swoosh

iTrader: (5)

GREAT WORK dude....they look awesome

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

All of that looks good-nice look rubber too.

klene259

Awesome work man!! Can't wait for pics of these on the car!

silvrbreez

Quick update related to this from my previous post...

So I got the classic zinc coated BBS bolts from Rotiform, and while the shape and look fits very nicely (aside from the very very small BBS embossed on the flange head) the color is way off. I've considered hitting those two bolts, one on each of the rear wheels, with some smoke clear coat in a rattle can from Autozone, but I'm not confident it will hold up and might not even make it through tightening the bolts. So I went another route.

I picked up a set of five ARP M6 12-pt stainless bolts for a steal on eBay. They have a flat head, no dimple, and ARP engraved on the head. I'm going to get these in and take them to a machine shop to have them grind the bolts down to remove the ARP and then replicate the dimple to match the OG bolts. I know I'll be happier with the result as it will not only match in shape but color and feel as well.

I figured I've put enough time into this wheel restoration project so far that it didn't make since to just half-ass this part. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so its coming out big time in how I handle these two pesky bolts.

All that considered, I'm still a bit away from getting my tires mounted and balanced. I want to get those two last bolts in, one per rear wheel, before having everything balanced. It may not make a big difference but I'm not really in a rush other than the space they're taking up on the floor in my garage. That and I may have a couple of week wait for the spacers I'm probably going to put in an order for today.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I love you, Brandon. I really do.

I would buy this setup for the S2000 in a heartbeat. Well, maybe even for the TL. Jeez...they are absolutely gorgeous.

silvrbreez

Thanks rockstar143. Its nice to be loved...

Looking for some input on spacers. I've measured, researched, measured again, and researched more. Now I'm at that critical point where I'm ready to place an order, but because I've over-analyzed things I'm being indecisive.

For starters, here's a recap of the wheel/tire specs I'll be running.
F: 18x8.5 +45 with 235/40-18
R: 18x9.5 +45 with 265/35-18
I'm also dropped on ISC N1 coilovers at a height of 25" ground to fender.
Planning to roll the rear fenders for peace of mind.

For the front, I'm pretty much set on using 15mm bolt on spacers based on some good research and using CLtotheTL32's ride as a reference. That will give me clearance I need over the Brembos (minimum ~7mm) and allow me to get around having the change the studs. That puts the offset at an adjusted +30, will poke around 7/8" over stock, and will get things more flush without any rubbing issues.

For the rear, I don't need spacers at all, but I want something to just push them out a little more. I'm seeing I've got two options here: (1) just throw a 5mm spacer on there and call it a day (adjusted +40 offset & about 1" total poke over stock) or (2) get matching 15mm bolt on spacers for the back and really kick them out more flush (adjusted +30 offset & about 1.3" total poke over stock). Both allow me to get around having to swap studs, but I think they'll result in very different looks.

I know guys run far more aggressive 9.5" wide setups than either of those in the rear and are lower than I am, but almost everyone is running stretched tires and more negative camber. I prefer not to chase either of those.

The specs with 15mm spacers front and rear will get me close to these pics from D R E W from awhile back. Differences are his wheels are 19", the rears are 10.5" (but the alignment with the fender would match mine), and he was running 245's in front and 275's in back (both wider than I have).


19x8.5+29_245-35-19_19x10.5+42_275-30-19_H&Rcoilovers_5 by Brandon Bergeron, on Flickr

19x8.5+29_245-35-19_19x10.5+42_275-30-19_H&Rcoilovers_4 by Brandon Bergeron, on Flickr

Going with the 5mm spacer in the rear would put me similar to this setup of D R E W, also from awhile ago. Differences are his wheels are 19", the fronts have an offset of +33 (3mm less aggressive than me), and again he was running 245's in front and 275's in back (both wider than I have).


19x8.5+33_245-35-19_19x9.5+40_275-30-19_H&Rcoilovers_4 by Brandon Bergeron, on Flickr

19x8.5+33_245-35-19_19x9.5+40_275-30-19_H&Rcoilovers_5 by Brandon Bergeron, on Flickr

Now you know everything I know. Thoughts? Paypal is itching to get to work.

silvrbreez

UPDATE: May have addressed my own concerns during my lunch break today. I broke out AutoCAD and sketched up the rear fitment considering suspension height, stock clearance dimensions, my wheels, and D R E W's rear fitment I was aiming for. Looks like the stretch on those 10.5" Volks makes more than a 5mm difference in clearance at the fender as opposed to a more "square wall" setup. Me wanting to keep my sidewalls squared eats up that clearance even though I've only got a 9.5" wide wheel. Seems odd, but all the dimensions check out and it is what it is.

Based on this, I'm thinking I'll go spacer-less for now. I'll get them on and pull dimensions one last time, but I'm thinking that even with rolled fenders I might be pushing it. Flaring/pulling the fenders isn't something I'd plan on doing.



