Wheels Are Rare for Cateras...?

[uRabbit]

So I think I've decided on what I want.

American Racing Muscle Rogue Black w/ Mach Lip
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...eelModel=Rogue

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW-2
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....toModel=Catera

Now if I do go with 18's and that low-pro tire, my speedo will be off, correct? Will it be faster than my actual speed or slower?

Also. A question: The wheel offset is +35mm. Will I have any problems with this decision of tire and wheel combination?

Thanks again!

edit: Also. Did you use BillMeLater for your purchase? I plan to. Just wondering how it was if you did.

[heavycat]

I have 20's on my 2000 and i love them. I was considering going with 18's because i was told that 19s were the biggest. I went to a rim shop outside of toronto and got them to order me a set of 20s. They are "American Racing Rouge" chrome wheels (check out wheelswest.ca and do a wheel search, you can see hundreds of wheels on your vehicle and it tells you whether they will fit or not) The size is 20 X 8.5, with a 225/35/20 tire. They are quite a low profile but i have had no problems. There is no rubbing at any speed, even when the wheel is fully cranked left or right. ill post some pics later tonight.

Rabbit, i happen to have the same rims but in chrome, in response, when i put my 20s with the 225/35's up against my factory 16 they were almost identical in height. I have a 2-DIN NAV unit in my car and the gps-vss was giving me a speed that was about 1-2 km faster than what i was actually going. If your wheels are smaller than the factory than your speedo will say you are going faster than you really are, if bigger then the speedo says your going slower than you acutally are. Trust me the rouges look awesome on the Cat. The five spoke really suits the car, had my car been black, i would have gone with the black ones for sure. Ill post some pics tonight.

p.s. GO BIG OR GO HOME

[heavycat]

Here are some of the pics. Tell me what you guys think

[uRabbit]

Wow man. Eff ya! That's what I want! Right there! It's too bad I don't live in Canada... Do they do U.S. shipments?

I requested a quote. How do you go about choosing your tire? I'd really like something with aggressive tread, like on those BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW-2 tires.

Thanks a lot man!

[heavycat]

Im not sure whether they will ship to the states, the shop is called wheel wizards, in hamilton ontario. I paid 2700 cdn for everything ,rims, tires, new lugs, and the install. My tires are hankook Z, im not exactly sure which model, they were recommended to me, i checked them out on the net and they had a 4 star rating. The thing is , when you ride on these big rims with tires of this profile, you cant really drive as agressively as you would with the factory rims. The weight of these rims is more than the factory ones, it puts more stress on the front suspension especially. I had replaced a few components before I got my rims so i havent run into to much trouble, just a new front left tie rod. I would get your front suspension looked at before you get them to make sure everything is in good shape. Its all worth it in the end once there on and your cruizing.

[uRabbit]

How much did that tie rod cost you?

2700cad (2300 U.S.) isn't bad at all. Awesome man. So just take it in and have it looked at, eh?

Thanks a lot, man!

[elvin315]

It's a matter of your priorities. Form or Function. The long standing rule of thumb has been +1 or +2 from stock size when it comes to tire/wheel upgrades. The bigger the diameter, the shorter the sidewall gets, and the harsher your ride will be. Dubs are +4.

Like HeavyCat said, Your handling will suffer and the strain on your suspension, front & rear, will increase from the increased weight and reduced cushioning. The sidewalls will be stiff beyond belief, preventing the tires from absorbing bumps and flexing in the corners. Subsequently, the short sidewalls will make for a harsh jolting ride, and cause less rubber to be in actual contact with the asphalt in the turns.

If all you intend to do is cruise around I guess it's OK, but if the Cat is your daily driver all that thumping and crashing will get old real quick. They'll also spoil the fun on backroads. I ride on 17 inchers. On such a small car they look big enough for me and they don't make my Sport's suspension any harsher. I considered 18"s but since the handling was already superb I didn't want to take a chance and mess up a good thing.

If you value looks more then go for the 20"s, but if you get your kicks on twisty back roads go no higher than 18"s. Just my 2 cents.

Elvin

[AwfulSmokey]

I agree with him ^^

[uRabbit]

Originally Posted by elvin315

*snip*

Well... I do live in Boise, Idaho, which is in the valley of two mountain ranges. And so far, in the past six months, I've driven 400+ miles in the mountains. So maybe 18's would be better for me. I think you're right, elvin.

How do I go about choosing the right tire? Will the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW-2 be too low-profile? I want something close to the OEM size tire. How do I know if it is or not without actually setting the tires side-by-side?

Thanks a lot!

[AwfulSmokey]

Most sites factor the tire size when you enter in your current size. They use a formula that will not make your speedo off. I usually use tirerack.com