Element2001

So to be short and to the point; I regret not getting the largest aftermarket size wheel available to me on my last car. Now that I have a new TL, I want to make sure to make the best of it by going with 20"s. I have done a lot of research on various wheel/tire sites, as well as reading the numerous threads on this forum on the topic. And from what I have seen a lot of people have 20"s and the only downfall to what I've seen in the raise in height of the car.

So here's the deal, before I pull the trigger and purchase some wheels I want to make sure that there's not anything I'm missing from a potential risk standpoint. If I get the following 20"s setup will I risk anything such as rubbing? bottoming out? etc? Please let me know so I can make the best decision. Here's my setup and proposed 20"s setup below:

2006 Acura TL
5 Speed Automatic
NOT a-spec
Underbody spoiler kit on all sides
Not lowered - standard height

I want to get the following:

20x8.5
+40mm offset
245/35/20 tire
biggest lip available

Let me know if anything is going to be a problem with this setup. Thank you very much in advance. Oh yeah...I'm glad to be a new member of Acurazine ;-)

rondog

iTrader: (1)

245 is kinda pushing it, will make the wheel look a little like a 19". But the 40 offset is a bit more promising.Lip size varies, becasue alot of manufacturers like to bend the spoke right before it reaches the lip, which is weird becasue it really doesn't reflect how deep dish the wheel really is.
What kind of wheels did you have in mind?

Element2001

rondog:

Thanks for the quick reply. Can you please expand upon how/why the 245 will make the wheel look "smaller"? I have a very basic understanding of the importance of the wheel/tire numbers etc, but definately not anywhere near expert.

As far as wheels, my mind has been everywhere: from Giovanna to D'vinci to Donz to Lexani to Asanti. More recently though my eyes have been on the Dropstar/TIS line of wheels. I had to make a big decision about going 3-piece forged (in which case I probably would have gone Asanti or Davin), but when it came down to it I don't want to end up with over $6000 worth of wheels I probably won't be able to sell. I had a hard time selling some old Motegi wheels from my old car so I don't want to have to deal with that this time around and take a huge hit on my investment.

Anyways, I think I'm looking at the dropstar/TIS line of wheels. BTW, the Ron Jon wheels are the bomb; just not my style. I like the more "ghetto" rims versus the tuner style and whatnot.

P.S. I think the reason I'm looking at 245/35/20 is because I live in Minnesota and I can't be driving on rubber bands with our crappy roads ;-)

Element2001

rondog:

I've decided upon the wheels I'm going to purchase. I want to buy the 20" Dropstar DS02 wheels with the optional black blades. Everything looks in order...but the only thing is that it's only available with a +38mm offset. Is this an issue or can I go ahead and make the order? They said I can get a 3-3 1/2 inch lip with this size. Let me know if there's anything I should be cautioned about.

P.S. Here's a shot of the wheel:

Element2001

P.S. I have 2 10" subs in the back in a box...that probably adds about 60-80 pounds to my everyday ride....even with 20x8.5"s I should be ok with no rubbing since I don't have a drop right?

Acuracy

i have 20x8.5 in the front and 20x9.5 in the rear...im dropped on tein ss and i have a 12 inch W7 in a prowedge box and w7s are reallly heavy.....depends on how low i go then i rub...my daily driving height i was rubbing and the rubbing was coming from the rear aspec body kit...i just had to trim off a piece of plastic and i was good...but i think 20s are the perfect size for a TL if it has the right drop. just my

Travis

invincible569

I have the same setup as Acuracy. If you get the Tein SS, you dont have to worry about rubbing. I have 35mm and there are no problems. The only thing I am worried about with your setup is the weight. You said you want ghetto rims.. that means you will have to get a BBK in your near future. Thats a lot of chrome. STR8Ballen has lowenharts and he said his braking is pretty bad. Mine isnt that bad, but it's not like it was without the wheels.

