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So I figured I'd create a progress thread to show what I've done to my 12' TL so far. When I first got the car it was about as plain as you can possibly get, no wing, no kit, and 17" oem wheels. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave it alone...
First up was the oem skirt package, the dealer gave me a solid deal on it.
Although I liked the look the kit gave the car it made my TL look even stranger without a wing so I had the dealer install that shortly after.
I knew next up I had to do something about the wheels. The oem 17's fan blades are just terrible, a car this size labeled a sports sedan should never see 17" wheels let alone that style of wheel.
I searched and found a nice set of 19" wheels that Avarus was offering on tirerack, the wheels had just been released so I knew nobody else would have them. I ordered 19x8.5 +45 because I wanted to keep a factory look with a conservative tire size. I went with 245/45r Kumho Estca 4X tires.
I planned to keep the factory suspension because I have an extended warranty until 2017 and didn't want to mess with it in anyway, unfortunately that idea went out the window. I ordered Tein H-tech springs and installed them a few weeks ago. Now I'm happy with where the car sits, it's hard to say if I'll do much more but if I had to take a guess I'd say I'll cave at some point.
Thanks guys, I'll add some new photos once I get a good hand wash and dry done this weekend. I'd like to show the drop from a couple different angles for the guys considering the H-tech springs.
Originally Posted by purextc
Looking good now get those windows tinted!
I would if it wasn't illegal here, no tint allowed on the driver/passenger windows and with only the backs done it looks really tacky.
Last edited by Steven Bell; 04-19-2014 at 12:38 PM.
Reason: Merged Posts
your odo is probably off...19" wheels should have 40 series tires right? Just keep in mind that you are likely going faster than you think you are. Can put it in a calculator to figure out the exact %
your odo is probably off...19" wheels should have 40 series tires right? Just keep in mind that you are likely going faster than you think you are. Can put it in a calculator to figure out the exact %
Car looks nice BTW
Opps my post should say 245/40-19 my mistake. They are the same size as the OEM 19" tires so no issues with the ODO.
I have the same model and color as yours, just had the 19" Ace Convex installed, was wondering if I should have the under spoiler set too, could you please upload some photos of the rear?
How is the ride quality with Tein Springs and 19" wheels compare to stock set up?
Ride quality is definitely harsher but not bad as you might think, the h-techs do a very good job of lowering the car without affecting the ride quality much, i find the switch from my 17" winter wheels to 19" summer wheels affects ride quality more than switching the springs did.
Camber kit verdict is in i dont require a kit, i have a couple number at the top of the specified range. Front left is -1.3 camber which is the very top of the allowed range and left rear at -1.9 camber which is .01 over the range (no biggie). Toe is all good all around as is everything else...im relieved.
Okay so here are a couple from the back to show how the rear part of the kit looks.
Hi,
I have same after market trunk spoiler with yours.
Did you notice the difference from OEM?
I really like OEM looking. it is annoying that if I need to take if off with cleaning the 3M tape
Hi,
I have same after market trunk spoiler with yours.
Did you notice the difference from OEM?
I really like OEM looking. it is annoying that if I need to take if off with cleaning the 3M tape
My trunk spoiler is OEM, the base model (which I have) has a different trunk spoiler from the factory than all the other models with tech.
Steering wheel is installed, fit and finish on this thing is immaculate, it looks like an OEM wheel. Thickness of it is perfect and the finger grips on the top of the back of the wheel are all still there for grip. Love this thing, reminds me of an Audi S4 wheel.
Comparison with my base wheel, it's hard to tell here but the grips and entire wheel is much thicker than my base.
All switches swapped over and fit perfectly.
Installed, I went for a quick test drive and it's like driving a different car with this since your hands are always on it. The workmanship on this thing blew me away.
damn man. that looks clean as hell. how was the install?
Thanks! It was my first time doing this and I was very careful to follow all the procedures closely when working with an airbag.
It took me a total of 1.5hrs to do the install. I would say the second time it will take half that or less. I was taking lots of pictures during the install and had all my tools in a stupid place with the way my car was parked, so it was a lot of walking back and forth through the garage which made the process longer.
damn man. that looks clean as hell. how was the install?
Originally Posted by wreak
Thanks! It was my first time doing this and I was very careful to follow all the procedures closely when working with an airbag.
It took me a total of 1.5hrs to do the install. I would say the second time it will take half that or less. I was taking lots of pictures during the install and had all my tools in a stupid place with the way my car was parked, so it was a lot of walking back and forth through the garage which made the process longer.
The new addition looks pretty damn bad ass. Now the TL's definition of True Luxury performance fit the part. I know Carbon has done this addition too but just seeing this in this color it's a must have for me this summer. Appreciate you sharing these photos and most definitely waiting for a write up on the install asap!!!
Thanks for sharing the pics and props for your decision in getting this wheel, it looks great. As for the install is not difficult if you take your time and do it carefully, I messed up my clock spring when I replaced the wheel on my previous car. The replacement part costed me $90 from the dealer.
Thanks guys, here are a couple more angles of the wheel during the install to show the fit and finish. Having had the opportunity now to drive the car a bit I really love this mod. Other than the way it feels in your hands the best part about this is the ability to remove it prior to selling the car to recover a good portion of it's original cost. No regrets on this so far.
04-10-2014, 05:41 PM
