Hey, I recently bought a used 2002 SSM TL TypeS from an acura dealer. The only problem with it is that it had after market Konig rims on it. They look fine, but the fitment isn't right and I think they make the car's performance sub-par. The tires that are on them are 225-45-17, Z rated.

My car rides very hard, and seems to slip a lot when first accelerating and when turning. In order to fix this I am trying to switch to either the TL or CL TypeS rims or possibly the "silver star" OEM wheels that you can upgrade to for the new TSX. They are 17" by 7" and recommend the same tire that the TL TypeS does.

So... first of all, does anyone have a TL with these "silver star" rims? Do you like how they look? Do you have any pictures? Is SSM with gunmetal wheels a good or bad combination?

Secondly, will this definately fix my problem, or has my suspension been modified?

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

 

It's probably not the rims but the tires. Make sure you have enough thread on them..also, check the gap between the wheel well and tire. If you can't fit more than 2-3 fingers..then it's dropped.

 

Agreed.... rims and a drop won't make your tires spin. I'd check the tread on the tires to see what is left.... they may just be crappy tires.

FYI, stock TL-S rims are 17 x 6.5", however, 17 x 7" will fit just fine and the TSX has the same offset... which is good (think it's +55).

 

yea its not the rims its the tires. look into a different tire.

 

how hard you ride and how much you slip is definitely not the suspension or the wheel. Look into getting new tires, that will probably sold most of your problems. The diameter is also off on your car. if you had 18 in rims, the tire size would be 225/45 but your 17's, the profile is too low and so you'll probably feel every bump.

 

Here's what Silver Stars look like on an '00 SSM TL-P:

 

Wouldn't worn-out tread have more traction on dry pavement?

 

Thanks a lot for all of your help... I'm going to get them. If i can get 4 of the silver star rims and 4 MXM4 tires for them all for $1735 from the Acura dealer, is that a good deal, or should I look at one of those online dealers?

 

i wouldnt get that tire period! you can get a much better tire else where and alot cheaper

 

so what tires should i get and where?

 

depending on what your looking for...if you plan on keeping the wheels on all year, get the sumitomo htr+ or the continential xtreme contacts, those are the most popular. I have personal experience with both and I think both are great. If your looking for summer tires, there's plenty out there.

 

Just don't get the stock tires. As the other members had already stated, they suck and are WAY overpriced. If you want to stick to the Michellin brand, try the Pilot Sports.

 

No No No, do NOT pay for MXM4's, they are crap. I wouldn't put them on my car if they were free.

 

Horrible tires, you'll spend all that money, and not get any gains for it. What tires do you have now anyway?

If you want to change rims because you dont like the way they look, thats fine, but if your only complaints are what you posted, then keep the rims, and buy better tires. Toyo Proxes 4's, Pirelli Nero's, etc. Or living in Texas, you can get some high performance summer tires for year round use. For what the crappy Michelins cost, you can get almost 2 complete sets of much better tires for your car

 

Check Ebay for the wheels. That seems really high. Lot's of people sell OEM TL/CL/TSX wheels on Ebay. Then buy tires from tirerack or your local tire shop.

 

Do NOT get those piece of garbage MXM4 tires. You can get better tires for cheaper.

Toyo Proxes 4
Sumitomo HTR+
ContiExtremeContact

Those are all seasons.


You wouldn't have to switch wheels, just tires, unless you want to go up one size (to 18"s) or something. Or if you don't like those Konig wheels.

 

Thanks a lot for all the help everyone... To answer one of your questions, right now I have some Nitto Extreme Performance tires (225-45-17 Z rated). I'm thinking about getting new tires and seeing if that fixes my problems, then i'll decide about rims. If I want to go for a thicker tire so that the ride quality improves some, should i go to a 215-50-17 or a 225-50-17 tire?

thanks again.

 

The stock 17" tire size is 215/50 so the 225/50 will give you a little more sidewall at the expense of making your speedo/odometer read incorrectly (actual speed will be higher than indicated and miles will add on slower).

 

slower mileage doesn't sound too bad to me! Any difference in how it drives? better/worse?

 

I strongly concur. Whatever you do, DON'T get these tires. I speak from experience as most others on this forum.

If you're still not convinced, go the tirerack.com and read about this specific model, and you'll see......

 

BTW, can you tell what kind of shocks and springs the car has on it?

If the shocks are adjustable, and it's a shock that has rebound and compression dampening as one adjustment, like Tokico Illuminas (which are white in color), then turning down the dampener setting on each shock will soften the ride and give you more grip around the corners and a less harsh ride overall.

If you're shocks are Koni Yellows (which are of course... yellow in color ) they only adjust rebound dampening with a fixed compression dampening rate. So adjusting them doesn't help when you go "down" into a pot whole. Only when you come "up" out of one. With Koni's your spring mostly handle the compression part on they're own.

If you do have adjustable shocks, there would be some kind of adjustment screw, usually at the top of each shock.

Hope this helps...