Element2001

Thanks for the input guys. So are you saying that if I do NOT lower and stay with the stock height (I don't even have A-SPEC) then it will rub? Also, invincible when you say I will need a BBK in the near future what do you mean by that?

Acuracy

When he says u will need the BBK he means that the weight of the new wheels will tell on ur breaks...the more weight on the wheels means u will require more breaking to stop them...in turn ur stock system wont be sufficient for very long...let me tell u that gettting a BBK wass one of them best things i have done..

Also we are saying if decided to lower the car then go with the SS so you WONT have to worry about rubbing....if u stay stock height it wont rub but search for a few pics of TLs with 20s on stock ride height...some of them sit really high

Travis

Element2001

Well...thanks guys for the great input. I pulled the trigger today and made my order from http://discountwheelwarehouse.com:

4 Dropstar DS02's with optional black inserts
20x8.5 with +38mm offset and a 3.25" lip
$1749 (437.25/wheel)

4 Pirelli Pzero Nero Tires
245/30/20
$1292 (323/tire)

Lug nuts and wheel locks
$40

FREE shipping and NO tax (online purchase)

TOTAL PURCHASE: $3080.99

All in all I think I got a great deal. The wheels were MSRP at $600/wheel and the tires were around $380/tire on the common sites like tirerack and discounttire.com. The guy said my car height will rise 1/2" and there would have been rubbing with a 35 so I went 30. I'll make sure to wax my TL and take photos when the package gets put on!

Aggie2000

Let us know how everything goes.

Element2001

will do :-) I'm crossing my fingers that everything works out and I can roll with the chrome blinging haha

Acuracy

CONGRADS on the purchase mann..its a big step and definitly set your TL apart from everyone elses.....just promise to get some pics up ASAP..

Travis

Element2001

Ok...so I decided what I wanted and I placed an order at www.discountwheelwarehouse.com because they had the best prices and whatnot. Just when I think I'm going to be rolling on 20's in about two weeks the sale blows up crazy like. Here's what went down:

- After placing an order I was supposed to receive a phone call from them to confirm the order within 48 hours. So to speed up the process I called the same day, the next day, and the third day. The response I received everyday was "we haven't pulled down the orders from the Internet yet." Are you joking? You are an e-commerce entitity and it takes 3 days to pull the orders?

- So I finally get through to this sales rep or whatever, only for him to tell me one (the wheels aren't available), and two (even if they were available they wouldn't fit my car). At this point I'm like WTF. I've done tons of research, even talked with one of their sales representatives the day of my order to confirm everything would work on my car; and he said with a 20x8.5" wheel with +38mm offset and a 245/30/20 tire there would be no rubbing, it would just raise my car up a 1/2". So this guy goes on and on reaming me about how a 20x8.5 won't work and I'm like REALLY then why are like dozens of 04-06 Acura TL owners already riding on those setups?

- So ignoring his comments about it not fitting when I know it will, I tell him even though the product is on backorder please run my order through so when it comes out of backorder I will automatically get sent the wheels. He tells me he can't do that. Then I'm like ok well at least run through the tires because no matter what 20" wheels I end up with I will still need 245/30/20 tires. The sales representative gives me a hard time and says he can't just sell me the tires. So after arguing for 10 minutes I finally get him to say he'll send me an e-mail to confirm the order. Also, the web site said nothing about the product being on backorder so that was a nice annoying surprise.

- So I open my e-mail to confirm the tires by themselves, and in this "confirmation" they are asking me for crazy privacy violation information like a photocopy of my vehicles registration and insurance card, etc. I'm thinking the entire time WTF why does this company need this information when I'm simply buying a tire. Complete BS in my opinion. I've ordered wheels and tires from tirerack.com, etc. in the past and I've never been asked for information like this, led alone had such a difficult time.

/rant. Basically, it looks like unless some miracle happens I'm going to have to cancel my order with this discountwheelwarehouse.com company. That means I'll have to pay about 15% more through another online dealer, but jesus it's worth it if they are reputable and conduct business in an honest straightforward way.

