jim from CA

Hi everyone! I wonder if some of you may remember me, for I have not posted for months now!

I have a few simple questions for all of you intelligent 'luders!

As you may know, I am fairly new to the 'import-scene'. Not quite as new as I was last year, thanks to all of you who have helped me so kindly in all of my previous posts!

Here are my few questions. They are in regards to lowering my 1995 Prelude Si. I plan on purchasing Eibach Sportlines with KYB shocks.

A.) I plan on buying new tires. (I have decided on Bridgestone Potenza 730's!) My question is, what size shall I get? I do not think I should be going with the stock 205/55/15 (stock wheels). Should I buy something more like, say, 215/45/15?

B.) I hear much about 'camber'. I am afraid I am not exactly sure what it is (or how to pronounce it!). I feel it has something to do with alignment...would it be necessary for my to purchase a kit with my planned suspension? Also, what exactly is in a kit, and where does it go?

C.) If I were to inspect a bushing on my wheel, where would I look? I hear noises (clunk, rub)and I fear that is what it may be. I have looked at my shock and I saw no unusuals. No leaks means it is still good, correct?

D.) I was also looking into sway bars, strut bars, and tie bars. I apologize that I have learned the difference many times and still cannot seem to grasp it . I would like to consider some in the future, for I would like my vehicle to handle beautifully! Which
bar(s) do you think are the ideal choices?

I absolutely am overly thankful for your responses. Again and again, I do apologize for my ignorance. Please understand that I will not have many more obvious questions in the future! Unfortunately, I do not have many friends who support my Prelude ..except for all you helpful people!

TIATIATIATIATIATIA

-Jim

 

Weenie

A: are you getting aftermarket rims? if you keep the stock rims, then you have to keep the 205/55/15. if you want to upgrade to 17 inch rims, you should get 215/40/17, depending on how wide your rims are.

B: camber is when your alignment is out of wack and needs to be kept aligned. basically its when your wheel is slanted in or out, which leads to unnatural tire wear and damage to your full suspension. if you lower your car more than 2 inches then youll need a camber kit, otherwise your fine.

C: bushings are not easy to see or inspect. go to an alignment shop and get it checked out.

d: Sway bar=the bar that goes underneath your car. reduces body roll. you should buy one for the front and back. neuspeed or suspension techniques are good choices. strut bars=the ones that go across your engine bay or across your trunk (connecting your shock towers) to keep the chassis tight. it basically reduces understeer that is caused by chassis flex. tie bar= i think they are the same as strut bars, not sure on that one though.

told you guys im not a newbie dumbass

__________________
AKA 93PreludeSI2.3 (On SHO)
1993 Black Prelude SI
2.3L DOHC 5-Speed
-AEM CAI
-Greddy Power Extreme

jim from CA

Thank you, Weenie! (I like your user name, by the way!)

To answer your question, I am staying with my stock wheels. I thought that maybe a thinner tire would be better for me, but as you all should see, I probably know less than all of you!

Here is my final question:

E.) What is bodyroll, chassis, and understeer?


Thank you all once again, and a special thanks to Weenie, my first respondee

TIA!!!!!

-Jim

Weenie

a wider tire is best in any case, since your getting more rubber meeting the road

bodyroll= when you go around a turn and the whole body of the car dips to one side.

chassis=the frame of the car. stiff chassis means good handling, loose chassis means uncontrolled and vague handling

understeer= characteristic of all front wheel drive cars, its when you turn the wheel and since your going too fast, the car plows straight ahead instead of turning like you want it to.

oversteer = (ill throw this one in too ) characteristic of rear drive cars. its when you turn too hard and the rear wheels lose traction, causing the back end to slide out. its pretty fun if you can control it

hehe no problem man i didnt know anything either a few years ago, then i did a hell of a lot of research and now i know everything hehe jp

__________________
AKA 93PreludeSI2.3 (On SHO)
1993 Black Prelude SI
2.3L DOHC 5-Speed
-AEM CAI
-Greddy Power Extreme

H23Lude

if you plan to get the eibach sportlines you will need a camber kit. I have these springs and i need them.

__________________
93 Prelude SI w/ stuff
96 Nissan 240sx SE
www.houstonprelude.com

EL PAALO

you can go with a tire size other than stock. just make sure the overall diameter is about the same so your speedo is fairly accurate. call discount tire or tire rack with questions on what will fit.

__________________

MSN Instant Messenger: paalo@hotmail.com
EMAIL: wheelspecs@gmail.com

jim from CA

Thank you all for the fast and excellent responses

I hope you all do not mind, but would one be able to explain what comes in a 'camber (cAmber? how do u say it?) kit'? Also, where would I attach this kit?

Also, would I need to install the kit immediately? I would not mind doing all of my installations at the same time...

LAST question....after the camber kit, will I be unable to get an alignment or will it affect it?

THANK YOU ALL!

-Jim

gills

Do not keep 205 tires if you plan on keeping the stock 15's. On the stock 15" wheels you can fit 225's on no problem. Get 225's, you won't regret it, especially if you're lowering too. The more rubber you have contacting the ground the more traction you will have.

gills

the camber kit i have goes onto the upper control arm of the suspension. It's 2 pieces on each side that hold the upper control arm onto the chassis. Go jack up your car and look where the upper control arm is mounted on the car. There are 2 points where it is mounted. You can see that there are 2 pieces holding it on that go through into the engine compartment onto the strut tower. They kind of look like bushings but it's a whole unit. You remove them by taking off 2 nuts that are under the hood by the 3 nuts that are on the strut tower. They are on either side of the strut assembly nuts and they are very simple to replace. You can remove them without taking out the whole strut assembly.

You don't need to install a kit immediately but if your alignment is extremely out of wack, you may screw up your tread wear in no time. Better to take precautionary steps to prevent things rather than have them happen, gabeesh?

Yes, you can align your car after you get the kits. That's the whole point of them. Call up any wheel alignment place and inform them about what you've done and where the adjustment is on the new kits and they can put everything back to normal again.

goodluck,
gills