I have a 2k2 SE w/ eibach springs/stock struts and the ride is a bit stiff but nice. If I were to upgrade my stock rims to 18x8, would the ride be a lot stiffer?

 

I have 18X8.5 and honestly I can't tell you if I felt the ride was stiffer with them because I had the wheels before I replaced my springs. I think that the wide wheels, and the springs together have eliminated my body roll completely, so I guess that means yes and traction is much better.

 

Thanx for the feedback!

 

except if you chose VERY soft riding tires.

Generally, any time you reduce the sidewall on the tires by going to lower profile tires you improve handling and suffer ride degradation...physics at work.

That said, there are (for example) 45 series tires that due to construction & quality ride better than other make's 50 series tires but those are few and far between. Bridgestone Turanzas (to name one) in 45 series ride better than Goodyear F1 50 series tires but those instances are few and far between.

 

does anyone have the eibach setup with 18's? How's the ride?

 

Just a bit of advice (if you had not already taken this into account)...


whenever ANYONE gives feedback on this topic, check their profiles to see where they live. Stiff tires on nice pavement (generally the Southern states (but not always)) of course will not 'seem' that much stiffer to those people. To you with NY roads, even small to medium bumps, potholes, etc. could quickly become unbearable.

 

hey, i was wondering, what is your offset?

 

I'm not certain about the offset. I have the stock 2k2 SE wheels.

 

I agree with the guy that said check where they live.
I have 245/40/18s and I do feel that it's harsher now and feel every little bump more and my car is not even lowered. But when i go to Jersey and a parkway, the car rides like cadillac.

 

The same as the factory offsett.

 

vehicle suspension (springs, shocks) are set to 'react' -either compress or extend- to movements that vary in frequency between 40 and 180 cycles per minute. Translate this to wheel movements up and down between once every 1.25 seconds on the low side (like a long. rolling bump) to one cycle every third of a second (three times a second -that being the 180 CPM figure.

On movements of less frequency than that you get lots of body movement as well as wheel deflection -as when you go slowly do over a smooth, wide speed bump...one can feel the car moving as well, right?

On movements much sharper than that -ala those approximating or exceeding 180 CPMs- the inertia in the suspension (remember all the unsprung weight which I've often talked about?) is so large the suspension does not have to react and deflect at all and ALL (well, the vast majority) the bump is absorbed by the tires themselves. That's why you can bend a rim on a short, sharp bump -because it's likely the suspension did not move at all -or very little. Tar strips are the perfect examples of short, sharp,
high-frequency' bumps

Bottom line...large wheels/short sidewall tires will show no ride degradation on smooth surfaces or whenever suspension movements fall into the 'slow cycle' range but will definitely affect the ride on sharp, 'high-frequency' bumps or road imperfections.

Class on suspension dynamics 201 is over...

 

honestly...after trying 19s, 18s ride like stock