Dropping and Adding Rims
 

I have a 2001 Accord Coupe and wanted to add bigger rims with a drop. I had initially planned on 215/40/18's and a 1.2 inch drop from eibach (the pro kit).

I was wondering, wouldn't changing the tires make the car ride higher? Should I change the tires first, and then see how much I need to drop it?

I wanna fill up the space in the wheel-well, but at the same time, winter's are harsh and this is a year-round car.

I'd appreciate the help...thanks.

yep if u get bigger tires the car will sit higher. also with bigger tires you won't be able to drop it as much as with the stock tires without rubbing

If you plus size your tire/rim combo properly, there should be very little difference in the overall diameter, so your ride height wouldn't change much. I'm not sure, but I think 215/40/18 might be a little larger than stock.

Yeah, it'll be less than 1.5" larger than stock diameter. 215/35/18 will give you less than .5" larger than stock diameter. This is assuming your car came equiped with 195/65/15.

b

215 40 18's will not fit... you'll rub.. you have to go 215 35 if you want to runs 18's... i had no probs when i was running 18's on mine....

Do you think that 215/35/18 is best then...or should I look at going to 17's?

Obviously, I don't want to rub, I was considering the 1.2 drop with the prokit cuz I want to maintain the ride quality, which wheel set-up would be best?

I prefer 18's on the Accord, I think they just look better. You will sacrifice some ride quality, though, since you will be going with a lower profile tire. The 215/35/18 should work fine, emphasis on the should part.

How are your road conditions, though? With 215/35 you'll be more likely to bend a rim than if you went with 17" wheels. I'm probably going to go 18" when I get the cash, but most of the roads where I tend to drive are pretty decent.

b

Road conditions vary, i live in the suburbs, so around here...not too bad, but when I get downtown, there's potholes galore.

I'd thought about the likelyhood of denting my rims, and with such a low profile, I think I'd probably have to get heavier rims cuz I don't want to be in the garage every week.

Would I be better off just getting 17's? What setup would the 17's be...

215/45/17?

first off... what gen accord do you have??? from my understanding of your name... you have a 2001....
so by that you can even go 19's perfectly..... regarless of 17's or 18's you'll bend rims no matter what... doing 100 on a pothole with 15's with even dent... you just have to be cautious on what you drive on... 17's on a 6th gen accor dlike yours are way too small.. 18's are the bare minimums for that gen
trust me theres not a huge diff with 18's and 17's... so dont worry about neding your rims... take it from a guy who has riden on them both... and i can say this from experience as oppose to word of mouth....
i even has 19's too.. now that is rough :eek:

I dunno about potholes, but my bro hit a rough raise in the interstate when they were resurfacing (2-3 inches), he hit it somewhere between 80-90, completely mauled his ball joint for that wheel and screwed up some other things in the suspension (ended up needing some welding), but the wheel was fine. Racing Hart C5 18", '95 Accord coupe, coilovers, and I think 215/35/18, although I'm not sure on the wraps.

Anyhow....so 19" fit fine on the 6th gen sedans? That certainly brightens up my day....I'm debating between Tein or Tanabe coilovers or just getting some Eiback Pro Kits and maybe Koni Yellows, not going for any extreme drop....but I can run 19" on it?

Would I be limited to 215, or could I run up to 225?

b

yes you can run 19's for sure without any body modifications.... if you had the money to spend... go with the teins... best by far that i have ridin in..... and its nice to sometimes have it slammed to the ground for the shows.....
you can go 225 but dont expect to do any type of tires tuckin while driving....:eek:
225 are ok tho for a regular drop....
leemme know if you need to know ne thing else....

Hmmm...I have 215/40/18 on my car and it doesnt rub. Does it matter if it's a sedan or coupe?

But what also matters is the offset of the rims...will cause the rubbing or not. People recommend +45 or higher offset.

i know that they do fit.. i corrected myself since i figured out its a 6th gen.. and they're are no issues unless you ride hell low... as for the offset you can play with that... but what your forgeting is that you wont be able to turn the wheel as far....

I don't know a whole lot about offset...so if someone would like to explain it, it would be appreciated.

Next question would be....for the 6th gen, what offset should someone take for 18" or 19" and a 1.5" drop or so (Pro Kits or coilovers) to maintain full steering ability in all conditions?

b

well AZN did not clear me out on this but the offset is the distance from the outer part of the rim to the part it touches the hub.

hmmm... ok how do i explain this... yes you are right about the offset thing... but what that does is that it centers your rims differently in the well..... i dunno if that made any sense... but if you increase the offset and add wider rims.. your not gonna have the same amount of distance from the inside part of the rim to the inner wheel well... kinda get what im saying??

so basically if you increase the offset to go wider... then yes you'll make it fit but you wont be able to turn as far since the inner part of the tire will hit the well sooner than normal....

welll i dunno if you guys understand what i was just trying to say... hmmm i guess i could put up a diagram but i dont have a scanner to post it up....
but im sure someone knows what im talking about...

I get what you're talkin about, although your explanation is rather lacking. :)

I'd like more detail, though....for instance, you say if you make the offset wider...that makes no sense. That's like saying if you adjust your camber your wheels will be perpendicular to the ground, but if you adjust your camber they will sit at an angle. Ok...but that doesn't tell me anything about positive and negative camber. See what I'm sayin?

Ah, I'm just heckling you.....but I would like to know good offsets for a 6th gen for both 18" and 19" wheels with 215's. Oh, and what width would the rim be...7.5"?

b

yea i get ya... but the offset wont play a role with your camber so you dont have to worry.. its just if you are playing with the ride height will you have to get them adjusted.. as for the 18's and 19's offset... hmmmmm.. thats a good question.. i dont know that one.. lemme find out and i'll repost back on here again....

:no:

I went to the store today and they told me that 225/40/18's would be the best fit. Can anyone verify this? I've been hearing about 35's on the board, so I was surprised to hear this.

the original size is 195-65-15

on a 6th gen yes it is good... but you still have a good amount of sidewall left... just ask to look at them and make up your mind then... either the 40 or 35 series are good....

My bro used to have 225/40/18 on his '95 coupe, no rubbing issues. He recommends I get the same on the 6th gen.

He also gave me a more thorough explanation about offset. For instance, the 'nice' little geo metros you see around with the little Big Wheel tires stickin out 2 feet from the car....that's negative offset. The more positive one goes, the closer the wheel inside of the wheel gets to the inner fender well.

He recommends 40-42mm offset for the Accord.

b

I've also been told that the 6th gen accord should be set up somewhere between 40 and 45 offset.

Yup, if I had a choice (this is for the 5th gen), I'd go 42-43. I think the 6th gens are the same.