A Few Questions.

[JDM RunX]

Hi Guys,

There's something wierd going on with my car and I just wanted to mention it incase it's not unique. I've noticed ever since I bought the car that after extreme driving with hard downshifts during cornering and driving a long time at 180kph, the belt starts to squeel and skid. It happens whenever I slow down and attempt to move off again. Especially if I move off in a higher gear or if I'm on a hill, basically whenever the car comes under strain. Its even worse if I have the AC running. Its like the tensioner needs adjusting or the belt is bad. One person said it could be the AC compressor since it is more consistent when the AC is on. The funny thing is that as soon as the car gets a long time to cool off, say over night, everything is fine.

Has anyone else experienced this?

The next question is, are 17" rims good for my car?

Will it change the gear ratios?

Will I still be able to lower my car?

I paid down on some OZ Superleggeras that were on sale without thinking the whole thing through. Now I have doubts. Should I go ahead with the purchase?

Thanks.

[CAP]

Hey JDM,

I used to experience this sort of thing with my old car and it came down to the belts stretching with heat, it used to happen after running on hot days. So a simple adjustment of the belt tension should fix this. One question - does it also do this when you accelerate with the car stationary?

In regards to the wheels, 17x7 inch wheels are quite fine for your car. You wont have any problems with lowering your car provided you maintain the correct aspect ratio with your tyre choice (205/45, 215/45 or 215/40 would all be good for a 17x7 wheel)

As on all cars, your gearing will change ever so slightly, but the difference is not noticable in the driving - you just wont get as much wheel spin on take off ! :D

[JDM RunX]

Hey JDM,

            I used to experience this sort of thing with my old car and it came down to the belts stretching with heat, it used to happen after running on hot days.  So a simple adjustment of the belt tension should fix this.  One question - does it also do this when you accelerate with the car stationary?

In regards to the wheels, 17x7 inch wheels are quite fine for your car.  You wont have any problems with lowering your car provided you maintain the correct aspect ratio with your tyre choice (205/45, 215/45 or 215/40 would all be good for a 17x7 wheel)

As on all cars, your gearing will change ever so slightly, but the difference is not noticable in the driving - you just wont get as much wheel spin on take off !  :D

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Thanks for the reply. Yes it does make the sound whenever I accelerate from a standstill. Ok I feel much better about my new rims now. Could you explain a bit what happens to the ratios when you change rim sizes?

[CAP]

Not entirely sure regarding the physics behind it, but it's not really the gearing that's altered ( Eg, you're car will still be pulling 3300rpm at 100km/h on the 17's ) It's more of a driveline power loss because the engine has to use more torque to turn the bigger wheel. In the case of your car, were probably talking about a loss of a couple of hundredths of a second over the quarter mile, however, this is also highly dependant on the weight of the wheel as well. The OZ racing wheels are normally quite light and most likely lighter than those currently fitted to your Runx. If this is the case, you shouldn't have any loss at all, only gains in addition to other benefits such as better cornering grip - And judging by the speeds you guys reach there - you need it ! :D

[shaohaok]

i hate to say this but OZ superleggera wheels will most likely scrub as soon as u lower the car.

coz the offset that it comes with is a +37. they are a really nice and light wheel tho, i've enquired about them. u might just get away with it if u fit 205/40r17 tyres.

[JDM RunX]

i hate to say this but OZ superleggera wheels will most likely scrub as soon as u lower the car.

coz the offset that it comes with is a +37. they are a really nice and light wheel tho, i've enquired about them. u might just get away with it if u fit 205/40r17 tyres.

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Just great. With all potholes and ditches in our local roads 40 series tyres are bound to get damaged not to mention the damage to new rims. I'm saying this based on my experience with my Evo. it had 17" wheels with 45 series tyres and they took a beating. I had slow leaks almost every night. Am I mistaken with this view? I really dont know much about rim and tyre combos. Any advice would be appreciated. What brand tryes would you recommend?

[shaohaok]

assuming ya stock tyre size is 195/55r16

the closest would be 215/45r17

BUT they scrub

215/40r17 would be the next closest. they JUST fit and just clear the inside of the wheel well. the margin of error is exactly the same as the 215/45r17 except at the other end of the scale

205/45r17 appears to be a better fit but limited in choices of tyres due to the high load ratings. no probs i've heard so far. 205/40r17 might be a little too small but still within the legal limits over here in aus.

if u're looking for pure performance more than looks. 16x7 would be your best bet. and lots of tyres are available to u. esp in the 205/50r16 range.

[JDM RunX]

Actually my car came with 15" rims. To be precise 195/60/R15 here is a pic of my car.

Edited December 29, 2004 by JDM RunX

[CAP]

If your roads are rough, I would reconsider and go for a set of 16" wheels, They'll still look quite good in 16x7, especially once you lower it, and like Shao said, a much broader selection of tyres will be available in that size.

Here's a pic of Typhoon Motor Sports Sportivo on 16" Weds Sports wheels.

[JDM RunX]

I'll try and convince the dealer to transfer my deposit towards a 16" Rim set but I doubt they'll do it. The set I paid down on was on clearance. Hey where can I get that cool spoiler, whats the cost?

[CAP]

That's the Toyota OEM rear wing with the C-One wings attached to the ends, available from Toms Racing - Can't remember how much they are sorry.

[shaohaok]

this might help or "inspire" u a bit more ;)

http://www.c-one.co.jp/C-ONEPARTS/runx_allex.html

[JDM RunX]

this might help or "inspire" u a bit more ;)

http://www.c-one.co.jp/C-ONEPARTS/runx_allex.html

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