Hey dudes, well I'm thinking about thinking about getting some badass rims for the wagon sometime in the next few months, as well as possibly lowering it. I was thinking maybe 17s or 18s, but to be honest I don't know what to look for apart from 5x114.3 (and I don't even know what that means!)

My questions are:

what are the exact specs I need for new rims/tyres?

can you show me some pics of your cars with all your different sized rims, so i get a feel for what I'm looking for?

how much lower could i go without having to piss about with speedbumps and driveways and stuff?

how does the change in wheel size effect the speedo's effectiveness? can i get this recalibrated? i don't want to have to add 2.5% kms/h to my speed constantly :happy:

thanks guys!

what are the exact specs I need for new rims/tyres?
Tyre size will depend on rim. I'm not sure exactly what size tyre you'll want, but keep in mind that the overall rolling diameter can't change by more than +15mm or -26mm. Also keep in mind that you'll need properly load rated tyres if you want to remain 100% legal. The standard load rating is on the placard inside the door.

Rim-wise, you'll also need to pick the correct offset so that they fit inside the guards. I have stock rims so I can't say for sure, but most aftermarket rims seem to be around the +35/+38 mark?


can you show me some pics of your cars with all your different sized rims, so i get a feel for what I'm looking for?
Best bet would be to have a flick through Member's Machines, as most people have aftermarket rims on their cars.

Personally I'd go for a set of 18x8" rims.


how much lower could i go without having to piss about with speedbumps and driveways and stuff?
The various off-the-shelf spring combos (King Superlows/Lows or just Lows all round, or Lovell Superlows) aren't stupidly low. You're going to have to be careful with driveways and parking, but as long as you remember to take everything at an angle, you'll be right. Speedbumps will be fine.

Tyre size will depend on rim. I'm not sure exactly what size tyre you'll want, but keep in mind that the overall rolling diameter can't change by more than +15mm or -26mm. Also keep in mind that you'll need properly load rated tyres if you want to remain 100% legal. The standard load rating is on the placard inside the door.



Best bet would be to have a flick through Member's Machines, as most people have aftermarket rims on their cars.

Personally I'd go for a set of 18x8" rims.



The various off-the-shelf spring combos (King Superlows/Lows or just Lows all round, or Lovell Superlows) aren't stupidly low. You're going to have to be careful with driveways, but as long as you remember to take everything at an angle, you'll be right.

thanks man, would it be a safe move to put lows in the back and superlows in the front? or would that look dicky?

and yes I would like to remain 100% legal. :happy:

It's a matter of whether you want the car's still/bodyline to sit even (Lows all around) or if you want the gap between the wheel arch and the tyre to be the same (Superlow/Low combo). I'm not a fan of it - I reckon the Superlow/Low combo gives the car a 'wedge' look - but your milage may vary.

Superlows don't ride as nicely or handle as well as Lows do either. They're perfectly legal though, and plenty of members run them without complaint.

It's a matter of whether you want the car's still/bodyline to sit even (Lows all around) or if you want the gap between the wheel arch and the tyre to be the same (Superlow/Low combo). I'm not a fan of it - I reckon the Superlow/Low combo gives the car a 'wedge' look - but your milage may vary.

Superlows don't ride as nicely or handle as well as Lows do either. They're perfectly legal though, and plenty of members run them without complaint.

superlows obviously being the lower of the pair...?

might consider lows all around then, this would be ok with a loaded wagon yeah? the heaviest stuff I carry is guitar amps and drums

so what modifications would i need to do to fit new rims/wheels? could i just buy them and whack them straight on? I don't understand offset or anything like that... and what about the speedomoter being out by a few %?

I prefer matching up the arches with the SL/L combo, does give it a slight "wedge" look if you really look at it, but I like it better this way :D

My TL with 17s, SL at front, L at the back
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/mitchello/mycar200903292.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/mitchello/mycar200903297.jpg

http://aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1019247#post1019247

I prefer matching up the arches with the SL/L combo, does give it a slight "wedge" look if you really look at it, but I like it better this way :D

My TL with 17s, SL at front, L at the back


thanks dude, i really do like the look of your car... 17s looks really good too!

how much did you pay for the SL/L combo + fitting? i need to do some calculations :happy:

I got quoted $450 from most places supplied and fitted for front and rear Kings (SL front, L rear), I got mine a bit cheaper than that through a mate, but $450 is the price I got walking in to a few places.

Yeah I'm pretty happy with the 17s, they look a lot better on the car now it's lowered than before. 18s would be nice, but cash wasn't really permitting at the time.

