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car lifted up half an inch after new wheels

Joined
27 October 2010
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513
Location
syracuse
Hey guys. I bought some new rims. 18x8 with 215/35/18 tires. And rear 19x9.5 with 265/30/19. My car was lowered with the sport cup suspension with 1.7inch drop in the front and 1.6 in the rear. After installing the new rims It looked alot higher. A little over half an inch. This sucks I loved how the car looked before with the stance. Do I now lower the car an additional half an inch. I don't even know how to go about doing this. Any advice would be appreciated.
 

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The overall diameter of the 18/19" wheel combo setup is larger than any other popular combination and will raise the car by about that much. You will need either shorter springs or an adjustable coil-over setup to lower it.
 
My nsx has been lowered already. It already has the h&r sport cup suspension. Which includes everything. Do I need to take that out and get a suspension setup that lowers the car more than 1.7inches in the front?
 
I have that same NSX banner in my shop :smile:
 
Maybe if you raise the banner, the car will look lower.

The car looks just fine BTW.
 
Assuming you had stock tire sizes on your '97-01 NSX, those 18"/19" sizes result in an increase in ride height of .15" front and .27" rear. If your old tires were worn down to the treadwear indicator bars and your new ones are brand new, the difference in tread depth results in an increase in ride height of .25" front and rear. And there are also slight differences from one make/model/size tire to another, even when they are labeled as the same nominal size. All of these are possible reasons for a change in ride height. And none of them are anything to worry about. (Seriously, when was the last time you heard anyone complaining about the extra ride height when they replaced worn tires with new ones?)

Of course, if it really bothers you, you can see how to undo those differences. Ditch the bling bling 18"/19" wheels, then go out and drive your car so you're only using tires that are worn, for the lower ride height. :)
 
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If I'm not mistaken the H&R sport cup suspension is non adjustable. If you want to lower the car, you'll have to either get a smaller wheel/tire setup as mentioned above, or switch to coilovers.
 
Once I get the car together, meening stacey skirts, df rear valance, and ww front lip, it should look fine with that set up...

I noticed you're missing the sideskirts and the rear bumper. These items add weight, which will pull the car down lower. Put them back on and remeasure.
 
I noticed you're missing the sideskirts and the rear bumper. These items add weight, which will pull the car down lower. Put them back on and remeasure.

Are you pulling my leg? After ww front lip is installed I believe it will hang lower than the oem. But im not sure by how much.
 
Are you pulling my leg? After ww front lip is installed I believe it will hang lower than the oem. But im not sure by how much.

No I'm not.
I guess I'm trying to understand what your basis of the original measurement is. Did you actually measure the ground clearance? or do you just "think" it's 1/2" higher?

There are multiple ways to measure a drop. You could measure it front the bottom part of the front lip to the ground. You could also measure the wheel gap (from the fender to the top of the tire). Different measurements will yield different results.

Adding additional weight (as with the weight of the bumper, the sideskirts, changing the exhaust, removing the spare tire, even the weight of the driver) will cause the car to sit lower. Do it. Measure the car height without someone in it, then have someone sit in it. You'll see it drop 1/4" to a 1/2". :smile:
 
There are multiple ways to measure a drop. You could measure it front the bottom part of the front lip to the ground. You could also measure the wheel gap (from the fender to the top of the tire). Different measurements will yield different results.
Yup. You'll find different methods discussed in this topic, where I posted:

Here are two sets of numbers:

1. My '91 is stock ride height. Measuring from the flat ground to the bottom of the tabs for the four jacking points (not the ones in the middle), all four are between 4.5 and 4.75 inches.

2. Page 3-17 of the 1991 service manual shows a diagram which tells the distance from the ground of the lowest point between the wheels, which is the jacking tabs and is shown as 5.3 inches.
 
The rear will definitely go down a bit, since I have to install the rear bumper and new valance. I measured from the ground to the center of the fender. Before I removed the original rims and after I installed the new ones. After removing old rims I found out that they were rubbing on the frame. Even with the bigger rims and tires there is no issues of rubbing anymore.
 
The rear will definitely go down a bit, since I have to install the rear bumper and new valance. I measured from the ground to the center of the fender. Before I removed the original rims and after I installed the new ones. After removing old rims I found out that they were rubbing on the frame. Even with the bigger rims and tires there is no issues of rubbing anymore.

High stock offsets and camber from from the lowering will do that.
 
Yup. You'll find different methods discussed in this topic, where I posted:

So you car is between 4.5" to 4.7ish at the jack points. that's funny my car before new rims installed was at 3.5. And with new rims its at 4 even. So im confused. H&R sport cup suspension lowers the car in the front 1.7. For those who were saying that I was driving on slicks. My oem tires have about 75%tread left. So 5.3minus 1.7 is just about about right. I spent the last 5month asking everyone and reading all threads. And not one person has mentioned that with the 18/19 setup you will be raised from .25 to .5inch depending on which tires you have. So let's save some time for people. Before you lower your car get the rims first and then lower it to point you want. There's people that are going from stock sizes to 18/19 setup, and only lowering there car about 7/8". So no point, ur basicaly spending a bunch of money to get your car loweres a 1/4inch, from stock.
 
