LawnPro

bronco your TL is looking great, I like the minimal drop. Also looks very clean - you must of just waxed her!

EkSoni

iTrader: (2)

I read a few places the SA's weren't edfc compaitable and one of my friend's brought up the fact I couldn't go as low even though I only planned to kill the gap. In the end I'm happy with the SS's, I've only had them 2-3 days and I already want to pull/roll my fenders and go a little lower lol.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Thanks man! The funny thing is she's actually filthy. I haven't washed her in probably three weeks and she got even more dirty during the install. Fortunately the paint is in great condition though so it helps to hide the dirt in pics. She'll get a good bath this weekend and I'll likely post another pic or two afterwards.

I didn't realize the SS went lower than SA. That alone makes it a better purchase if you plan to take advantage of that. Like you said though...gonna require some fender work! I'm hoping when I get the rear camber kit my clearance will be okay. My rears are rolled though so I should be fine.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I like it.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Steven!

baowheezy

Hey there bronco,

I was looking up these wheels on ebay and checking the compatible of it to my 2013 acura tl sh-awd and it says its not compatible, but I see you have them mounted on. How does that work?

Thanks.

lift3d_

He doesn't drive a 2013

As long as the bolt pattern (5x120) and rim size (less or equal 20"), you should be able to at least consider them. Be careful about your offsets too.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Not sure where you're seeing that on ebay, but it's incorrect. The bolt pattern is 5x120 so it will definitely fit your 2013 TL. Of course you'll need to take the wheel size and offsets into consideration but the bolt pattern definitely isn't an issue.

FYI...if you move forward with the purchase you'll need some hub centric rings.

You're right...no 2013 here but there are no differences between 2010 and 2013 in that regard.

baowheezy

Sorry, I'm not too good with wheels offset, what would be the recommendation on offset? And let's say I wanted to purchase these bad boys, would it work? http://www.vertiniwheels.com/Wheels_P2%20DYNASTY.html

I see there's a bolt pattern of 5x120, but for sizes I want 20" but what's the 20x"8.5","9","10.5".

Thanks guys!

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

As long as the bolt pattern is 5x120 then you should be fine. From there you have to decide how aggressive you want to go regarding width (the number after the "x") and offset (how far out the wheel will sit).

I went with a very mild setup (8.5" width and +35mm offset) so I wouldn't have to do any work to make it fit. However, since I got a 255 series tire I did have to roll my rear fenders.

You're better off browsing some fitment threads for more info and if you don't find what you need then you can create a new one. I'm definitely not the "go to guy" when it comes to choosing your wheels...especially if you're wanting a wide wheel or low offset. Off the top of my head potmilkz and justnspace are good references.

Good luck!

baowheezy

Thanks bronco!

lift3d_

Very nice of you to offer a wheels 101 - good guy bronco

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

It's the least I can do...just paying it forward!

I've gained a lot of knowledge from AZ so I try to help others on here when I can.

EkSoni

iTrader: (2)

Yeah so in the end the SS's are better. You need a camber kit? I have to go get my alignment done have slight camber in the rears.. & nice how come you had them rolled already?

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Glad you're happy with the SS's!

I don't know if I need a camber kit yet (planning to get an alignment this weekend or next), but I want one. I want to keep the camber as close to stock specs as possible.

I actually had to roll my rear fenders after I got my wheels put on. I went with a slightly wider tire (255) so I was rubbing.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Well, it’s been nearly three years since I first brought her home. Here are some ‘then’ and ‘now’ pics. Unfortunately I never got any pics before the badges were removed and the lip kit was installed.

As you can see the car has changed but the photography “skills” haven’t.

















The below ‘before’ pic doesn’t go back in time quite as far as the above ones but I got a shot in the same place this weekend so I wanted to include it. Changes include red tails, vinyl on rear trim, black hubs / calipers, and a drop.





This past weekend I went to remove the rear tabs to prevent any rubbing but instead decided to just move the screws back as far as they can go. I trimmed a good portion of the tab off so I don’t think I’ll have any issues.

*Pics aren’t of the same side because I was just randomly snapping them throughout the process. I flipped one of them to give a better comparison though.

potmilkz

damn you chewed it up.. what were you using to shave it off?

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

I used a Dremel. I don't know which attachment I was using...probably wasn't the best choice but it worked.

Hogan9166

iTrader: (1)

Looks great, Bronco. Glad you're happy with it.

lift3d_

hahaha looks like you took a box cutter to it, good thing nobody has to see it except us

have you noticed a reduction in rubs?

love the rest of your photos too! great demonstration of how nice a drop looks

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Thanks man!

Thank you! That was my first time using a Dremel so I was learning on the job. The way it looked was the last of my worries...I was just trying to take as much off as possible while still leaving enough to hold.

I actually haven't rubbed in the rear yet (even with the tab at the normal size). I originally thought I had but it turned out it was the front (I took a turn too fast and hit a bump causing the front wheel to hit the fender). I'll be listening closely though and will take off the rest of it if needed. My guess is it won't be an issue...at least until I get a rear camber kit later this year.

JTL12

love it, nice work.

edit: Id really like to see you paint and clear out those headlights tho.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Thanks man!

