Definitely by sea from Europe for that price... I can't even imagine what shipping by air would be.
The seller has quite a few in stock, the one I'm looking at is actually off a 2012. There's no way to be 100% sure, but the seller has assured me it's not bent (plus they have others too), and it comes complete.


Definitely the camber bolts...
But do you think the Spoon Rigid Collar for the rear would be needed if I'm not on big wheels like you?

I actually have no problem rotating the rear as it is stock, and I'm going for a more neutral-very little over steer set up. You think I should go up in tire widths? or possibly staggered widths set up?


As for the scraping, it depends.... as it is now most of us rub that little protector under the front... I'm also not planning on "slamming it", but getting a proper corner balancing & alignment done. So it depends... I think.

 

^^Any info on the place selling the rear beams? Interested in picking one up as well.

 

Ok, Spoon Rigid Collar,...
well, I think our Honda Fit (especially a newer facelifted one) somehow had softer rubber bushing... (some people/not all who drive after 2012 model all complain about the rear suspension being loose)...
and since it is very cheap (I am talking about the rear kit only)...
adding it will surely improve the rear feel... (not to mention the main attachment point that really hold the force is just that 2 big bolt,
while the bolt that hold the shocks absorber don't do any real holding force beside the up and down damping movement).

now for tire width, I surely think you should go to 215 as the most ideal size... (I bought mine 225 since the 225 will provide me with extra protection for my wheel... since it will be a bit wider and taller too)

also, I think you should upgrade your wheel to 17in wheel for the best performance/handling/response/ride and looks...
it might be a bit heavier thus slower acceleration for your car,
but I really think it will do better for handling and ride.
the 15in might not give you enough clearance for the future ITR front brake upgrade too...(rotor too big)...

with a 17in wheel, you also had more tire contact even with the same size tire (for example 215 on a 16in and 215 on a 17in rim)
remember larger circumference cause this...

if you use 15in, those Spoon and Progress sway bar will became too stiff,
cause there will not be as much sway in cornering since the 15in will not have as much grip as a 17in will have... and this will make your car ride harder on the mid bump corner...

I wish I can recommend 18in hahaha... but somehow, I think our Honda Fit suspension (the stiffness of the design and material) were not strong enough for 18in... too bad...

now regarding scrapping... you will be surprised that I almost NEVER scrapped that lower plastic under the front bumper...
that beside the 1in lowering with the Bilstein and 4 people on board of the car and all my heavy sound deadening...
so 18in with 225/40 do have advantage in that area

 

Done more shopping today in relation for this upgrade:

1. Buy HUBCENTRIC Ring from FASTBRAKES.com !!!
Their customer service is amazing, within 30 minutes of paying them by paypal, they already email me the USPS priority mail tracking number !!!
and this is for a $30 only hubcentric ring !!!
I am happy with this kind of customer service !!!
Also they are really nice in giving technical input...
and if I buy my front Brembo kit from them,
they can modify and make the bracket for me since they had a Honda Fit Spindle in their facility, so I can just really BOLT ON the Subaru front brembo kit on my car without doing anymore custom work my self !!!
Wow
oh, this hubcentric ring were needed because my Wilwood hat have a 64.2mm center bore while the original Honda disk brake have 61mm center bore hole. actually the Wilwood do have the 2 centering screw holes, so I don't really need to buy hubcentric ring...
but since I want PERFECTION, and the hubcentric ring is only $30 for a pair (shipped to my door), well why not ?



2. Another thing that I bought today:

Kuo's Garage EBMC Bar (Engine Bay Master Cylinder) bar,
which basically a combo of Front Tower Strut Bar and Brake Master Cylinder Reinforcement Bracket (to prevent the soft pedal feel from firewall flex when you press the brake pedal hard)
This combine with a JDM Honda Civic Type R 1in brake master cylinder,
Full Mugen/Goodridge combo stainless steel braided brake line/hose
and upgraded front and rear disk brake (caliper/rotor/pads) should give the ULTIMATE feel for my brake pedal

FIT GE Engine Bay Master Cylinder stabilizer Strut Tower Bar ( EBMC Bar) -








and Kuo's garage Battery Tie Down Bar:
Battery Tie Down




Will take 3 weeks maximum Shipped directly from Taiwan

 

Earlier in this thread (pg2-4, I believe), there was an ebay search linked. I used that and searched and found several results... I can send you the seller's details when I get home later if you like.

I also found the rear axles on the (search) sites linked in the Automatic Climate Control DIY thread.


I got an 09, and I thought that "softness" in the 12+ models was due to different springs or dampers? (read that in some thread, they even posted up part #'s which were different).

