A Car

[Widewing]

I still have my Honda S2000, but I sold my hot rod Suzuki and bought my third Jeep in August. Unlike my wild 63' CJ-5 (Buick 231ci Turbo, T-10 4-speed, Roll cage 2.5" suspension lift, 2" body lift, 36" Cepeks. Warn winch, custom tube bumpers, Rancho shocks and damper) or my 1992 YJ Wrangler (5 speed, 1.5" suspension lift, 30" BFGs), this one is new and unmodified, except for a better steering damper. A set of 32" BFG Mud Terrain T/A KMs waits in the garage for a new set of wheels, due early next week. I currently have factory installed 32" Goodyear Wranglers, which aren't quite up to the adventures I have planned. Ok for general use and moderate 4 wheeling, they don't bite well or self-clean well in mud. Optioned well, it's about 95% of a Rubicon (less the Locker D44 front axle, 4.10 gears and the 4:1 crawl ratio T/C, which I don't need) for $4k less. I have the Dana 30 front axle (slightly smaller ring gear than the Dana 44) and the Dana 44 Trac-Loc rear axle with 3.73 gears. I'm not into rock crawling... However, with a 2" lift, it could handle a 10 rated trail without difficulty, as long as you don't mind some battle scars to the rock rails and skid plates.

My neighbor just bought a loaded Hummer H3. Fire sale pricing, he got it for $13k under MSRP. It's nice, but I'd rather have my JK Wrangler. When he claimed the H3 was as good off road as my JK, I reminded him that the Hummer is just the box they ship Jeeps in....

Anyway, here's the new JK Wrangler parked on a scenic trail.




My regards,

Widewing

[DiabloTX]

One of the reasons why I went from 16" to 18" is because it makes the car look lowered when in fact it is not.  I was already leery of ground clearance with the stock stance but I wanted to fill in the wheel wells as well make it appear to be lowered.  Before and after:




I did notice a difference in braking due to the higher unsprung weight of the wheels but that can be corrected with better pads and rotors.  On the plus side the handling did get noticeably better, the ride was firmed up (which is what I wanted but it's not 'vette-like teeth rattling firm) and the higher rolling resistance of the low profile tires kept the MPG at the same of not higher level than the stock wheels.  It all depends on what you are looking for.  The main thing for me was tightening the handling and filling in the wheel wells.

[Grayeagle]

LOL,, 'automotive engineers' live in a world of compromises, federal rules, and upper management demands.

It's a wonder that anything with any performance is available at all.

Heck of a nice 'vert Mustang, color and wheel combo really make it.

I'm old, too .. and I love hangin the back out a bit comin out of a corner addin throttle with a bit of countersteer.
Especially if there is some love muffin biker right on my 6 thinkin he can hang.. ROFL.

(had some rice rocket aka UJM leave a peice of his plastic behind today tryin to hang on goin onto the onramp today ..he's real lucky he didnt dump it.. he lit the peg up pretty good scrapin it.)

-Frank aka GE

[SD67]

if i were gonna spend 40k on a vehicle of some sort, i'm buying a cessna.,...........

And you'll still be going slower than most things in the pattern

Amazing how everyone knows better and is more informed than automotive engineers!  so, I should get bigger wheels, so the car ends up sitting higher then drop it so it can sit lower, makes sense ?  

Bigger wheels may add some rubber to the road but dont kid yourself this is more than offset by the additional weight.  Bigger wheels are mostly for looks, if your into that type of thing which I am not, and since it is my car that is the end of that suggestion.

I said that dropping the car affects the manuverabltiy and drivability.  this is correct.  Although it can improve cornering charactericts (hence changing the manuverablity) this is only a significant plus if your going to do very hard cornering.   I do 1/4 mile, so it does nothing for me.  It does affect drivablity in that the comfort of the daily drive is significantly affected.  Since I drive my pony everyday, this is not an opption for me.

Now, anything else?  anyone want me to put on fuzzy dice or maybe a big airbrush painting of elvis on the hood??

px you are correct on a couple of points, though you could have gone a little further.
Unsprung weight will bite you if you are not careful with your wheel choice.
Anything less than a 40% profile is completely useless for road use and are strictly for show. (I wish I had a dollar for every 20" I've seen with serious buckles) I run 17" in a 45% profile on lightweight rims that around half the weight of the standard 15" items.
Lowering will also bite you if you allow your roll centre to get too low. So many kids want their rides to be so low it's ridiculous.
If your roll centre gets too low the handling of the vehicle is seriously compromised. My vehicle is lowered 20mm however I have also fitted special lowered shocks and specifically engineered lower ball joints to maintain the roll centre.

