1. Surfing NSX wheel forum for 'the' set of new rims: Countless hours, zero dollars, several beers
2. Sending e-mails to initiate order of RPM505s in chrome to wheel shop middleman: One week, zero dollars
3. In the interim realizing you can't show your face with a 4x4 NSX and new rimz: 5 minutes, zero dollars
4. Logging on to Dali Racing and ordering up the Bilstein/dali spring/ adjustable collar combo: 5 minutes, 1200 dollars spent
5. Deciding to also order DC sports polished headers to offset new heavy wheels: 1100 dollars spent
6. Also ordering NSX-R front suspension pieces so you can tell friends & relatives its got NSX-R stuff on it: 1 minute, 250 dollars spent
7. Writing e-mail to thank Mark at Dali for being the most responsive coolest shop ever to deal with: 5 minutes, zero dollars
8. Realizing headers & shocks/springs is going to be a mother of a project without a lift & air tools, and there may not be enough beer avaialable to complete the job in a full weekend: 5 minutes,zero dollars
9. Installing new shock&adjustable springs, and cornerbalancing the car weight: Day in the shop, 400 dollars spent.
10. Installing new headers: One day in the shop, 455 dollars spent
11. 4 wheel realignment of the lowered NSX: One hour, 200 dollars spent
12. Install of NSX-R lower brace: 30 minutes, 1 beer
13. Install of NSX-R front brace: 1 hour, 2 beers
14. Realizing you'd need to ditch the front tow hooks if the front bar is ever going to fit: 5 minutes, one beer
15. Machining front bar holes into slots on NSX-R front brace: 3 day wait, 25 dollars spent
16. Final install of NSX-R front Brace: 20 minutes, 1 beer
17. Realizing shop dragged holes in wrong diretion: 5 minutes, 1 beer
18. Remachining of NSX-R front brace, 3 day wait, zero dollars
19. Final final install of NSX-R front Brace: 20 minutes, 1 beer
20. Placing final order for rims, lug nuts & falken tires delivered: five minutes, 1800 dollars spent
21. Waiting time for rims to arrive: Two weeks, zero dollars
22. Waiting time for tires to arrive: Four weeks, zero dollars
23. Weighing new rims while waiting for tires: 10 minutes, zero dollars, 1 beer. Fronts 26lbs, Rear 30lbs (Looking cool not the same as looking light)
24. Test fit of front rims to find ID bore is 67.1mm not the requested 71mm: 30 minutes, 1beer
25. Realizing during test fit the custom extension for new lug nut requires 21mm socket that you don't own: 1 minute
26. Purchase of 17mm socket at Sears: 30 minutes round trip, 6 dollars spent
27. Custom machining of front rims at machine shop to 71mm bore: 3 day wait, 50 dollars spent
28. Purchase of SmartTire pressure monitoring system & display from Tire Rack: Three day wait, 300 dollars spent
29. Assembly of pressure sensors on rims sitting in living room: 30 minutes, 1 beer
30. Realizing you don't own aviation snips and you need to buy a set to shorten the band clamp holding the sensor: 5 minutes searching garage, 1 beer
31. Purchasing a set of metal snips at Sears: 30 minutes round trip, 15 dollars spent
32. Finishing install of sensors: 5 minutes, 1beer
33. Install of sensor electronics & hardwire into concealed spot in ashtray, requiring center console removal: 1.5 hours, zero dollars, 3 beers
34. Shorting out cig lighter and blowing 20A fuse in engine bay: .005 seconds, zero dollars
35. Fixing short, reinstalling new fuse: 20 minutes, 50cents, 1 beer
36. Ordering custom 5mm H&R hubcentric spacers: 1 week for fronts, 170 dollars spent, rears on back order, must use cheezy cheap o spacers in interim.
37. Custom machining of front H&R spacers to bring them down to 3mm from 5mm: 3 day wait, 30 dollars spent
38. Custom water jet machining of mirror finish stainless steel center caps: 3 day wait, 25 dollars spent.
39. Mount & balance of 225-35/18 and 275-30/19 tires on new rims day before Hurricane Katrina floats over south FL: 1hour*, 63 dollars spent. (*note tire shops have a remarkably short line the day before a hurricane, normal customers buying food & water, NSX owners already have liquor & nachos)
40. Purchase of Dewalt grinder at Home Depot: 20 minutes round trip, 50 dollars spent**. (** Feeling light headed and euphoric in tool isle and convinced more tools are needed for future projects, decision made to upgrade purchase to six piece 18V Dewalt set. 630 dollars spent)
41. Effort spent grinding down rear caliper gard to eliminate need for rear spacers: 30 minutes, 1 beer
42. Test fit of rear rims to realize that caliper gard now clears, but caliper hits***: 1 minute, 1 beer
(*** For those of you with new rear brake pads you will NOT clear the caliper by just grinding down the guard. Bear this in mind that if those of you with the 505s don't have spacers now, you will need them after a rear brake job!!!!)
43. Decision process to use cheezy spacers on rear while H&R rears are on order and not grind actual caliper: 5 minutes, 10 dollars spent, 1 beer
44. Wax new rims inside & out to help future cleanup: 45minutes, zero dollars, two beers
45. Getting new rims finally bolted on to the car and clearing all caliper parts: 30 minutes, zero dollars, two beers
46. Finally 5 weeks from concept inception sitting down on garage floor & staring at shiny rimz & tires on lowered NSX: One hour, 1 Martini, PRICELESS.
Beer consumption may vary from owner to owner, your milage may vary. Offer valid in all 50 states. :smile:
Follow up: Car runs great and very happy with the final look. There is rubbing up front under full lock with the 225-35/18 tires with 3mm spacers. Purchased a heat gun and will work to reform front and aft of wheel well plastic. More to follow on that. The car was only lowered a total of .75 inches although now looks like more. (Car originally measured 4.50" inches at the 4 jack points on the body. Now measures 3.75". Will likely go back to 4.00") I think I'll likely adjust the car back up ~.25" to give me more clearance on the front tires at the top as there is an occasional rub on bump rebound. This project had MANY little steps leading up to the final result.. But of course was all worth it everytime I look at the car.. Never mind the looks you get in traffic. :biggrin:
UPDATE: 10/21/05... Just some added info for those asking... The wheels are 18x8 and 19x9.5 They come with a 38mm offset, so you will need to purchase a 3mm spacer front & rear. If your rear brake pads are worn you may think you don't need the spacers... but you will with new pads. Order the H&R hubcentric spacers and have them machined down from 5 to 3mm. Or run the 5 in back. Wouldn't recommend any bigger than 3 in the front. Don't forget the front rims need to be center bored from 67.1mm out to 71mm.
ALSO!!! The best tire for the front of the car with this wheel is 215/35-18. No rubbing, no problems! MUCH happier with the 215 vs the 225 I originally had.. The rubbing with the 225s was actually on hard body points behind the fender liner, not just plastic. Maybe at stock ride height you can pull it off, but not even with a small .5-.75" drop. I did go back up .125" and have the car realigned... So the car is .625 lower with all said and done.
Picts attached :
2. Sending e-mails to initiate order of RPM505s in chrome to wheel shop middleman: One week, zero dollars
3. In the interim realizing you can't show your face with a 4x4 NSX and new rimz: 5 minutes, zero dollars
4. Logging on to Dali Racing and ordering up the Bilstein/dali spring/ adjustable collar combo: 5 minutes, 1200 dollars spent
5. Deciding to also order DC sports polished headers to offset new heavy wheels: 1100 dollars spent
6. Also ordering NSX-R front suspension pieces so you can tell friends & relatives its got NSX-R stuff on it: 1 minute, 250 dollars spent
7. Writing e-mail to thank Mark at Dali for being the most responsive coolest shop ever to deal with: 5 minutes, zero dollars
8. Realizing headers & shocks/springs is going to be a mother of a project without a lift & air tools, and there may not be enough beer avaialable to complete the job in a full weekend: 5 minutes,zero dollars
9. Installing new shock&adjustable springs, and cornerbalancing the car weight: Day in the shop, 400 dollars spent.
10. Installing new headers: One day in the shop, 455 dollars spent
11. 4 wheel realignment of the lowered NSX: One hour, 200 dollars spent
12. Install of NSX-R lower brace: 30 minutes, 1 beer
13. Install of NSX-R front brace: 1 hour, 2 beers
14. Realizing you'd need to ditch the front tow hooks if the front bar is ever going to fit: 5 minutes, one beer
15. Machining front bar holes into slots on NSX-R front brace: 3 day wait, 25 dollars spent
16. Final install of NSX-R front Brace: 20 minutes, 1 beer
17. Realizing shop dragged holes in wrong diretion: 5 minutes, 1 beer
18. Remachining of NSX-R front brace, 3 day wait, zero dollars
19. Final final install of NSX-R front Brace: 20 minutes, 1 beer
20. Placing final order for rims, lug nuts & falken tires delivered: five minutes, 1800 dollars spent
21. Waiting time for rims to arrive: Two weeks, zero dollars
22. Waiting time for tires to arrive: Four weeks, zero dollars
23. Weighing new rims while waiting for tires: 10 minutes, zero dollars, 1 beer. Fronts 26lbs, Rear 30lbs (Looking cool not the same as looking light)
24. Test fit of front rims to find ID bore is 67.1mm not the requested 71mm: 30 minutes, 1beer
25. Realizing during test fit the custom extension for new lug nut requires 21mm socket that you don't own: 1 minute
26. Purchase of 17mm socket at Sears: 30 minutes round trip, 6 dollars spent
27. Custom machining of front rims at machine shop to 71mm bore: 3 day wait, 50 dollars spent
28. Purchase of SmartTire pressure monitoring system & display from Tire Rack: Three day wait, 300 dollars spent
29. Assembly of pressure sensors on rims sitting in living room: 30 minutes, 1 beer
30. Realizing you don't own aviation snips and you need to buy a set to shorten the band clamp holding the sensor: 5 minutes searching garage, 1 beer
31. Purchasing a set of metal snips at Sears: 30 minutes round trip, 15 dollars spent
32. Finishing install of sensors: 5 minutes, 1beer
33. Install of sensor electronics & hardwire into concealed spot in ashtray, requiring center console removal: 1.5 hours, zero dollars, 3 beers
34. Shorting out cig lighter and blowing 20A fuse in engine bay: .005 seconds, zero dollars
35. Fixing short, reinstalling new fuse: 20 minutes, 50cents, 1 beer
36. Ordering custom 5mm H&R hubcentric spacers: 1 week for fronts, 170 dollars spent, rears on back order, must use cheezy cheap o spacers in interim.
