Guys, I was wondering if it's possible to make the RX sit higher, via longer springs etc? If it can be done without adverse effect then what would be officially required for the mod and how high could it safely sit without causing an issue at testing station or with insurance? Ive always thought the car looks as though it should have been built to sit higher??

 

Higher center of gravity is the obvious impact and stability, stance etc will be affected. I will not get into that discussion here as it is multidimensional (cant be contained)


First thing to try would be larger wheels. This keeps the centers at the same spot. You need to watch out for the wheel rub and and max travel of suspension (all are related to the new wheel and the space it has around it). The wheel rub can be eliminated by spacers.

The next category is lift ... where you increase the distance between the wheel center and the body. [Extreme examples would be the monster trucks]. This has substantial impact on your bank balance. You need to modify suspension, brake hydraulics, wheel electronics, drive (half shafts) and still keep in mind the wheel-well spacing along with the new tires sizes and movement od suspension. If you are considering this option, most likely you would not be asking this question in this forum.

Let us know what you find out and share your experience.

Salim

 

I wouldn't recommend lifting it. They already have a high center of gravity, with it being an SUV and all. Plus, I think you would need to do major fabrication to lift an RX. If you had something like a 4runner or a jeep you could easily install a lift kit, but doing that to an RX will require a lot of money, and determination.

 

Hmm...guess it will just have to be the bigger wheels then at some point in the future me thinks...

 

Just curious by spacers you mean spacers to push wheels outwards making it wider from outside of left wheel to outside of right.

Reason i ask i have always pictured in my head that my rx would look better if wheels were pushed out so they are slightly out of the wheel well. is that as simplebas it sounds just add spacers??

 

Yes, with larger dia wheels when you turn all the way, and when wheel travels up and down (suspension in action), one quick fix is to push the wheel out with spacers.

Some like the look and some enthusiasts would even have the metal flared out. Thing to remember is that the original suspension was designed based on recommended wheel size.

This issue has been discussed in the past and folks who have the over-sized wheels and spacers can share their experience and would be best suited to make suggestions in this area.


Salim

 

Spacers can put incredible stress on the hubs, however.

Might not be a problem...might be a major hassle/cost in six months.

 

A bit off topic here but I've seen some really nice IS200 17" orginial alloy wheels that someone has colour coded to the same colour as my partners RX, thus will the IS200 original wheels fit an RX 99? I don't know what year the IS200 wheels are for though. Furthermore, I may need some 5mm spacers for current front original RX wheels as I managed to get a set of part-worn tyres with really good tread left, Pirelli Scorpion STR on the cheap but the front rub on the inside of the body full turns becuase they are 255/65/16. I think 5mm spacers should fix it but would rather go for these IS200 wheels if they are interchangeable? Thanks

 

Guys, can anyone confirm if a set of IS200 wheels can be safely used on a gen1 RX?...