I got new wheels!

[chumch]

They are 17"/8" Motegi MR118 and I am Running 215/40/17 in front and 245/40/17 in the rear (Kumho Ecsta LE Sport XL )

Question though. My traction control kicked on during slightly hard acceleration with the new set up. I was a bit surprised because this is set up with factory size wheel and tire combos (2002-2005 with the exception of the rear width). Is it possible to "tell" the car what set up you are running?

 

[Tangoman]

Um, I'm confused by the question. Traction control will kick on when it thinks you are losing traction, not because the wheels/tires are a different size. As long as you have the same sized wheel and tire on each side of the rear transaxle, you should be fine.

Now, the Kumho LE Sport tires aren't really the best for traction, so perhaps you just slipped the tires under normal WOT acceleration.

So, the answer is, no, you can't "tell" the car. Even if you could, it wouldn't care what size tires and wheels the you have on the front, since the speed sensors are only used for ABS, not traction control - do I have that right? I know TCS only cuts throttle, and does not modulate ABS like more modern stability controls would.

I love the wheels though - good choice. I want a set like that for my car, I have a red car as well but I don't think I can handle the black wheels - I think I will have to stay silver just to add some contrast there - I don't think you can even get those wheels in silver though.

Also, do they clear the brake calipers without spacers? Can you take pictures of the look of the car from a fender shot? What offset are the wheels? Etc, I'd like to look into picking up a set.

 

[UnhuZ]

Hi,

Um, I'm confused by the question. Traction control will kick on when it thinks you are losing traction, not because the wheels/tires are a different size. As long as you have the same sized wheel and tire on each side of the rear transaxle, you should be fine.

actually you are wrong... the size difference between front and rear can't be too far off of the factory sizes. That is why that when you "upgrade" the rear size to a 18" rim, you have to do the math (usually 255/35 r18 or 265/35 r18) so your TCS won't go bananas.


I didn't do the math, but i don't think that reducing the rear width from 255 to 245 while keeping all of the other specs would confuse the TCS.

 

[Tangoman]

Yea, I wrote later on "do I have that right" because I started to question it as I wrote it.

Good to know. I did do the math - OP is probably 1.3% off (larger) both front and rear from where I am. Not sure if this is enough to cause the problem..

 

[chumch]

I think they are 45 mm offset. I could not find them in silver which would have been my first choice too. But, now that I have the black, I do like the look. They clear the calipers no problem. I am pretty sure that the rolling size of wheels/differential can as someone else said, confuse the TCS into activating. The times where it kicked in for me I was not near WOT. I'm curious what others with 18" set ups have experienced. Here is a shot from closer up:

Um, I'm confused by the question. Traction control will kick on when it thinks you are losing traction, not because the wheels/tires are a different size. As long as you have the same sized wheel and tire on each side of the rear transaxle, you should be fine.

Now, the Kumho LE Sport tires aren't really the best for traction, so perhaps you just slipped the tires under normal WOT acceleration.

So, the answer is, no, you can't "tell" the car. Even if you could, it wouldn't care what size tires and wheels the you have on the front, since the speed sensors are only used for ABS, not traction control - do I have that right? I know TCS only cuts throttle, and does not modulate ABS like more modern stability controls would.

I love the wheels though - good choice. I want a set like that for my car, I have a red car as well but I don't think I can handle the black wheels - I think I will have to stay silver just to add some contrast there - I don't think you can even get those wheels in silver though.

Also, do they clear the brake calipers without spacers? Can you take pictures of the look of the car from a fender shot? What offset are the wheels? Etc, I'd like to look into picking up a set.

 

[Hapa88]

As many have already stated, it is the rear tire size that is causing the TCS problem.

The problem is because a 255/40/17 tire is not only wider, but also taller than a 245/40/17 tire (25.03" vs 24.71").

You can use this calculator to help you.
http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

Or read the specs on the Kumho LE tires here:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+LE+Sport

 

[Hapa88]

They are 17"x8" Motegi MR118 and I am Running 215/40/17 in front and 245/40/17 in the rear (Kumho Ecsta LE Sport XL )

Fixed it.

Wheels look good but the sizes are less than ideal for the NSX which is probably why you ended up with the 245/40/17 rear (causing your TCS problems).

The NSX wheels sets are set up as a staggered set. Running a 17x8" front and a 17x8" rear is NOT RECOMMENDED. The best match for a 17x8" front is a 18x9.5" or 18x10" rear IMHO.

If you were set on running the 215/40/17 tires front, the recommend front wheel size is 17x7.5". The matching rear of 255/40/17 would be best fit on a 17x9" rear (a 1.5" width stagger front to rear).

Did a shop recommend these sizes (both the tire size and the wheel size) to you?
If so, I would definitely take them back because both the wheel and tire fitment aren't correct.

http://www.wheelsnext.com/wheels-rims/17x8-Motegi Racing-MR118-Black Flat.html

 

[Thunder]

Here's my setup, the difference with the front and rear original score of -0.5 and +0.5%, front wheels are 17x8 "(tires: 225/35/R17, Y), the rear wheels are 18x10" (tires: 285/30/18, Y), the speed displayed on the radar at the roadside is exactly the same as that displayed by my meter board and my GPS, I think this choice is the best formula for our beautiful NSX: Sourire:

 

[chumch]

I see that the 255 is taller, but actually, the 1994-2001 NSX ran with 245/17's. In fact my set up is similar to the '94 with the exception that the front are 17" instead of 16" (and the front wheel is likely wider). Perhaps its that there is not enough difference in tire height between the front and rear that is causing the TCS confusion? So if i had a '94 NSX and upgraded to my current setup, the only thing that would change would be the front wheel diameter. I'm not sure how much effect having an 8" front wheel makes. The tire size is the same as stock. I'm sure there are people who have front wheels that are 8" or more especially with 18" diameters if that will fit without rubbing. I bought the set from Tire Rack who recommended the set up. I'll have to check my speed with a GPS. Looked like the RPM to speed was as it should be.

As many have already stated, it is the rear tire size that is causing the TCS problem.

The problem is because a 255/40/17 tire is not only wider, but also taller than a 245/40/17 tire (25.03" vs 24.71").

You can use this calculator to help you.
http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp



Or read the specs on the Kumho LE tires here:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+LE+Sport