You think I can fit 215 on a 6" wide rim?

I thought contact patch was determined by rim width not height... Not sure if I agree with the 17" being the best performance/handling/response/ride especially in my bumpy road area... 15's would give me more sidewall height to help cushion some of those bumps, no?

I'm actually looking at a set of 17's but those will only come out on special occasions so to speak... I plan on being on 15's most of the year. I'm pretty sure they'll clear, might need spacers & longer studs, but it should be alright... even if I ever find/afford a good set of the Spoon 15's or Regamasters.

 

Hi,
yes, it is me who actually post all the different damper part number on that thread , but I also suspect the rear bushing is softer...(just suspicion not proven)...
well, I think the ideal size for 215 is 7in right?

the contact patch is determined not only by width of the tire but also by diameter too...
imagine a ball bearing, the small ball had tiny contact patch,
and compare it to the other housing of that bearing (the circle)...
of course that is an exaggeration hehehe

well, ok, a larger circumference will have more contact area if you look from the side of the car then a smaller diameter tire because the larger the circumference, the more flatter it is...
like earth circumference, if we are on earth and watching straight
it look like earth is flat (until we see the horizon and realize earth not flat)...


but I put 225 on 7 in rims and it fit properly... which mean (not stretch but square looks, and from what I notice, most real race car have square looks instead of the stretch look)...

the 15's might had ticker side wall (when not compressed),
but after the car compressed, the side wall of the 15's will compressed too right, so it is not that much thicker anymore compare to the lower profile 17in...

and in the past, people always think lower profile tire is not comfortable,
but with the recent tire design, the lower profile tire is actually can be very comfortable...

and as I had said a 17in wheel with it's wider circumference will glide over
bumps more easily compare to a 15in...

again to show exaggerate example, if you drive a big mining truck,
a large hole would mean nothing and you will not feel it,
but a regular car might get's it's smaller wheel stuck in the same hole...

this gliding over bumps is another reason why it will give you better handling and comfort since it does not upset/move the chassis...

All the modern car (both sport and luxury car) are trending toward larger wheel not just for looks but also it is more comfortable too (as long as the sidewall is not extremely thin)...

I actually find it strange that many Honda's owner actually still prefer to lower the size of their wheel..
well, most probably this is because admit it or not,
the Honda's engine is comparably weaker compare to other competitor offering in the same class...
and smaller size wheel will of course help with acceleration (shorter gearing)...

your 15in wheel will outhandle my 18in (cause mine is just too heavy and too big), but I think a 17in wheel (good wheel and good tire)
will outhandle your 15in and will be even more comfortable.

if you have a friend in your area that have a 17in wheel,
you might want to try those and compare it to your 15in...
then I think you will feel the real world difference...
(I could be wrong though...)

 

I know you just posted that this week in a thread, but I was referring to months ago (maybe a yr?) in an older thread, some one else posted it too... Could be bushings too, not sure.

The most I can go on the 15's is what I'm on now - 205's. The 16's I might be able to squeeze a 215.... as a matter of fact I'm pretty sure of it, b/c when I was getting the DWS's installed the installer didn't read the size of one of them (he thought it was 205 like the other 3), instead it was a 225... it gave him a little challenge but he fit it... after I noticed it was a 225, I told him that, and he put another 205 on. So even though it was a mistake it showed a 225 could fit... is it safe now? that's a different story.


I understand what your saying, we're both generally saying the same thing but from different sides... We both agree that if the area of the tire get bigger, then bigger contact patch area. I think that the increase in width will give you more contact area, than the increase in height (what you're saying). Also by this you believe that a larger rim will glide over some potholes (I agree), but to a degree... it won't glide over bumps, I don't think... You feel it glides, but you already got the Bilsteins installed, so I'm sure those contribute to the smoothness of the ride....
As for the ball bearing example it increases actually in x,y,z direction where as rim height is only x (or y) axis, the width would be the other axis. In you're case you did increase width & height, but you're also 1" over OEM spec in diameter, so your odo is off. I'd like to keep within spec so my profile will be lower. Take for example any GE8 owner who went to 17's most went with a 45 sidewall (some 40 so they don't rub), to keep within spec. And, most if not all felt a harsher ride. By you going wider & taller you probably have the same sidewall height or close to OEM.. on 18's

I will be trying 17's also in the future, but they'll be on either 195/45, or 205/45, depending on the width I find.

We could both be right or wrong... I think we need to call Paul Hembery (Pirelli F1) for advice, then we wont have any problems except for exploding tires.





Let's put that to rest.