I got quoted $450 from most places supplied and fitted for front and rear Kings (SL front, L rear), I got mine a bit cheaper than that through a mate, but $450 is the price I got walking in to a few places.

Yeah I'm pretty happy with the 17s, they look a lot better on the car now it's lowered than before. 18s would be nice, but cash wasn't really permitting at the time.

wow that's pretty cheap, i thought it'd be more than that...

i reckon I might go the 17s as well, they look classy and cool without looking overdone

just got a call from the crash repairers saying my car is ready to be picked up! :O awesome!!!!!!

superlows obviously being the lower of the pair...?

might consider lows all around then, this would be ok with a loaded wagon yeah? the heaviest stuff I carry is guitar amps and drums
Superlows are about 15mm lower than regular Lows. Lows in the back should be fine. Your car will still sit down a bit with extra weight in the back, but it doesn't affect ride or practicality.


so what modifications would i need to do to fit new rims/wheels? could i just buy them and whack them straight on? I don't understand offset or anything like that... and what about the speedomoter being out by a few %?
Offset refers to how far out your wheels sit. If its too far in, it'll fowl the suspension components, if it's too far out, it won't clear the guard. +46 is the standard Magna offset with 7" rims. All you really need to know is that the offset should be +35 or +38 for aftermarket rims.


how much did you pay for the SL/L combo + fitting? i need to do some calculations
Are you going to upgrade your shockies too? You should notice better ride and handling if you upgrade to a set of KYBs or the like. Plus, your shockies may be due for replacement anyway due to the age of the car. It's the same amount of labour to change springs and shocks, so if it needs doing, you should do it at the same time.


i reckon I might go the 17s as well, they look classy and cool without looking overdone
Just be super-sure that you want 17"s. The price difference between buying a brand new set of 17"s (rims and tyres) and 18"s isn't that great. Most people always wish that they went for the next size up... just make sure that that isn't you in a couple of months time :)

Superlows are about 15mm lower than regular Lows. Lows in the back should be fine. Your car will still sit down a bit with extra weight in the back, but it doesn't affect ride or practicality.


Offset refers to how far out your wheels sit. If its too far in, it'll fowl the suspension components, if it's too far out, it won't clear the guard. +46 is the standard Magna offset with 7" rims. All you really need to know is that the offset should be +35 or +38 for aftermarket rims.


Are you going to upgrade your shockies too? You should notice better ride and handling if you upgrade to a set of KYBs or the like. Plus, your shockies may be due for replacement anyway due to the age of the car. It's the same amount of labour to change springs and shocks, so if it needs doing, you should do it at the same time.


Just be super-sure that you want 17"s. The price difference between buying a brand new set of 17"s (rims and tyres) and 18"s isn't that great. Most people always wish that they went for the next size up... just make sure that that isn't you in a couple of months time :)

yeah well if i found something like this at the time of buying id be pretty happy:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130296475470&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching

i'm all about a comfortable ride, so if upgrading my shock absorbers will make driving more comfortable then i would definitely consider it.

what sorta price would i be looking at going lows all round, with upgrade shockies?

Yeah if I was buying rims, I'd go 18s (maaaaybe 19s), but my car came with 17s and I'm pretty happy with them so I stuck with them.

Yeah if I was buying rims, I'd go 18s (maaaaybe 19s), but my car came with 17s and I'm pretty happy with them so I stuck with them.

those 19s i was looking at would look pretty pimp on my car i think...

what colour do you think would match my car?

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c294/guitar_is_god/Image475.jpg

(edit)

Mitchello, I never, ever liked your shape Magna's......

However for some reason you hit the nail on the head with yours.....if it wasnt for the fact I've just poured $3K in parts into my car, I would pick one up tomorrow :ninja:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/mitchello/mycar200903292.jpg

I never, ever liked these Magna's....


lol ok then?

Yeah if I was buying rims, I'd go 18s (maaaaybe 19s), but my car came with 17s and I'm pretty happy with them so I stuck with them.
Yeah, I'm exactly the same. I really want something a tad larger and wider (18x8 vs 17x7 stock), but I'm finding it hard to justify the upgrade.


yeah well if i found something like this at the time of buying id be pretty happy:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....tab%3DWatching
Be careful though, it's supposed to be hard to find 19" tyres that are a similar rolling diameter and are properly load rated.

I like that style of rim though. A similar style of rim is Starcorp's Impul. Dainese has them on his Ralliart, there's photos here (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60523).


i'm all about a comfortable ride, so if upgrading my shock absorbers will make driving more comfortable then i would definitely consider it. what sorta price would i be looking at going lows all round, with upgrade shockies?
If you're all about a comfortable ride, perhaps the Superlows are not for you. Not only are they lower than the Lows, they're softer too. I've heard a few people complain that because of this, they are prone to bottoming out more.