Element2001

P.S. I would recommend avoiding this online bait and switch dealer.

Acuracy

Man that really blowsss....definitly cancel that order...if they are this way at the begining of the purchase imagine their customer service during the order process and if something happens with shipping...Dont even loose sleep over them. Sometimes ur not just paying for the product but for a service..so i would say spend the little extra $$$ and get a better servicing company that will take of u and ur problems, Thats why i went with hre, great customer service. just my

Travis

P.S-dont let it get u down, there are many many other rims out there and u will def find ones that fit u

clay8898

Here is a pic of mine without a drop.

And another veiw.

Element2001

What size tire do you have clay?

Element2001

As well as size wheel (20x?.?) and offset +??mm. Do you have any rubbing issues?

clay8898

20x8.5 45mm offset I believe, 245/35/20 tire. I went big with the tire to fill the wheel well more cause I don't have a drop.

Aggie2000

Any new updates Element?

Element2001

Not as of yet aggie. It appears that since Dropstars is new for 2006 they haven't shipped their initial products yet. I'm basically playing the waiting game but in the meantime I'm shopping around for prices online. I'm an impatient person though and waiting for my rims while everybody else is already shinin' on the road is horrible :-(

Aggie2000

Element, those rims are so sweet, that I can understand your impatience. By the way, in terms of style and look, what's the closest in an 18inch?

ashtray00

What about the tire monitoring gage for the car? You getting replacements or taking them off the stocks?

Does anyone know if you remove them totally and not use them @ all that the comptuer will keep buggin you ?

Element2001

Honestly I really don't know. I probably looked at around 25 wheel manufacturers in my search where I was looking at 19's. Honestly I didn't find anything that I personally liked. Then when I started looking at 20's the world opened up and I felt like I had a much better selection to choose from. I must say I think the Dropstars DS02's have a pretty unique look, especially with the optional blades. There are probably some chrome tuner five/seven spoke wheels that may look something like these, but I d/k.

Element2001

Good question. There was one day this winter where it was ridiculously cold (I live in MN) and my tire pressure dropped signficantly. I was greeted I believe by beeping at first and then a constant light. I definately don't want to deal with that for months at a time.

I have a decision to make. Will I transfer the ones from the stock to the aftermarket or just buy new ones. It'll come down to long term investment. I think the sensors are about $45 each; that's about $200 total. However, it all depends on how much Tires Plus is going to charge me to transfer four valve sensors twice a year. If it's more expensive, or even close, I'll just buy new ones.

Element2001

Hey guys! It's been about two weeks and I figured I'd give a status update because things seem to be in motion now. Here's what's been happening in the past two weeks.

- I placed an order by calling the number on http://www.dropstarwheels.net. At first I was a bit skeptical because the site is totally horrible and looks like a scam. However, it's actually a sub web site of a company called Extreme Customs which is based next door to me in Wisconsin.

- For 4 Pirelli Pzero Neros 245/30/20, 4 20x8.5 Dropstars DS02 wheels, and locking lug nuts it came to $3,009. There was no tax and shipping was free :-)

- On Wednesday there was a knock at my door right when I was laying down to take a nap, and booyah it was my tires. I'll post a pic of the stack and up-close on the tread later this week. I have to clean them off because they are pretty filthy from being in a warehouse and from cardboard particles from boxes. I stood the tire up to the stock setup and it looked practically even in height. I was surprised :-)

- I should be getting sent out the wheels this week or next; but the optional black blades won't be ready for another couple of weeks. But at least I'll be sitting on chrome!

Twenties

Good luck. They should fit w/o rubbing. Post the pictures.

Aggie2000

So where are the pics?

