hi everyone, i have a 2002 CL and am thinking of getting new rims. silver exterior, black interior......im thinking 17s or 18s? does anyone know of any good websites or kind of rims to get, also tires? im reading that they come in packages? i dont know much about cars, so i want to make sure that the ones that i get will fit the car and also i want them to look nice and im thinking i need thicker rims? i really dont know so any help is appreciated. ive been to a few websites and it's so overwhelming since im new at this.

 

Welcome, you've come to the right place for help. The first thing you should do is use the search feature for wheels and tires, there is tons of info. Upgrading the rubber in particular is a good first mod. I highly recommend Toyos. Good luck.

 

anyone have any pics?

 

what kind of rims are u looking for?

are u looking for chrome Bling Bling rims?

or sporty rims?

or just a subtle classic design?

 

The responses to this question are numerous! Welcome to the site, but I'd do a search where you'll see the places to go. Or do like I did, go get a copy of SportCompact and go to the websites there.
For starts: get 18"s, you'll like them more IMHO.

www.tirerack.com
www.precisioninstallations.com
www.wheelmax.com
This'll get ya started.

 

actually i find that one of the best sites to browse rims is
www.superbuytires.com

nice pics, clean, easy to navigate.

 

You'll love 18s. Wheelmax has great prices, but their salespeople are very poor. The price you pay, I guess. TireRack is much more professional, but usually a bit more expensive. Check'em out!
S-03s are also fantastic tires.

 

thanks guys....yeah i dont care about service, just the best prices.....i dont really want the bling bling chrome rims...just something that looks sporty and yet classy. it seems like the thicker spoked rims look better on CL's? i dont know....is there any thing that i should be aware of? i dont want to get ripped off....any pics? im thinking i should get the ones that come with the tires as well? but the tires probably arent the best if they come in a package?

im thinking of something like this?

http://www.wheelmax.com/Specials/spmonza.gif

but i dont really like the extra bolts on the side....

what about lugs/holes? CL's, i need 5 right?

thanks for everyone's help......

 

you need a 5X114.3 bolt pattern with a width between 7inches - 8 inches. You can run any offset between 42mm to ~50mm.

if you want a "sportier" look with thick spokes, you might want to check out the Volk TE-37s.

 

haha....confused....bolt pattern? okay, so if i call wheelmax and order it, they should be able to tell me if they will fit on the CL right? i checked out the vol te-37's...they're kind of expensive. i really dont need name brands...just something that looks good u know? withing 1200 or so for a set of 4 with tires........i was thinking of something with thicker spokes? i dont know....looking for pictures, but cant find any good ones....thanks for the help.....

 

Don't trust wheelmax or any dealer that sell you the rim. Trust only people on this forum. Anyway, buy the lightest wheel as you can, it will help performance. But lightest = $$$

 

tutuboss: those look like curb killers, I'd watch out b/c those wheels look like they are easily exposed to less than careful curb negotiation. Bolt pattern: 5x114.3, 45 offset (down to 42, but you might need a spacer).

 

http://www.wheelmax.com/Wheels/Nakayama/speedstar.gif

these look nice...this is what i was looking for....

1499? expensive or cheap?

 

can someone please explain offset and bolt pattern to me please? i was thinking of ordering the rims and putting them on myself....i guess i should take it to a shop and have them mount it for me? this sounds more complicated than i thought =)
thanks for everyone's help though

 

Did you get them yet?

 

the 5X114.3 bolt pattern means 5 bolts at 114.3mm from one bolt to the furthest point of the other bolts (or almost like the diameter of the bolt pattern) Just let the distributor know you need this bolt pattern and they will understand.

The offset is a millimeter measurement between where you car acutally touches the wheel and the center of the wheel. The lower the offest the further your wheels will stick out from your car. The higher the offset the more they will tuck into your wheel well. Again let them know you need an offset between 42mm and ~50mm. DON'T GO LOWER THAN 42mm or you're wheels will stick out too much.

and of course don't go larger than 8 inches in width or you'll be sticking out like crazy.

One more thing to think about when purchasing wheel/tire packages...tire size. I noticed a lot of the tire sizes on wheelmax are not optimal for our cars. For 18's you want at least a 225mm wide and at least 40 series. The tire size is usually indicated by the following example: 225/40/18

I know you're going to ask what 40 series means, it's a ratio of the width vs. tire height. and trust me...you want either 40 or 45 series when running 18s. 35's do not cut it...

and if you still find the above info confusing go here for more info.

