How Low Can A Teg Ls/t Go?

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mwasnp

Senior Member
I am working on a new project. I am about to buy a teg ls, prolly a 98 if that makes a difference, and I am going to eventually turbo it. I want to slam it, mostly for handling somewhat for looks. I am going to be running some type of light 17's, possibly 18's if I can keep them under 14 lbs. How low can a teg go with out wheel rub / the downpipe or exhaust manifold hitting all the time? I am going to be using a good coilover shock set up (prolly tein). I'd love a 3" drop, but Im not sure its possible. I most likely wont have a kit, just tint. I want to have a sleeper. And if any of you have any time, some ideas on rims that are $250ish each in a 17"-18" size that are LIGHT, 16 lbs each max, hoping for 13-14 lbs. Most likely looking at racing hart, 5zigen etc. Thanks guys!
 
know whats gonna happen when you "slam" it, your gonna kill your shocks, i don't care what brand they are, unless you have them custom valved they can't hold up with a rediculous drop (like 3.5-4 inches), then 2, your axles aren't gonna be sitting anywhere close to their natural position... and expecially with turbo your gonna murder the joints and your axles will be shot... i wouldn't go any bigger than a 15' inch rim, but to each his own i guess... it's just more unsprung weight you gotta lug around, not worth it if you ask me..... that and your handling won't nessisarily be great being slammed... you got a good idea going with a tein street damper kit.. i wouldn't do anything more than a 1.5-2 inch drop
 
I plan on having a second set of rims, a 14" or 15" set of rotas (the ones that will be on my project crx) with slicks for the track, I just want to look good for the street. Plus I have heard there are handling benefits from a larger wheel, I just hate wheel gap. There arent any coilover/shock set ups made to be dropped 3"? Money isnt exactly an object, in the end I will have $12k or so into this car. If it wrecks the performance I dont want it, but for the street I am willing to compromise half a second in the quarter for some nicer looking wheels, I will be able to raise the car up for the track neways. Thanks for the quick response btw.
 
Originally posted by mwasnp@Jan 9 2003, 01:01 AM
well how low is safe and not "riced"? 2.25"?

Dont go by what someone else considers cool and not cool. If you are like me and slam shit on their nuts, then you do it. Just get an air bag kit, take it to a shop and have them rework the suspend where you dont have camber wear and you can lay it out. I seen a civic HB that had the "sub frame dropped" (body drop but for cars) and it didnt' have an camber wear.. tires sat flat, even laid out. Yes. you can drag with air bags. You might be able to autox if you have individual vales and switches to set the air just right.
 
Originally posted by mwasnp@Jan 8 2003, 11:59 PM
Plus I have heard there are handling benefits from a larger wheel

Isn't width more important than diameter? I saw a corolla (i think AE86) on 13x9's. Bigger diameter just means more rotational mass anyway, even if it weighs the same as a smaller wheel, there's still more to turn. Correct me if I'm wrong here.
 
Originally posted by preluderjs+Jan 9 2003, 05:43 AM-->
@Jan 8 2003, 11:59 PM
Plus I have heard there are handling benefits from a larger wheel

Isn't width more important than diameter? I saw a corolla (i think AE86) on 13x9's. Bigger diameter just means more rotational mass anyway, even if it weighs the same as a smaller wheel, there's still more to turn. Correct me if I'm wrong here.

It is more rotational mass.. but it results in a taller gear.. taller gear equals more top end. So if you drove on the highway a lot and stuff. a taller rim wouldn't be a bad thing. Ppl say "bling bling" big rims really slow you down.

3 lightings.. all stock.. 1 had 23's on it. they all ran from 14.3-14.5 range. Even the guy with his 50 lbs(each) rims.
 
a larger wheel even of the same or slightly less weight will have more of a negative effect on acceleration... and for handling you want a lightweight wheel/tire with a good contact patch and sticky compound.... with a 17 you will have more unsprung weight and a greater rotational mass this will fuck up your acceleration as well as your handling

read these

Unsprung Weight

Rotational Mass
 
I have read both, several times actually. I will NOT be street racing this car very often, I will keep it at the track where I will have my 15" rotas. I just like the look of a car that is low on nice sized rims. at the track my car can look like ass for all I care, long as it hauls ass too...lol Thanks for the help. So what I heard about a larger wheel diameter isnt true for being beneficial for handling purposes?
 
Originally posted by mwasnp@Jan 9 2003, 06:55 PM
So what I heard about a larger wheel diameter isnt true for being beneficial for handling purposes?

no not really...
people assume that just because the sidewall is smaller there will be better handling... people fall into the "if some is good more is better" mentality (or in this case "less is better")... the thing they dont think about is if there is no "give" in the tire to absorb the cornering force you might as well be riding on solid rubber tires.... the limits will also be less because of the tires inability to adjust and absorb changes in the surface you are driving on...
too much sidewall is just as bad though.. then you experience roll under...(if youve been to an autoX event you probly saw people with white marks on the sides of the tires... this is to check how much roll under there is so tire pressure can be adjusted to fix it)...
you need to find a compromise between the two... usually for small cars like civics the best choice is 195/50/15 or 205/50/15... they are light and have enough but not too much sidewall to be good for cornering....
most leMans cars are runing on 18"+ rims with 35- series tires, but those are compleatly different setups with rims/tires that most of us could not afford even if we could find them anywhere ($1000+ Forged magnesium
rims, $3-400 per tire and they are only good for a few hundred miles at best)... the $20,000 suspension setups tend to help too :)

now for street use it really doesnt matter... you shouldnt be driving anywhere close to the way you would drive on a track or in an autoX event so get whatever you want... just remember that public streets suck and if you hit something without enough sidewall to absorb the impact your gunna dent a rim
 
I was thinking 35 series tires 215 in width. Would this work out with 7.5" wide wheels? And 35 isnt TOO small of a sidewall is it? Thanks for your help. I will stick with 17's not 18's and I will keep them under 14 lbs. Which I dont think is out of control. I do want a good drop tho, prolly 2.5". What do you think. Good for handling?
 
35 is a thin tire for street use .. i dont know where your from or the road conditions there but be careful to avoid bumps and going into/out of driveways and shit... i just checked TireRack.com and they dont even show anything in a 215/35/17... theres a bunch in 215/40/17 (still too small of a sidewall if you ask me but hey its your call, just plan on denting at least one).... and finding a 14lb 17 is gunna be expensive

Buddy Club P1 QF
Racing Hart CP035
SSR Type C
J's Racing PR 6
Starform Real Racing Model II
Volk CE28N
Mugen MF10
Stern Aguzze-S07R
Stern Mach III
Starform Real Racing R2
Wed's TC-005
Volk SE37K
Impul NS-01R
Stark MS
Enkei ES-Tarmac

those are your choices for 17x7.5 14lbs and under
 
I am hoping for $250 a wheel or so used, I dont think I could afford super nice rims new (I dont have $3k with tires...) Will a 17" fit under my wells with a 40 series tire? Does anyone know where I could locate a 35 series tire? I live in minnesota, roads are pretty good here, I live in the burbs, do mostly high way driving. I am a pretty careful driver. Anytime I am gonna be going on dirt roads etc I will take my blazer or maybe my crx, which is about to receive some 15" rotas with 50 series tires. What do you think. That Im a moron? Or just that I have different taste. I do want good performance, I just want to have a nice looking car, since my crx isnt the coolest car looks wise.
 
obviously you want 17's... F the weight ... dont get anything that weighs 5832478lbs but dont worry about the weight too much ... these arent your raceing rims so fuck it... get something that looks the way you want it to and get some lightweight 15's for track use
 
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