Why a 40 series looks stupid on 17" rimz and a Neon

Arro · Post by **Arro** » Wed May 02, 2007 6:37 pm

hansken_yo wrote:Maybe you have special struts on your ride that stock neons don't cause when i had my srt rims with the 50 series tire I was curious and tried to mount it and it hit the strut perch... couldn't get it mounted.

You would probably be the first to get it mounted without rubbing which makes me think that you have different struts...

Now THAT may indeed be the case.

It would explain why I see a bit more space than you all seem to think I should have.

Hmmmmm

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Wed May 02, 2007 6:38 pm

OR, maybe wait till the springs settle??? I know mine settled a crapload from first couple of days I placed springs on the car - heck, even when I raise car up and lower back down for a good 20 minutes I can still get my floor jack under the car without using the stupid stock one to lift it up a tad.

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Wed May 02, 2007 6:39 pm

I think it lies in tire design, and offset, are you posotive that the rims you are currently riding on are a 42mm offset?

kc2002acr wrote:OR, maybe wait till the springs settle??? I know mine settled a crapload from first couple of days I placed springs on the car - heck, even when I raise car up and lower back down for a good 20 minutes I can still get my floor jack under the car without using the stupid stock one to lift it up a tad.

Has nothing to do with the lower spring perch......that one doesn't move with the car.

Ryanm07 · Post by **Ryanm07** » Wed May 02, 2007 7:36 pm

Trust us, its been tried here over and over and over and over again, you can't run 50 series on 17" wheels on a standard 2nd gen neon. I have 17s with 205/40/17 like most people and theres not much extra room at all. Like they said, you need SRT struts to do it. I'm not trying to start a fight with you or anything, I'm just saying if you decide to try it I wouldnt have high hopes. However I do wish you the best of luck, and if you find different then what everyones telling you please take some pictures and let us know.

-Ryan

Arro · Post by **Arro** » Wed May 02, 2007 7:47 pm

And yeah, either way I have a set of SRT struts, so in the end it's no big deal.

OverDrive418 · Post by **OverDrive418** » Wed May 02, 2007 8:32 pm

Discount Tires has a HUGE database of sizes that are guaranteed to fit your car. They have to waranty all their installs so they do all the research for you (to cover their butts).
If you want 17" on stock Neon struts you need either 215/40/17 or 205/45/17. Any size other than those won't work unless you get coilovers which have a significantly smaller perch or the SRT-4 struts.
The calculator is a great tool but it does not take individual model's suspension characteristics into consideration.

If you have the SRT-4 struts already then install those and go for it. I like the idea of having a little more cushion and if you can make it work post some pics to share with the rest of us. It's all about learning new stuff to do to Neons right?

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Wed May 02, 2007 9:13 pm

Opi wrote:lowering your car would help out 10x more

yup. my car doesnt look stupid and it's got 40 series. and those SRTs look a million times better than those damned chrome wheels.

ewetho · Post by **ewetho** » Wed May 02, 2007 10:54 pm

Go look at BFG Traction T/As and say a rounder profile tire like a Bridgestone RE50 side by side and they are drastically different. The section width is not exactly tread width and squarer tires may not fit while rounder profiles might.

He is not crazy.

205/40R17 is a stock replacement size either +2 or +3 depending on which model neon you started with.

The 205/50R16 is an oversized tire which you incurred a speedo error.

Bebo · Post by **Bebo** » Thu May 03, 2007 12:06 am

I'm surprized that nobody mentioned that 205/50R17 is the factory size on the SRT. If you know somebody with one just try a swap.

So, do mine fit or do you think I need a tire calculator?

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu May 03, 2007 12:09 am

Did you even read the thread at all?????

I mentioned it twice, and it was mentioned elsewhere in the thread as well.

oklamopar · Post by **oklamopar** » Thu May 03, 2007 12:19 am

I have stock wheels and tires off of 03 srt-4. Now I did have to mod the strut perch slightly but there on there.

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:17 am

Yeah, you won't find me grinding on my suspension parts, thats just plain stupid.

ANY suspension failure can and will very likely make your car react adversly in an instant.

Thats not very bright.

You could have just gotten a small spacer to move the tire away from the strut a bit.

2003silverneonsxt · Post by **2003silverneonsxt** » Thu May 03, 2007 10:28 am

205/50/17 DO NOT FIT

been there tried it..

so dont waste ur money..

end of thread..

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Thu May 03, 2007 10:31 am

lambostealth wrote:Yeah, you won't find me grinding on my suspension parts, thats just plain stupid.

good thing i used a mallet and moved my perch about 1/4 inch then huh? instead of grinding...

2003silverneonsxt wrote:205/50/17 DO NOT FIT

been there tried it..

so dont waste ur money..

end of thread..

wanna bet? im rockin 205/50s on my skunk.

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu May 03, 2007 10:41 am

Doing ANYTHING short of replacing anything on your suspension to make a tire fit, is just plain stupid.

Come on TNK, it's also ghetto.

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Thu May 03, 2007 10:59 am

chrias, when was the last time you looked at my white car??

Post by **racer12306** » Thu May 03, 2007 11:16 am

skunk = ghetto

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Thu May 03, 2007 11:24 am

essactly.

Arro · Post by **Arro** » Thu May 03, 2007 11:28 am

Actually I was thinking about a mallet last night... and also about the fact that the reason I see more space is because I've used some of the tread life on the existing tires.

SO it would be close... BUT a mallet would fix it, and news flash, it isn't going to compromise the integrity of the spring perch.

And yeah, oklamopar and TNK have already done it with success.

It's gonna be awhile before I can put on the SRT struts anyways, because as was suggested in another thread, I would like to put in Koni inserts. And the $$$ is runing thin for awhile.