I paid $1200 for King Lows and KYBs, but that was in the sticks with a trusted mechanic, so I was happy to pay that much. I would have expected that you'd be able to do it for less than a grand. You could save $100-150 by going for Monroe shocks, but the KYBs will ride and handle better. TBH I actually prefer how my car rides with Lows/KYBs than when it was stock.

lol ok then?

Talking about Mitchello's car.....sorry, for some reason today im horny over it.

Be careful though, it's supposed to be hard to find 19" tyres that are a similar rolling diameter and are properly load rated.

I paid $1200 for King Lows and KYBs, but that was in the sticks with a trusted mechanic, so I was happy to pay that much. I would have expected that you'd be able to do it for less than a grand. You could save $100-150 by going for Monroe shocks, but the KYBs will ride and handle better. TBH I actually prefer how my car rides with Lows/KYBs than when it was stock.

sorry for n00b, but what do you mean by the first point?

so what would i ask for at the mechanics? "gimme some king lows (or are they just lows? or are they separate things? haha ****...) and some KYBs thankyou very much"?

Talking about Mitchello's car.....sorry, for some reason today im horny over it.

hahahah one of those days :happy: good lookin' car though for sure

sorry for n00b, but what do you mean by the first point?

For a tyre to be legal, it must not affect the rolling diameter by +15mm or -26mm. Low profile tyres are where the sidewall is shrunk to keep the rolling diameter in check. It must also have the same (or better) load rating as the placard states. And obviously there will be different widths of tyres, to suit the width of the rim.

While it's easy to find a tyre that fits on the rim (while keeping the rolling diameter similar and being a suitable width) it is harder to find one that is also properly load rated. I'm not sure what size most members run on their 19" rims, but most people have tyres that are only '93' load rated, whereas stock is 94-95.

Strictly speaking, this is illegal (and hence defectable), and could potentially void your insurance. No-one's run afoul yet though. It just depends on how anal you want to be about being 100% legal. It's definitely easier to find 17" and 18" tyres that suit and are correctly load rated though.


so what would i ask for at the mechanics? "gimme some king lows (or are they just lows? or are they separate things? haha ****...) and some KYBs thankyou very much"?

Yup, King Lows and KYB shocks all around please. Take it to a suspension shop though - they'll have more experience, they'll know what you're talking about, and they can give it a wheel alignment afterwards too.

For a tyre to be legal, it must not affect the rolling diameter by +15mm or -26mm. Low profile tyres are where the sidewall is shrunk to keep the rolling diameter in check. It must also have the same (or better) load rating as the placard states. And obviously there will be different widths of tyres, to suit the width of the rim.

While it's easy to find a tyre that fits on the rim (while keeping the rolling diameter similar and being a suitable width) it is harder to find one that is also properly load rated. I'm not sure what size most members run on their 19" rims, but most people have tyres that are only '93' load rated, whereas stock is 94-95.

Strictly speaking, this is illegal (and hence defectable), and could potentially void your insurance. No-one's run afoul yet though. It just depends on how anal you want to be about being 100% legal. It's definitely easier to find 17" and 18" tyres that suit and are correctly load rated though.



Yup, King Lows and KYB shocks all around please. Take it to a suspension shop though - they'll have more experience, they'll know what you're talking about, and they can give it a wheel alignment afterwards too.

hmm... might have to ask some of the guys what tyres and rims they're running, get an idea of what to do. i would prefer to keep 100% legal, so maybe 18s are an easier option. again though, ill wait to see if anyone running 19s/20s wants to chip into the discussions :D

do i need to buy the shocks/suspension myself? or will they have it on hand and just install it and charge me? would it be reasonably cheaper to source parts myself then get them to fit them? that's how i got my crash repairs cheapened, found all the stuff myself and paid them to paint and fit

You can use this online calculator (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html) to play around with tyre+wheel sizes and rolling diameter.

do i need to buy the shocks/suspension myself? or will they have it on hand and just install it and charge me? would it be reasonably cheaper to source parts myself then get them to fit them? that's how i got my crash repairs cheapened, found all the stuff myself and paid them to paint and fit

Book your car in a few days in advance and they'll order the parts in for you and fit them. Springs and shocks aren't universal so they have to order Magna-specific parts.

Your milage may vary with prices. Best thing to do would be to get two quotes, one for parts and labour and one just for labour.