 

I photoshopped this years ago...I think they look ok...nothing really special.

oh...and here's something like it on a TL http://www.webphotos.com/list_photos...&smi=1&a=80248

 

yeah actually ur right....they dont look that good.....any other pics?

 

chikai:

thanks for the info.....so as far as offset is concerned: i shouldnt worry about that until i get the ppl to mount them? or do i need to tell ppl at wheelmax?

ur right, alot of the tires on wheel max are 215/35/18

okay, i know 18 is how big the tires are

215 is how wide the tires are right? so if im rolling a tire in front of me.....from left to right? the thickness of the tires?

and 35 is how much of the tires are showing? when u say ratio of the width vs tire heigth?

so it would look best to have a thin tire right and show more rim?
and that would be a lower number?

anyways, sorry im new at this....but i really appreciate your help.

 

Offset is very important, that is the first thing that you should worry about, low offset will make your wheel stick out. 35 is too thin, and you rim might bend if going over pot hole. Beside thin tire=rough ride. IMO, 45 is the best, but will cost you $$$

 

ok...I think you're confusing wheel size with tire size.

Wheel only
- Diameter: 18" (or anywhere from 17" - 19")
- Width: any where from 7" - 8"
- Offset 42mm to ~50mm (no lower than 42mm) this is very very important. If you get the wrong offset you'll rub like crazy.

Tire only
- Width: btw 225mm to 235mm looking at the tread
- Ratio: 40 series or 45 series (I believe it is a percentage of the width...so 40 series on a 225mm would be 90mm tall side wall)

Although 35 series would probably work, I do not recommend it. Like purple yam said, you're more prone to bend rims.

 

thanks guys....im still a bit confused, but just one more question:

offset---that deals with the mounting or do i need to tell the ppl when i order the rims?

rub like crazy as in the tires are going to rub on the car? i think i get it so if it's too low of an offset, ie 35, then there will be very thin tires so the rims will bend right? or wait, that's tires....haha...im so dumb....=)

so ideally, i should get 225/40/18 yet 235 or 45 would be okay as well?

and offset should be ideally 45 but range from 42 to 50 is okay?

thanks,
john

 

The offset of a wheel is what locates the tire and wheel assembly in relation to the suspension. More specifically, it is the measured distance between the hub mounting surface and the center line of the rim. Below is an explanation of the various types of offsets which are pictured in the above graphic.

Positive Offset
A positive offset occurs when the hub mounting surface is on the street side (the side you see) of the center line of the rim. Most factory rims will have this type of offset.

Zero Offset
When the hub mounting surface is centered within the rim, it is known as a zero offset.

Negative Offset
If the hub mounting surface is on the brake side of the center line of the rim, it is considered a negative offset or "deep dish".

Note that extensive negative offset can potentially cause increased steering wheel kick-back and place additional stresses on the vehicle's entire suspension.

 

Rim Width
The width between the flanges of the wheel (the part the bead of the tire touches).

Section Width
The linear distance between the outside of the sidewalls of an inflated tire without any load on it (this does not include any sidewall decorations).

Section Height
This is also known as the Aspect Ratio. This is figured on a percentage of the section width. A tire size of 205/60R15 would have a section width of 205 millimeters and a section height of 60 percent of 205 millimeters.

 

tutuboss - check out the FAQ (the link is in my sig). There is a good summary of what wheels and tires do well on the CL.

A search will give a gazillion threads. The FAQ is a great starting point.

It looks like for stock rims you can go up to 235/45's (17 inch). For those with 18 inch rims it looks like 235/45 or 235/40. Keep in mind that your speedometer can be off if you change your wheels. You might want to look at a tire converter calculator to check that out such as http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html.

From what I looked at 235/45/17 or 235/40/18 will keep your speedometer happy. I didn't check out 19 inch tires.

There are also a couple of threads on this topic (and offset) in the http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/forum...s=&forumid=120 forum.

 

my friend said that i should lower my car first before i get rims or they're gonna look like monster trucks on a CL? haha....is that true?

 

yes...please do a search on springs. I recommend comptechs

 

are springs a necessity? if i have a base 2002 CL and just want to put 18s on them, with the right offset and size, i should be okay right? no need to worry about springs or other mods? please let me know....thanks