01 civic lowering question.

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Oct 25, 2010 | 05:56 PM

#11

conceptualpolymer

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Quote:

Originally Posted by reaper2022

I never said a 4" drop wasn't too much. I can guarantee my LCAs were at a bad angle after lowering it that far; I wasn't concerned with making my car a track car, I just wanted an aggressive stance. You can't tell me a 2" drop with proper spring rates and matching dampers would be too much though.

And yes, 100-120lbs of unsprung weight will make a noticeable difference. 10-20lbs won't. My solution is to pay more for wheels. Cheap knockoffs weigh more. Mackin Industry's Volk CE28N (in 17x9" form) weighs under 15lbs a wheel; I don't think a similar Rota would be nearly that light.

I'm talking 10-20 lb at each corner. It may not make a difference when you're packin 600 HP but with 100-150 HP it is not enough to overcome that added centrifugal mass without hurting. I know quite a few people who went to large, heavy wheels only to switch back after a year or less.

You are correct in that the big-dollar forged wheels are almost always lighter but there are some nice lightweight cast wheels. As I mentioned, my 16-inch Konig Brite Lites are 15 lbs each. The Black Racing Pros are about 16 lbs - not bad for cast aluminum.

Last edited by conceptualpolymer; Oct 27, 2010 at 07:44 PM.

Oct 25, 2010 | 06:35 PM

#12

reaper2022

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Joined: Feb 2007

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From: Lexington, KY

Quote:

Originally Posted by conceptualpolymer

I'm talking 10-20 lb at each corner. It may not make a difference when you're packin 600 HP but with 100-150 HP it is not enough to overcome that added centrifugal mass without hurting. I know quite a few people who went to large, heavy wheels only to switch back after a year or less.

You are correct in that the big-dollar forged wheels are almost always lighter but there are some nice lightweight cast wheels. As I mentioned, my 16-inch Konig Brite Lites are 16 lbs each. The Black Racing Pros are about 16 lbs - not bad for cast aluminum.

Then I think the solution would be to stick to a smaller diameter wheel

Large wheels look disproportional on civics anyway.

Oct 27, 2010 | 07:50 PM

#13

conceptualpolymer

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I agree. In my opinion, 17s and 18s are too big for such a small car. Some of the newer VW GTIs with 18-inch wheels just don't look right. But I think it's similar to why some manufacturers have cross-drilled rotors as standard equipment. Not only do the holes not help braking but they may hurt it. If VW equipped the GTI with light weight 16s with low-profile tires, it may not look as good to some people but the ride and acceleration would be a step up from that when running big, heavy 18-inch wheels.