Element2001

eheh. I don't have the wheels yet. However, they should be waiting on my doorstep when I get home today! If not they should definately be there tomorrow. Then I decide if I'm going to pick up new TPMS sensors or not. If so I'll go pick them up at the Acura dealer real quick. And THEN I gotta decide where I want to get them mounted and balanced and put on and whatnot. Typically in the past I've got everything done at Tires Plus and been pretty satisfied with their work. I have been thinking about getting them done at Discount Tire though. What are your opinions?

Anyways, I'm planning on getting everything done on Saturday and I just washed the T-Dizzle so I should have pics Saturday night :-) I gotta wax this mug though too. Everything should still look good but without the black blades (on backorder) I'll feel average eheh.

Element2001

/rant

So I just got back from the Acura dealership because I decided to purchase separate TPMS sensors instead of having them transferred. That way I don't have to deal with all that every time I get my summer/winter wheels swapped.

Anyways, so I go up to the desk and let the Parts guy know I have an 06 TL and need the sensors for my aftermarket tires. He gets a blank stare on his face and says "for an 06?" I said yeah and looked up something on the computer. He said "they are $57 each" in a weird way that basically seemed like he knew he was ripping me off or didn't even want the sale lol. I was like that's cool and he wrote up the invoice for the purchase and went and got the parts. Now, I don't know if it's like this in your Acura dealer but the parts and parts payment area in mine is literally a foot away from one another but in separate windows/offices. Are you serious? I have never seen a parts place at a dealership swamped rendering them incapable of ringing up their own sales; c'mon now lol.

Anyways, so I pay for the sensors, and right when he hands then to me a Service Tech comes up and he asks him if these will work with aftermarket wheels. WTF! lol. I already asked you if this is what I needed TWICE and you are asking somebody else after you've already sold me them lol. I wasn't mad though because I knew it was the right thing and it's what I needed lol. So then you know what this retarded Service guy says: "I don't think you are supposed to put aftermarket wheels on a TL". I looked at him like he was retarded and left without responding.

I mean, I know as a mechanic or whatever for a dealership you aren't supposed to encourage/endorse/etc. aftermarket things and whatnot; but you don't have to be a complete douche and be like you can't even do that when it's obvious you can. Jesus lol.

end rant/

P.S. This is what all the fuss is about:

invincible569

Your not suppose to put aftermarket wheels on a TL? LOL! Some guys are real idiots. Maybe he just graduated from ITT tech?

Element2001

Oh snap!!! After I ran to the Acura dealership I came straight home and not but 15 minutes later the UPS truck pulled up! Everything is here now!!! I'm SO getting them put on tomorrow or Sunday. I should be getting the optional black blades in about a week or two which will fill up the gaps between the spokes. Expect more pics after I get them on this wekeend; but for now:

Element2001

roflbiscuits at ITT Tech. I see those commercials when I work from home some days lol.

invincible569

Put them on today!!! Looks great!

vandido626

what a bunch of crap; the service manager at my dealer even offered to switch the sensors on my OEM wheels to my aftermarkets.

Element2001

Update:

I called Discount Tire today and setup an appointment at 1 p.m. on Saturday. I'm sooooooooooooo close to sittin' on chrome :-) Anyways, a funny thing that came up in our conversation was about the valve stems. He asked me if I needed them transferred and I told him I bought new ones. He erupted in a rant about "OMG thank you; you have no idea how many people want me to transfer them. They expect us to disassemble their current wheels/tires, remove the sensors, put them on the new set, balance them and then do it all over again when they get their winter wheels put on".

I thought it was pretty funny he was quite animate about hating people who want the sensors transferred lol. I assume it's because they don't or can't charge for some labor in-between steps or whatever there and they get screwed in time or money having to do all that. Or they're just lazy eheh.

ashtray00

valve stems


how much were the 4 new ones?

Element2001

$57 each. I'm sure I could have got them cheaper somewhere else but I'm lazy and impatient lol.

Element2001

OMFG I'm rollin' on twenties! I'll post my great experience at Discount Tire later as well as my inital thoughts. But for now: