Wheel Tire Shock setup for comfortable ride

[whh333]

I am a new owner of my first NSX, a stock 1992, and want a reasonably comfortable ride. It came with 16" - 17" wheels mounted, and also included the original 15" -16" wheels. Tires will need to be replaced. For comfort, should I continue with the 16" - 17" , probably opting for Michelin PS4 tires, or should I revert back to the 15" - 16" wheels, possibly getting Yokohama Advan Fleva tires. (PS4's do not seem available in for the smaller wheel set).

Also considering Bilstein B6 shocks--the original shocks seem to be on the car now.

The tires mentioned above were picked because they seem generally available. There may be better choices I am not aware of.

The main question is which size wheels would give me a head start on comfort. I am not sure whether any changes to the speedometer were made when the tire size was changed, would it be usual to just leave the speedometer unaltered after installing the larger set of tires?

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Honcho]

The Bils are the least expensive option but be advised that they are slightly firmer than the OEM shocks. You can get new OEM shocks from MITA Motorsports. Either way, you should replace all the rubber bushings and bump stops- they affect ride quite significantly. You won't believe how nice the car will feel- very few owners nowadays have experienced a brand new NSX suspension since the last time they could do it was 2006. They're really quite good.

The 15/16 wheels will be the most comfortable because of the generous tire side walls. They will also feel the most nimble. Many folks feel the 16/17 is a good compromise between performance and looks, as they do look better than the fat fives, IMO. But the Fives are the most comfortable wheel for the NSX.

The Flevas are a great option for the car. You can even track on them if you want, but they are comfortable, quiet and very good in the rain.

 

[whh333]

Thanks, Honcho, that is great information! I looked on the Mita site and they have the "OEM HONDA / ACURA SUSPENSION SET", which looks like it has everything you mentioned, so I will go with that and the 15/16 wheels and Yokohamas. My goal in comfort rather than looks. Will report back on the results.

Many thanks once again!

 

[Honcho]

Thanks, Honcho, that is great information! I looked on the Mita site and they have the "OEM HONDA / ACURA SUSPENSION SET", which looks like it has everything you mentioned, so I will go with that and the 15/16 wheels and Yokohamas. My goal in comfort rather than looks. Will report back on the results.

Many thanks once again!

You're really going to like it- it will transform the feel of the car.

 

[jrho]

I went from a 17/18 CE28 set up to the factory 15/16 set up while I was sourcing new wheels and the difference was very apparent. The fat fives are so light so it was a nice change in drive.

For your speedometer, as long as the tire diameters are maintained, there isn't any impact to the accuracy. I believe there is a way to calibrate your speedometer if you have the right equipment, but most will live with the slight change with little differences in tire diameter.

 

[whh333]

I'm very much looking forward to trying this setup. If the speedometer was not changed when the 16/17's were installed, which your description indicates would have been a complicated thing to have done, then I should be reverting back to original and getting accurate readings.

Thanks!

 

[Honcho]

I'm very much looking forward to trying this setup. If the speedometer was not changed when the 16/17's were installed, which your description indicates would have been a complicated thing to have done, then I should be reverting back to original and getting accurate readings.

Thanks!

The NSX speedometer is fairly old-tech. The speed sensor is actually a geared spindle that drives off of a companion gear on the differential.






All NSXs 1990-2005 MT and AT use the same gear, so it's the same for all cars. The diameters of the 16 and 17 inch factory rear tires are close enough in diameter that the speedo gear remains within Honda's spec for the gauge. They just shrunk the sidewall to keep the diameter the same.

The speedometer gauge does have small adjusters to calibrate the gauge, but my understanding is that these are used to calibrate the gauge to production variances in the output from the speed sensor gear and the capacitors on the board, not to account for different tire sizes.

 

[whh333]

Honcho, seems like everything will fit together. The old tech nature of the speedometer must also apply to the odometer. I was somewhat concerned about this car because the odometer had been replaced, but there was enough of a paper trail that I could tell approximate mileage. It was changed about 110,000 miles and now reads about 20,000.