So you car is between 4.5" to 4.7ish at the jack points. that's funny my car before new rims installed was at 3.5. And with new rims its at 4 even. So im confused. H&R sport cup suspension lowers the car in the front 1.7. For those who were saying that I was driving on slicks. My oem tires have about 75%tread left. So 5.3minus 1.7 is just about about right. I spent the last 5month asking everyone and reading all threads. And not one person has mentioned that with the 18/19 setup you will be raised from .25 to .5inch depending on which tires you have. So let's save some time for people. Before you lower your car get the rims first and then lower it to point you want. There's people that are going from stock sizes to 18/19 setup, and only lowering there car about 7/8". So no point, ur basicaly spending a bunch of money to get your car loweres a 1/4inch, from stock.

I'm so confused by this post. . .:confused:

Put your stock suspension back in with 18/19" wheels and I bet the car will raise to ~5.7" at the jackpoints.

What seems to be the problem though?? Your OEM wheels and the 18/19" wheels appear to have about the same amount of gap between the top of the tire and the fender (about a finger width).

The wheels, themselves, have nothing to do with the amount of lowering unless:
1) your OEM tires were the wrong size (what size were your stock tires?)
2) they were underinflated or severely worn
But from the looks of it, everything seems fine. . Did you remove the front spare tire??
 
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Stiffer side wall with lower profile tires. If you were using 17/18 wheels you would see only slight change in the ride height.
 
I'm so confused by this post. . .:confused:

Put your stock suspension back in with 18/19" wheels and I bet the car will raise to ~5.7" at the jackpoints.

What seems to be the problem though?? Your OEM wheels and the 18/19" wheels appear to have about the same amount of gap between the top of the tire and the fender (about a finger width).

The wheels, themselves, have nothing to do with the amount of lowering unless:
1) your OEM tires were the wrong size (what size were your stock tires?)
2) they were underinflated or severely worn
But from the looks of it, everything seems fine. . Did you remove the front spare tire??

I agree about the 5.7, my oem tires are the right size, and they had very good tread left, front spare tire is in the car. There is no issue, i was just trying to clarify to people that the 18/19 set up will raise your car up to half an inch, I love how the car looks, I just thought it was funny that no one mentioned that in the research I did. If I went with a 225 front tire, the car would even be higher. And also correct if I went with 17 in the front with a 215 I would be at the exact same level as before, but get this if I went with a 205/40/17 in the front I would be 1/4inch lower than the stock tires.
http://www.jekylhyderacing.com/HeightofTires.htm
 
If I went with a 225 front tire, the car would even be higher. And also correct if I went with 17 in the front with a 215 I would be at the exact same level as before, but get this if I went with a 205/40/17 in the front I would be 1/4inch lower than the stock tires.
Why are you even mentioning a front tire size that rubs, and then an undersized front tire size with no advantages at all?

the 18/19 set up will raise your car up to half an inch
NO, IT WON'T.

Again, here are the numbers:

Assuming you had stock tire sizes on your '97-01 NSX, those 18"/19" sizes result in an increase in ride height of .15" front and .27" rear.
 
I know how to read a tape measure. Maybe in other cases its way less. But in my case its .5"
If so, it's because of other reasons, which I already stated above. It's NOT just because of the 18"/19" wheels, and you're WRONG when you claim that.
 
If so, it's because of other reasons, which I already stated above. It's NOT just because of the 18"/19" wheels, and you're WRONG when you claim that.

Im just expressing what happened with me. My oem wheels have stock sizes. I think your confused, so I will summarize. My car when stock was at 5.3 in the front(measuring from the ground to the bottom of the jack point in the front) after installing the h&r suspension it lowered it to 3.5ish after installing new rims it raised it to 4. That's with 215/35/18 front tires, very popular choice with 18/19 set up. If some one else can chime in.
 
Im just expressing what happened with me. My oem wheels have stock sizes. I think your confused, so I will summarize. My car when stock was at 5.3 in the front(measuring from the ground to the bottom of the jack point in the front) after installing the h&r suspension it lowered it to 3.5ish after installing new rims it raised it to 4. That's with 215/35/18 front tires, very popular choice with 18/19 set up. If some one else can chime in.

When you did the measurement with the 18/19 setup, did you:
1) Measure it immediately after dropping the car off the jack (like not drive it around)?
2) Measure it with the sideskirts and rear bumper removed?
3) A combination of both (1) & (2)?
 
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