So 50 series and (if needed) a couple good whacks and it will fit.

Proven by two others on here

lolelectricbluesxt · Post by **lolelectricbluesxt** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:18 pm

Arro wrote:Actually I was thinking about a mallet last night... and also about the fact that the reason I see more space is because I've used some of the tread life on the existing tires.

SO it would be close... BUT a mallet would fix it, and news flash, it isn't going to compromise the integrity of the spring perch.

And yeah, oklamopar and TNK have already done it with success.

It's gonna be awhile before I can put on the SRT struts anyways, because as was suggested in another thread, I would like to put in Koni inserts. And the $$$ is runing thin for awhile.

So 50 series and (if needed) a couple good whacks and it will fit.

Proven by two others on here

Arro · Post by **Arro** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:23 pm

Hey, im still gonna try it WITHOUT whacking things first.

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:38 pm

Arro wrote:Actually I was thinking about a mallet last night... and also about the fact that the reason I see more space is because I've used some of the tread life on the existing tires.

SO it would be close... BUT a mallet would fix it, and news flash, it isn't going to compromise the integrity of the spring perch.

And yeah, oklamopar and TNK have already done it with success.

It's gonna be awhile before I can put on the SRT struts anyways, because as was suggested in another thread, I would like to put in Koni inserts. And the $$$ is runing thin for awhile.

So 50 series and (if needed) a couple good whacks and it will fit.

Proven by two others on here

Just make sure you hit it hard enough so every one of your friends can hear, so they know not to let you EVER touch thier cars.

Arro · Post by **Arro** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:41 pm

I know you mean well man but you have kind of a poor attitude

I've hacked and rigged a bunch of things that worked fine. Are you an engineer? You seem to think that a slight indentation on a relatively small area of the spring perch (and not on the area the spring contacts) will change the suspension geometry or tempt the assembly to fly apart

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Thu May 03, 2007 4:53 pm

Arro wrote:I know you mean well man but you have kind of a poor attitude I've hacked and rigged a bunch of things that worked fine. Are you an engineer? You seem to think that a slight indentation on a relatively small area of the spring perch (and not on the area the spring contacts) will change the suspension geometry or tempt the assembly to fly apart

I think he is just (please forgive me if I am wrong, Lambo) using his own experience and knowledge and common sense. I personally would never drive a car on modified struts, cut springs, hack, ground down, whatever either. Why? Because it scares the crap outta me, there is too much at stake - myself, my wife, my child, my friends - list goes on, I just would NEVER do it for a set of wheels. I think he is coming from the same POV. Now, whether or not his attitude is poor is always up to POV too

Arro · Post by **Arro** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:22 pm

When/if I use Koni inserts, there will be lots of hacking and drilling. Far more than the slight dent in a cup-shaped spring perch.

Like I said I figured he meant well, just the pitch was kinda at-the-hip.

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:43 pm

Whatever buddy.

Look, I just don't understand how anyone would think that whacking around on thier suspension is a good thing. Koni inserts are designed to be installed the way one normally wouldn't want to. However, the spring is CONSTANTLY under a HEAVY load, plus at given times, the spring is bottomed out, and at (conservatively) 150lbs per inch, thats around 1500lbs of potential energy, PLUS the weight of the car bing on top of it, so, EVERY millimeter of that perch is under tremendous amounts of pressure even when the car is standing still. The strut rod however, is not, it only dampens the movement, so it is not under a terrible amount of force.

You know what? I'm not even going to begin to argue safety with you. It's your life, plenty of people have killed themselves in these cars.

And your statement about rigging all sorts of things up on your car really makes me feel safe to drive on the road knowing there are people out there like you (sarcasm, just incase you can't follow).

Sorry if I sound like an ass, I just think that a 3000lbs car is no-where to be cutting corners on important parts. You want to do it on body work, interior, engine, fine, but you are putting others in danger when you "rig" the brakes, tires, wheels, or suspension.

Please, for the sake of others, do it right, or not at all. I really could care less if you decide that everything you do is safe and kill yourself (not that I don't think that would be horrible), but when you endanger others, you suck!

kc2002acr wrote:
Arro wrote:I know you mean well man but you have kind of a poor attitude I've hacked and rigged a bunch of things that worked fine. Are you an engineer? You seem to think that a slight indentation on a relatively small area of the spring perch (and not on the area the spring contacts) will change the suspension geometry or tempt the assembly to fly apart
I think he is just (please forgive me if I am wrong, Lambo) using his own experience and knowledge and common sense. I personally would never drive a car on modified struts, cut springs, hack, ground down, whatever either. Why? Because it scares the crap outta me, there is too much at stake - myself, my wife, my child, my friends - list goes on, I just would NEVER do it for a set of wheels. I think he is coming from the same POV. Now, whether or not his attitude is poor is always up to POV too

And no, fortuneatly I have never RIGGED anything on my car, so I have never had to llearn from PERSONAL experience.

2003silverneonsxt · Post by **2003silverneonsxt** » Thu May 03, 2007 8:31 pm

im DEFINITLY with lambo..i swear if u rig it..and i ever see u in life..im going to punch u in the face for putting my family at risk cause ur rigging stuff..

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Thu May 03, 2007 9:30 pm

a couple whacks with a hammer is way different than what hes doing here... i hope you all realize that.....

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu May 03, 2007 10:06 pm

TNK wrote:a couple whacks with a hammer is way different than what hes doing here... i hope you all realize that.....

And how is that different than taking a mallet to his strut tink?

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Thu May 03, 2007 10:11 pm

i missed somethign. i thought we were talking baout koni inserts, im all confused.

my skunk is ghetto. period. good thing it hasnt moved in about a week huh?