Note: You'll notice two perimeter lines for each wheel option. That's because wheel widths are measured from inside lip to inside lip, not face to face. That's the inside line. The outside line represents the actual section width of the tire, which in the case of more squared sidewall like I'll be running, is more representative of the face of the wheel. This is apparently where stretched tires really helps for folks wanting to flush the wheel faces and still maintain tire clearance. I'm learning as I go.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I thought I was anal...
you sir, are batshit crazy.

My HONEST opinion...having some decent experience in all ranges of variables for this type of thing...

Test fit them, get your height dialed in first...then figure out if you would rather space the wheels out spacers or bring the top OUT with a camber kit. (That's basically how I achieved such flushness while being at factory camber specs...I hate cambering just to camber...if you NEED it because you bought monster rims by accident, fine...but to choose to have to go so negative...just not my cup of tea although I'm sure plenty that do are good people that love puppies and donate to the salvation army.

I know you're a ducks in a row kinda guy, you want it ALL done right in one fell swoop...but that'll leave you mad you didn't think through all the other options before pulling the trigger.

Test fit, set height, set camber, see about spacers.

I know I'm a whore but for illustrative purposes...
+24 rear 18x9 225/40/18 -1 camber
+29 front 18x9 225/40/18 -.5 camber

see, when it's all said and done, you'll be mad if you are 5mm too aggressive or too weak.

silvrbreez

Terms of endearment. I'll take that as a compliment.

You're right and that has been my plan all along. Since I know I need spacers up front and I've decided on their size, I was thinking I could plan enough and just take care of buying the rear spacers at the same time. With what you've said, and what I've seen today, I'm back to my plan of waiting.

I've got natural camber in the back now and that 2.5deg is the measurement when the alignment was done. I'll only get a camber kit for the rear if it helps with fitment, but from the looks of it I won't be needing to push anything out and I don't plan to run anymore negative than natural.

Here's the to-do-list I've had on my computer desktop ever since I've gotten the wheels reassembled almost two weeks ago. Just shows that great minds do think alike.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmb-photography/12664216255/
Besides, buying only the front spacers now frees up for some other mods I've got in mind.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I think Brandon and Jeremy just had "a moment" !!!!!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

You know what you're doing...should have known

silvrbreez

That text isn't read, so I'll assume it's not sarcasm.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

how the fk do you know what I said if you didn't read the text?!?!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I know...RED. Anyway, no, I can tell you've done your research and you're as methodical as I am.

silvrbreez

Oh, and I almost forgot...

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

What I was basically getting at is, let me know when you're ready to ship me the wheels. Kthxbye.

silvrbreez

UPDATE on the wheel hardware situation:
(CAUTION...more "batshit crazy" obsession over details below)

I got the ARP un-dimpled bolts in on Saturday and compared them to the OG bolts I salvaged. Bear in mind, the plan was to get these ARP bolts and take them to a machinist to feather down the top so the engraved ARP was removed and then dimple the head to match the OG bolts.

Well, the ARP bolts are different in far too many ways to satisfy me. The flanges are a smaller OD and thicker, the 12-pt cap is shorter, and it just doesn't sit as well as the BBS bolts compared to the OG bolts. The ARP studs are definitely top notch and I'd consider using them from scratch on any future wheel restorations I do, but as a fill-in in this case they just don't do the trick.

I've already installed the 2 BBS bolts (one in each rear wheel) to wrap up the assembly in hopes of getting the tires mounted/balanced this weekend but I got too busy enjoying the wife and kids. I've still got 3 extra BBS bolts so now I'll try and replicate the stainless finish over the zinc-coated finish by spraying some smoke clear coat and see how well it holds up. If it lasts months at a time then I'd be happy with that. If it doesn't last through the installation then I'll think about it again. Regardless, I could probably just leave the zinc-coated bolts on and they'll get dirty enough in a few days that no one could tell the difference.

As for the rest of the wheel situation:
In case anyone was wondering, I've just crossed the $2k mark with this wheel restoration. That doesn't include tires or spacers...just sourcing these wheels from Malaysia, having the powdercoater do his thing, sourcing some replacement hardware, purchasing new valve stems with TPMS adapters, and the getting new OEM TPMS sensors. It's been worth it so far though. I've learned some things along the way, I know what I can do next time around to save some cost next time around, and I'm going to have a set of fully restore rare wheels made even more trick by refinishing and rebuilding them to my liking.

Hoping to get the tires mounted and balanced on Friday. I also ordered the 15mm bolt-on spacers for the fronts from Motorsport Tech out in NV (manufacturer's of the Adaptec Speedware brand). They are slated to be machined out of the billet and sent out later this week. I'll re-measure the rear once I get the tires mounted and balanced and decide whether or not they need to be spaced.

And on to other things:
Also trying to find the best deal on some new OEM window visors. AckTL05 hasn't returned my email and I'm checking with user WholesalePartsGuy in his thread to see what he can get 'em for. If that doesn't work out any cheaper then I'll just get what I've found on eBay for $160 shipped.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I bet you could sand the finish off of them and apply vinegar or something acidic to age them and mimic the patina.

Yes, I watch HGTV way too much...

silvrbreez

Haha! Nice. Some sort of treatment along those lines would be better than spraying them with tinted clear. I may play around with one of the spare bolts and see what I can come up with.

Goki666

Seems like the A-spec side skirt is needed to complete the A-spec kit package?

silvrbreez

You know I honestly hadn't noticed until you pointed that out. I've the car for over a year now and it came with the front and rear, but apparently not the sides. In my opinion, the side skirts have only a minor difference in the lines with it being more obvious at the ends of the skirt and the Type-S skirts honestly don't flow bad with the Type-S A-Spec front and rear. Sure the A-Spec skirts were designed to go with the A-spec front and rear, but what I've got now seems to work.

You can see the differences in the image I put together below (click for higher resolution). The A-Spec on the right is CLtotheTL32 and that's the base A-Spec front for reference.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmb-photography/12814267414/
And here's mine as it sits now (sorry for the crappy quality).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmb-photography/12814090633/
I'm thinking I'll just stick with what I've got since I've gone without noticing it for this long. BUT, thanks for pointing it out. Now I've got that on my conscience.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

ask bruce how much for a set shipped to you...probably not too much!

I know what you mean though...ignorance is bliss.

silvrbreez

After I get these wheels on and spaced like I want, I've got a few other quasi-big ticket items in mind. If I can still get a WDP set after that, I'll consider it.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Honestly you picked a bad example...I looked at your side by side again. What is making it look like they have SUCH a visual impact is that Tyler's car is slammed on nice wheels in comparison to a stock height stock wheel setup.

silvrbreez

^True dat. But you can still see the more chiseled flares and the front and rear of the side skirt. I also picked Tyler's because he had the A-Spec Wheels. I was going for a pure TL-
S vs. A-Spec comparison...although his is dropped more than just what the A-Spec suspension does.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

what are we talking about now?

silvrbreez

That conversation was A-spec vs. TL-S side skirts.

The new new is I finally got my tires mounted and balanced. The shop I used did a great job and was extra careful for me.





Threw on the rears for a test fit and some more measuring. Ending up calling back Motorsport Tech and having them add 2 more 15mm Adaptec Speedware spacers to my order for me. Apparently, despite my careful measuring, what I had shown in that "batshit crazy" sketch above as the "OUTSIDE OF FENDER" must have actually been the inside of the lip. Well that lip is getting rolled this week and I've got more clearance than I thought I did.

Now the specs will be...
FRONT = 18x8.5 +45 (w/ 15mm spacer) & 235/40-18
REAR = 18x9.5 +45 (w/ 15mm spacer) & 265/35-18

Spacers should ship out next week.
Fenders getting rolled between now and next weekend.
Fingers crossed to have this done by the end of next weekend.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

I have the aspec front and rear and OEM sides...I like that better so I think its personal preference on that...

am glad the shop did a good job...am eager for post install pix

silvrbreez

I'll just say the rears looked MEAN when I test fit them. Didn't take pics on purpose though. I wanted to wait from here on out till all is said and done.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Obviously.....we need more pics.

silvrbreez

Naptime for the weekend after a fresh bath...

terencetsung

Looking great!

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Clean and peaceful.....

silvrbreez

Still waiting for my spacers to be fabricated and shipped. I also found out a buddy of mine, unbeknownst to me for the last 7 years I've known him, as a fender roller. I'll be borrowing that (hopefully this weekend) to get that done. Between waiting for those two pieces, and working on other things around the house before my kids' birthday party next weekend, I'm super anxious to get these wheels mounted on the car.

In the meantime, I saw this and thought of me...

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

lol...have you ever rolled before? Probably.
I still can't wait...the anticipation is making me giddy.

silvrbreez

Never rolled before, but the guy lending it has and another friend whose heat gun I'm currently borrowing also has. I figure between the two of them, one has got to be available to give me some pointers.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Honestly, biggest tip I'd give you is to go slowly and pay attention to the angle...start off pushing up, then out...you'll feel that certain parts of the fender are tighter than others...also, clean out the fender of rocks/dirt...heat to touch, some paint may still come off...pay special attention to any previous paint work/bondo and spot weld points...

That's it...it's easy.

Biggest pain is the front where the fender transitions to the front bumper support...but get your dremel out and just cut that off.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

great tip Jeremy...give it to me again

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

you wish

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I have a friend who has a friend who knows a friend......