37. Custom machining of front H&R spacers to bring them down to 3mm from 5mm: 3 day wait, 30 dollars spent
38. Custom water jet machining of mirror finish stainless steel center caps: 3 day wait, 25 dollars spent.
39. Mount & balance of 225-35/18 and 275-30/19 tires on new rims day before Hurricane Katrina floats over south FL: 1hour*, 63 dollars spent. (*note tire shops have a remarkably short line the day before a hurricane, normal customers buying food & water, NSX owners already have liquor & nachos)
40. Purchase of Dewalt grinder at Home Depot: 20 minutes round trip, 50 dollars spent**. (** Feeling light headed and euphoric in tool isle and convinced more tools are needed for future projects, decision made to upgrade purchase to six piece 18V Dewalt set. 630 dollars spent)
41. Effort spent grinding down rear caliper gard to eliminate need for rear spacers: 30 minutes, 1 beer
42. Test fit of rear rims to realize that caliper gard now clears, but caliper hits***: 1 minute, 1 beer
(*** For those of you with new rear brake pads you will NOT clear the caliper by just grinding down the guard. Bear this in mind that if those of you with the 505s don't have spacers now, you will need them after a rear brake job!!!!)
43. Decision process to use cheezy spacers on rear while H&R rears are on order and not grind actual caliper: 5 minutes, 10 dollars spent, 1 beer
44. Wax new rims inside & out to help future cleanup: 45minutes, zero dollars, two beers
45. Getting new rims finally bolted on to the car and clearing all caliper parts: 30 minutes, zero dollars, two beers
46. Finally 5 weeks from concept inception sitting down on garage floor & staring at shiny rimz & tires on lowered NSX: One hour, 1 Martini, PRICELESS.
Beer consumption may vary from owner to owner, your milage may vary. Offer valid in all 50 states. :smile:
Follow up: Car runs great and very happy with the final look. There is rubbing up front under full lock with the 225-35/18 tires with 3mm spacers. Purchased a heat gun and will work to reform front and aft of wheel well plastic. More to follow on that. The car was only lowered a total of .75 inches although now looks like more. (Car originally measured 4.50" inches at the 4 jack points on the body. Now measures 3.75". Will likely go back to 4.00") I think I'll likely adjust the car back up ~.25" to give me more clearance on the front tires at the top as there is an occasional rub on bump rebound. This project had MANY little steps leading up to the final result.. But of course was all worth it everytime I look at the car.. Never mind the looks you get in traffic. :biggrin:
UPDATE: 10/21/05... Just some added info for those asking... The wheels are 18x8 and 19x9.5 They come with a 38mm offset, so you will need to purchase a 3mm spacer front & rear. If your rear brake pads are worn you may think you don't need the spacers... but you will with new pads. Order the H&R hubcentric spacers and have them machined down from 5 to 3mm. Or run the 5 in back. Wouldn't recommend any bigger than 3 in the front. Don't forget the front rims need to be center bored from 67.1mm out to 71mm.
ALSO!!! The best tire for the front of the car with this wheel is 215/35-18. No rubbing, no problems! MUCH happier with the 215 vs the 225 I originally had.. The rubbing with the 225s was actually on hard body points behind the fender liner, not just plastic. Maybe at stock ride height you can pull it off, but not even with a small .5-.75" drop. I did go back up .125" and have the car realigned... So the car is .625 lower with all said and done.
Picts attached :
Attachments
Last edited:
let's say in a different category.)