[CyranoAH]

I'm seriously considering purchasing a '01 M5 e39. Always been in love with this car.

[RTHolmes]

I still have my Honda S2000

now that is a truly great engine (the rest of its not too bad either )


my father ran a e39 530SE for a couple of years, all round the best car ive ever driven. that chassis can easily cope with 400hp, so yes find a good M5 and buy it!

[CAP1]

And you'll still be going slower than most things in the pattern :

true, very true......but i can get places faster than by car.....like ocean city md in an hour or so, ocean city nj 35 minutes, cape may nj 40 minutes.......that's in an older one in the club.

but most of all.......i'm in the air.

[Fugita]

I used to be a Ford Man, but since I bought my current car I am a believer. I have an '03 SAAB 95 Aero. Sport/Luxury, the best of both worlds. Turbo 4 cylinder cause the 6 isn't that great. It's a friggin jet on wheels.

[CAP1]

I used to be a Ford Man, but since I bought my current car I am a believer. I have an '03 SAAB 95 Aero. Sport/Luxury, the best of both worlds. Turbo 4 cylinder cause the 6 isn't that great. It's a friggin jet on wheels.

aaahhhh......

just another sob....eerrrr......saab story

[stroker71]

I bought this car not to long ago.  Spent some money on rims/tires and a few things to make it look better.  Still have under 11k$ in it and it runs, looks, and turns heads just fine.

[Steve]

generally, when you lower a car for handling, the only time you're really gonna feel inprovement will be pushing to extremes....like in an autocross. you'll never ever need or use it in day to day driving. also..refer up to the previous comment

Good stuff.  You admit that it can improve performance.  As for extremes... wel that's what we're talking about... performance.... not driving miss daisy.  PXDIG is clueless. He drives his car in the 1/4... any tard knows sticker, wider tires would give him a better launch than the roller skate wheels hehas on it. Also, I suggested lowering it a bit for asthetics. I think his current set up looks like crap.

[Lukanian-7]

I Still Say The Bus Is Better

It Has A Whopping 44 Horses!!!

[pxdig]

Good stuff.  You admit that it can improve performance.  As for extremes... wel that's what we're talking about... performance.... not driving miss daisy.  PXDIG is clueless. He drives his car in the 1/4... any tard knows sticker, wider tires would give him a better launch than the roller skate wheels hehas on it. Also, I suggested lowering it a bit for asthetics. I think his current set up looks like crap.

Steve, steve, steve, why do I even bother with you.  When I take my car to the local shine n show, i regularly have people taking pictures of it.  I get more compliments on this car than I do on my Harley, although you would say that the Harley needs spinner rims and be lowered, (how cool!!)  you critize my car, my taste, and my driving.  Lets see your car? you have an old blue vet on your avatar, put up a couple of pics of that midlife crisis machine.  Or better yet lets see your mini van.  I am guessing you have a  mini van since you would need at least that much head room to fit that retarded looking freak of a kid.  Didn't I see your kid in "the lord of the rings" you know the freak character, the smeegle one.

Ill make you a deal, I will lower my car 4 inches if you lower your kids freakish head 4 inches, how about it???

[SD67]

Uncool man. Totally uncool.
Feel free to attack Steve (he secretly loves it ) but leave his kids out of it ok?

[stroker71]

Here's the suspension package I am getting soon!

MM Road and Track Box - For 02-04 GT Coupe


MM developed the Road & Track Box into the ultimate extension of the stock-typ suspension. Motor Trend confirmed the amazing handling ability of this package when they tested it for the December, 1998 issue of 5.0 Mustang. A 1990 LX Mustang equipped with the Road & Track Box tied for the 3rd fastest slalom speed ever recorded by Motor Trend. The Road & Track Box includes the following parts. Items different from the Sport Box are italicized.
 
The Road & Track Box includes the following parts:

MM Strut Tower Brace
MM 4-Point K-Member Brace
MM Full Length Subframe Connectors
MM Panhard Bar with Aluminum Rod
MM Heavy-duty Rear Lower Control Arms
MM Road & Track Springs
Bilstein HD front struts
Bilstein HD rear shocks
MM Caster/Camber Plates
MM Urethane Pinion Snubber
Front spring isolators
Rear spring isolators
Solid Steering Shaft
MM Aluminum Rack Bushings, center drilled
Front Swaybar bushings
Front Swaybar end link bushing kit
Front control arm bushings, urethane