Depending on how the car feels when I get the coils/rsb/fsb, I'm thinking a staggered tire set up might be a good idea.

 

Hi FitStir,
regarding the larger tire glide over bumps,
here is my example,
if you see the Bigfoot truck, those Bigfoot truck were able to "glide" over obstacle as big as a car because their larger tire allow them to "climb" over obstacle much easier then smaller tire.

I used to drive in a remote are where the roads are still unpaved and only covered with gravel.
What I experienced there was, if I drove with a truck with smaller overall diameter wheel/tire combo, I can feel the bump more then if I used the larger diameter wheel/tire combo.

another example is,
when we was a small kid, climbing up a stair is not easy since our foot is short, but as we grew, that same stair is much easier to climb.
the distance between our hips to the ground is similar in concept to the distance between car center hub to the ground.

here is a video of a Tatra military truck on youtube,
at around 1:35 (minutes/second),
you can see the truck tested by climbing some kind of giant stair,
you can imagine that if the truck had smaller wheel, it would not be able to climb that stair and that stair is basically a GIANT Bump.

so bigger tire will "glide" over bump with smaller effort (force),
while smaller tire will need to hit that same bump with greater force and thus feel the "feedback" as harsh...

well the truck video above is an extreme example,
but imagine that our car goes through a "rail road" bump (which is a kinda like very small stair case)... at 40mph (the higher the speed the greater the difference you feel between using smaller diameter tire and larger diameter tire)...
if you drove over that rail road (similar in concept to a very small stair case) with 15in tire,
your 15in tire will have to climb higher height compare to their own diameter vs. a 17in tire. so the higher impact force that the 15in tire had to endure over the same bump compare to the larger effective diameter of the 17in had to endure will first be absorbed by the suspension and later transferred the rest of the force will be feel by our body. so the higher the force, the harder the suspension had to absorbed and then the residual force that was not absorbed and transferred to our body will be higher too.

Yes, if you buy a tire that had higher profile sidewall for the 15in in order to maintain the same height as the 17in with thinner profile,
the overall diameter would be the same if the wheel/tire is not loaded or not installed on the vehicle,
but as soon as you install, the thick profile of those 15in will be compressed and in the end the effective range from the center of the hub to the ground will be always lower on a 15in compare to a 17in.

hemm... I think I just found the easiest way for you to experiment about this.
Try to ride some BMX bicycle (small tire and no suspension at all) over some rough dirt road full of bump and holes,
then try to ride some Touring bicycle (larger diameter tire and no suspension too) over that same road,
you will feel the different right away, especially since both do not have suspension at all.

and remember our car travel much faster than those bicycle over bumps,
thus amplifying the effect.

sorry for writing so long, but I think our brain play tricks on us
because as soon as we see thicker side profile RUBBER on a 15in,
(or just reading the higher side profile number)
our brain immediately think/assume it must be comfortable,
and as soon as we see thinner rubber on 17in (or just reading the lower side profile number) we immediately think it must be harder ride.

 

oh, one more thing,
the first time I realized that a larger wheel will be more comfortable over bumps were in the early 90's (around 20 years ago)...
at that time my friend had a brand new 1993 NSX that he just bought...
and he told me that his stock front wheel (15in at that time) would feel like a Basketball being dribbled when driving over bumpy 10 freeway (in Los Angeles) at high speed...
the front tire is what he really feel, especially since NSX (1990's version) had smaller front wheel compare to the rear wheel. (yes, once NSX had a 15in front wheel, and 16 in at rear)
as soon as he replace the wheel with larger wheel,
that dribble feeling over bumpy road is gone...
this is the first time it opened my eyes that smaller wheel do not always mean more comfortable ride,...

Wheel-Tech-OEM - NSX-Wiki

also if you check the link above, (table below)
Honda keep increasing NSX wheel, year after year, (1994 version had larger wheel then the previous one),
and the latest version of the NSX (since 2002) now have the same wheel diameter front and rear.

Years F/R Diameter Width Weight Factory Tire Size

1991 - 1993 Front 15" 6.5" 15.20 lbs. 205/50ZR15
1991 - 1993 Rear 16" 8" 18.86 lbs. 225/50ZR16

1994 - 2001 Front 16" 7" 16.75 lbs. 215/45ZR16
1994 - 2001 Rear 17" 8.5" 20.85 lbs. 245/40ZR17

1999 Zanardi Front 16" 7" 15.4 lbs. ?
1999 Zanardi Rear 17" 8.5" 17.8 lbs. ?

2002 - 2005 Front 17" 7" 17.35 lbs. 215/40R17
2002 - 2005 Rear 17" 9" 20.0 lbs. 255/40R17

2002 NSX-R Front 17" 7" 15.75 lbs. 215/40ZR-17
2002 NSX-R Rear 17" 9" 17.55 lbs. 255/40ZR-17


Later (in the 1990's)
I confirmed this when I first had an AMG 3 piece 17in wheel on my car
and later swapped it with an AMG 1 piece but 18in wheel on the same car with same suspension.
The 18in wheel is actually more comfortable even with lower side profile...
same brand of tire, same car, same suspension (Koni by Renntech)...