I originally resisted making any changes to the headlights because of issues I had with my previous car. I opened them up three different times and had issues with condensation at one point. Then the paint I used began to bubble.

However, I've since warmed up to the idea and plan to mod them in December (as well as add TSX-R lenses). I'll likely go with a matte/gloss black combo and to combat the condensation I plan to use this. I'm thinking I might also do what potmilkz did with the red paint, as seen below.

JTL12

that looks sick but do they project a clear light? in any case, a red glow like that would attract way too much attention from the cops in my area. attention I really dont want since i already cleared my headlights too.

potmilkz

they dont GLOW, you can only really see them during daylight when looking at them directly.. also once headlight is on, you cant even see the red as it is on the opposite side of the projector shield..

also UCF, that is exactly what i use. best thing in the world to use for resealing headlights. just make sure you dont make you dont use too much or you wont be able to put your headlight back together. roll it till it is about the same thickness as a standard usb cord.

also.. you will be the 4th member of the devil eye crew.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

See potz response. I think it only looks that way in the pic because of the flash from the camera.

Thanks for the tip on resealing! I didn't realize there were others with the devil eyes...I thought you were the only one.

potmilkz

i recently did dragonwangs headlights with devil eyes... and i believe there is a white 4g in NY that has it to..

JTL12

nice. if i had known about this before, i definitely would've told jnc to do the same. looks great.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

^^^ I agree. When I first saw the pic in potmilkz' thread I knew if the day ever came where I decided to do my headlights I was gonna do the same.

So at this point it looks like my headlight mods (still @ four months away) will include:

Gloss black insides
Matte black ridges
TSX-R lens swap
Amber removal
Devil eyes
LED switchbacks for turn signals

At least that's what I'm picturing now...things could still change. I'm waiting until Christmas since it's gonna be my present to myself and I have some time off from work so I don't have to rush through it.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Awesome updates, as always, man!

I think I'm starting to go backward, I actually dig the amber in the S2000's headlights and when I redo my back up set for my TL, I'll likely end up putting a variation of the amber back in.

I think Bruce is putting one small LED in there too now and lighting up your projector when low beam is not on in the color of your choice, a variation on just coloring the shield.

J.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

^^^Thanks J! You actually played a role in my choice to go with coilovers. You somehow planted a seed that really started my interest in lowering, then helped direct me away from springs...so thank you!

I actually dig the amber in your S2000's lights as well because you've incorporated it into your color scheme, but I'm thinking my TL will look better without it. I would prefer a clear piece in there to hide the bulb like the Depo lights but since you can't buy those I'll have to just go without.

I'd like to see what the LED behind the projector looks like. I'd be a bit more hesitant to add that because I feel like that could lead to hassle from Johnny Law.

JTL12

i did the silver ridges and i love them. i also have a black tl. still havent done anything about the halogen bulb thats behind the amber cover tho. not sure if i want to go with a white led or find a amber led which would probably defeat the purpose of removing the cover in the first place, but oh well.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Thank you so much, man!

Oh, I agree...no color can be great too!
I actually originally did VHT nightshades so it'd be black when off but amber behind (because I didn't want the exposed bulb look too). I wonder if DEPO or anyone else like Unique Style Racing (contact Simon!) are working on making a clear diffuser to go in there. I bet if he hasn't thought of it yet, he'd be willing to get that market going like he did for the 3G guys.

here's what it used to look like with the VHT

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Damn, blacking out the amber is not a bad idea at all! I've seen some in the past but theirs were barely blacked out so it didn't look much different than OEM. If I did go that route I'd likely want them pretty dark. Do you have the clear diffuser now? I saw the price for the 3G ones on the site you mentioned and that's probably more than I'd want to pay since I don't feel too strongly about it but thanks for the heads up.

I'm also officially on the fence about what color of ridges I want (thanks JTL!). I looked through Bruce's thread again and the ones with silver definitely look good!

Fortunately I have some time to make my final decisions. I'm not one to rush something like that...I've learned the hard way in the past that's not a good idea! Nothing worse than spending time and money doing a mod only to regret it once it's done.

lift3d_

I'm assuming you're talking about the four rows of ridges surrounding the HID shroud?

although i have a 2013 and they were already black, i actually painted them silver, they look awesome. i find it really helps contrast the bit of chrome i have around my fogs since I blacked out everything else. if you need more photos I'm happy to provide them.




oh, and I was meaning to mention - i'll also be tackling the tsx-r lens conversion in the next little while too, are you getting yours from TRS?

if so, don't forget we have a coupon code - acurazine

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Yes, that's the part. Though I also plan to paint my fog surrounds black, since the mesh behind my grille is silver I think the contrast would look good.

A pic or two would be great! Could you try to get one where the clear plastic on the headlight doesn't have a lot of glare? It makes it so hard to see the "guts".

Yup, TRS...thanks for the heads up! I didn't know that.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Nice before and after pics!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I do have the clear diffuser now, since it adds contrast. I actually bought the type s diffuser twice for both sets of my headlights.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Thank you!

Gotcha, they definitely look good!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

meh, they alright