better?

CivicSiRacer · #2 06-10-2002, 08:48 PM

What kind of tires? What's your suspension set up now? Going to 18s most car's suspension will decrease in turning power and grip due to the 18s being so heavy that the suspension cannot move fast enough to keep up with the bumps in the road.

dominate9 · #3 06-10-2002, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CivicSiRacer
What kind of tires? What's your suspension set up now? Going to 18s most car's suspension will decrease in turning power and grip due to the 18s being so heavy that the suspension cannot move fast enough to keep up with the bumps in the road.

18" Focal SD5
225/40/18 Kuhmo Ecsta Supra (712)

I have a stock suspension.

CivicSiRacer · #4 06-11-2002, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dominate9

18" Focal SD5
225/40/18 Kuhmo Ecsta Supra (712)

I have a stock suspension.

Well that's your problem. You ever weigh Focal wheels? They weigh a ton. Plus larger/heavier wheels will slow how fast your suspension can react to changing road conditions and cornering abilities. And your stock suspension is probably toast from trying to keep up with heavy 18" wheels.

dominate9 · #5 06-12-2002, 11:00 AM

I had someone from superhonda.com tell me that it is because of the size of my wheels and tires...that it would be better if I had 17"s or have a 45 profile on my 18"s. Comment please

reXem · #6 06-12-2002, 12:07 PM

I won't pretend to be an expert buy I don't think that is right.... I have been told that going to the lower profile will help in cornering due to less sidewall roll....anyone know different? or if you can go to far?

CivicSiRacer · #7 06-12-2002, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dominate9
I had someone from superhonda.com tell me that it is because of the size of my wheels and tires...that it would be better if I had 17"s or have a 45 profile on my 18"s. Comment please

Yeah size has a direct corrilation with weight. The larger wheel you get the heavier it's going to be. Ask anyone who competes what they think about 18s and you'll get the same response as I posted.

For instance - I give you a 100lb barbell and ask you to climb a flight of stairs up and down. By the time you come back down I bet you you will be out of breathe and tired - same thing with heavier wheels.

CivicSiRacer · #8 06-12-2002, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reXem
I won't pretend to be an expert buy I don't think that is right.... I have been told that going to the lower profile will help in cornering due to less sidewall roll....anyone know different? or if you can go to far?

Yes a lower profile tire will help in cornering TO A POINT. If you have great shocks and springs your car will be able to handle lower profile tires. If you have crappy shocks/springs a lower profile tire will just feel like crap around corners. You have to remember tires also absorb shock and such from the roads (little ones) as compared to your shocks/springs.

A too low of a profile will just skip around on corners cause there's no cusion to grab away at. Something like the difference of a road bike and a mountain bike.

reXem · #9 06-12-2002, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CivicSiRacer

Yeah size has a direct corrilation with weight. The larger wheel you get the heavier it's going to be. Ask anyone who competes what they think about 18s and you'll get the same response as I posted.

For instance - I give you a 100lb barbell and ask you to climb a flight of stairs up and down. By the time you come back down I bet you you will be out of breathe and tired - same thing with heavier wheels.

That is not necessarily true it all depends on how much you spend....but in general it works ONCE you go into 17s and 18s....but for a average price you can 16s that are lighter than my stock 14s.....

Protek · #10 06-12-2002, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reXem

That is not necessarily true it all depends on how much you spend....but in general it works ONCE you go into 17s and 18s....but for a average price you can 16s that are lighter than my stock 14s.....

What are you talking about? What the hell does money have to do with anything?

reXem · #11 06-12-2002, 02:19 PM

If you only want to spend 140bucks a rim on 18s you are gonna get cheap ass rims that are quite heavy but go spend 300 or 400 on rim and you can 17s that wiegh like 15lbs.....my stock 14s wiegh 17lbs.....that is where money comes in....Just because they are larger doesn't automatically make them heavier....just gotta pay more to get them lighter....but there are expensive rims that are heavy too.....All I am getting is everyone is generalizing that larger rims will ALWAYS be heavier and therefore you have less power.....

CivicSiRacer · #12 06-12-2002, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reXem

That is not necessarily true it all depends on how much you spend....but in general it works ONCE you go into 17s and 18s....but for a average price you can 16s that are lighter than my stock 14s.....

They maybe lighter but the weight is pushed further out from the center of the hub. Which means it takes more energy to spin them.

Take a 14" wheel at 14lbs, and a 16" wheel at 14lbs and the 16" wheel has more rolling resistance (weight is further out from the center), more energy to turn those wheels since they the weight is further out, but it should have more grip as long as you upgrade the tires too.

I'm trying to come up with an example

But right now we're talking about his 18s taking a toll on his suspension.

CivicSiRacer · #13 06-12-2002, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CivicSiRacer

They maybe lighter but the weight is pushed further out from the center of the hub. Which means it takes more energy to spin them.

Take a 14" wheel at 14lbs, and a 16" wheel at 14lbs and the 16" wheel has more rolling resistance (weight is further out from the center), more energy to turn those wheels since they the weight is further out, but it should have more grip as long as you upgrade the tires too.

I'm trying to come up with an example

But right now we're talking about his 18s taking a toll on his suspension.

Don't know if this is a good example, but:
Take a merry-go-round like the ones at playgrounds. Put 5 kids on it at the edges of it. Try to spin it. Then take those 5 kids and put them in the middle - and try to spin it again. The 2nd setup will be easier to spin than the 1st setup.

Protek · #14 06-12-2002, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CivicSiRacer

Don't know if this is a good example, but:
Take a merry-go-round like the ones at playgrounds. Put 5 kids on it at the edges of it. Try to spin it. Then take those 5 kids and put them in the middle - and try to spin it again. The 2nd setup will be easier to spin than the 1st setup.

Well spoke RAcer

reXem · #15 06-12-2002, 02:50 PM

Very true I really hadn't thought of it that way mainly because rims have different designs.....take a stock CRX Si rim the design has a design of very wide thick spokes but take a simple6-spoke rim that has narrow spokes....the wieght distrobution between the two are very different....even if they are the same diameter and the same wieght then you can still run into the same problem.....so I was just tryign to keep it as general as possible.....

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