 

Another parts needed arrive today

Here is The Hubcentric Ring needed to make sure my Wilwood Hat sit perfectly centered on the hub.
The Wilwood Hat hava center bore hub diameter of 64.2mm,
while the stock JDM RS rear axle had a center bore hub diameter of 61mm.

Here are the pictures :

 

Man if I ever need any esoteric parts I'm calling you. You find all kinds of stuff a lot of people never heard of LOL. But you make them WORK for you and pass on the knowledge .....good job.

 

Quick question.
Did you use the ABS sensors that came with the new trailing arm, or did you have to use the original sensors?


Trying to figure out if I should attempt to install this myself, or just bring it to a shop. Leaning more towards having them install it.

 

Thank You LoudBang



FitStir,
Please allow me to help with your question because He don't check this thread too often
Ok, are you talking about the ABS CABLE/Wire sensor that screwed into the axle ?
if that is the case,
the rear axle that I got for him had the Cable CUT...
so he (and me) need to reuse our ABS Cable/Wire that came with our car.
It is much easier that way anyway, just one screw on the axle...

now if you are talking about the RING inside the hub...
well we used the one that came with the JDM axle because our axle is in brand new condition, so there should be no problem with that.
On your axle, before you install them, please also make sure the condition of the BEARING because your axle might had lots of miles on it already.
if the bearing is not good, take the chance to replace it before you install the axle. Also you might want to check the seal condition on your caliper,
and the thickness of your rotor. it should be more then 8mm (new 9mm),
if it is less then that, it need replacement and I happened to have a pair of brand new one hahaha and of course the rear brake pad too...

Hope I had answer your question

 

Just TESTING if my CUSTOM Goodridge brake line will fit the larger rotor (need longer line since the stock brake line is not long enough for 12in rotor)...

My custom Goodridge utilized all STAINLESS STEEL fitting, while if you buy regular Goodridge kit,
the fitting were most likely Chrome Plated Zinc...

 

Gotcha, re-use the USDM ABS sensors, etc..

I'll definitely keep that in mind. It's off a 2012, so they should be in good condition.

If I get this I think I will just have it professionally installed.

Did you ever post a link for the seller of the Mugen 6pcs SS brakeline kit?

 

Hi FitStir,
here is the link to the seller of Mugen 6 pieces SS Brake line:
Rakuten: Endlessly micro-mesh brakes line 46400-XLF-K1S0 Honda Fit GE8 rear disc brake equipment car October, 2007 ... - Shopping Japanese products from Japan

as you can see the price is about $350 (NOT include shipping cost to US)...
so you are looking at around $400 minimum shipped to US

 

Damnnnn..

Didn't think it was that expensive, didn't you find a different JDM SS brake line option?

Oh, well, maybe I'll go with the USDM Goodridge kit, and see if the installer can add the 2 more in the rear custom. Gotta do more research on this route.

 

Well, this was wishful thinking... I'm looking at atleast $1200 w/o the front brake upgrade... hmmm. Decisions, decisions....


Not including the Spoon rigid collar (50300-GE8-000)

 

well, front brake upgrade can be done later because,
you are only installing factory size rear disk brake,
so it won't move the brake balance enough to upset the brake bias,

in fact you will have better brake bias balance then with the drum brake...
meaning after you install this standard size rear disk brake,
your car should nose dive less then with the drum brake.

if I were you, I would install it myself.
you only needs this tool:
1. Torque Wrench
2. Breaker Bar to open the large bolt (Power Tools will be preferred)...
3. Jack and a pair of jack stand
4. One bottle of brake fluid (perhaps 1 liter to make sure you had enough)
5. if you want to bleed fast, you can use the one man bleeder nipple and the catch bottle,
6. if you want to bleed it faster, then buy the bleeder tools (with pumps), but this is OPTIONAL...

That is all you need...

 

I have all the space to work on it & the tools (except the speed bleeders), I just never done an install like this.... it might be better to have the shop do it for me.

If I do it myself, of course I'll save a good chunk of that.