BlueBox

Is it me or am i tripping?

I've noticed that my xB is abit bumpy (very stiff) on the freeways...with thos little divits every 5 feet... i have 17 inch rims with 215/45/17 tires on them...

I believe the coils are stock ... is it suppose to be bumpy?

just wondering...

scionara

That's the xB's stock sports tuned suspension. My first impression when I test drove the xb back in June was it's bumpier than any other new cars I test drove.

DenZinz

the short wheel base can be a contributor to it also. It just hits perfect the way CalTrans lays the concrete down when then pave the freeways. IMO My civic use to do it really bad, it would be like you were on a rodeo bull when driving 5 mph.

BlueBox

i guess it's normal then... my profile tires don't help at all either... i really don't mind the rodeo ride. it keeps me awake when falling asleep..haha.

thx for the info guys.

hydrogen

It is sometimes annoying when driving on those imperfect freeways with those "mini speedbumps" all the way. I don't know if it is just the springs or non matching shocks or both. Is there anyway to improve this situation?

How would people compare the ride of stock springs to progressive springs like Eibach or Spy?

eric_m

very similar.

George

Low profile tires will transmit more road shock to the suspension, making the ride bumpier.

That said, I note that my stock xB is pretty bumpy on uneven roads, at least compared to a midsize car. Compared to my old VWs it is rather smooth.

I rode in a friend's Echo today and it is a bit smoother than the xB, but it also has 14 inch wheels and taller section tires.

George

ChickenAdobo

My wife and I noticed how bumpy it is on the freeway, and we're on stock susp/wheels.

I couldn't tell you the difference between the ride of stocks to the progressives on my XB, but when I put Eibach Pro-Kit springs (0.5 in. lower) on my CRX back in 90, the ride quality was as smooth as OEM. I'd expect the same results if I did it in the XB.

That said, when I upgrade the wheels, I'm not going any larger in diameter, just wider to enhance performance and not slow acceleration. A shorter tire sidewall will feel bumpier than a taller one.

yanges

is that the right size you listed? i have 215/40/17 tires and they look same as yours....

what pressure are you running at? the guy who installed my tires and wheels said to keep them at about 34psi for best ride....

it may be bumpy on the crummy freeways, but on smooth road my xB is Great!

btw, your BlueBox is looking really Good!

nacy333

You know what I noticed? That the ride is bouncier when I lowered my then Stock xB 1 inch with the TRD Springs. Especially on certain freeways. Especially going at a certain slow speed when the car would 'harmonize' with the uneven levels of the freeways to produce an even more bouncy effect.

Now that I put some 16s with 205/55/16 tires on it, I don't even notice it. I'll have to check when I drive back home tonight but for the most part the car now seems alot more stable and less bouncy..I think its the tall sidewalls on the tires that are absorbing most of the bounce and shock.

BlueBox

I checked my tires...and yes...they are 215/45/17...i guess 40 and 45 are visually indifferent. i need to drop my xB soon... SPY springs are my number choice...but it's $216 plus tax...not to mention delivery charges... i want to spend less than $200 installed for my springs... i can get eibach prokit installed for $200 at my local import shop...but it's not low enough...i think the 17s require atleast a 2 " drop for a clean look...

Tanabe's are nice too..but i haven't been able to find a shop where i can walk in and pick up... i've seen them for $156 + tax...but people here are saying the optauto.com sucks...so i'm still researching.

help.

yanges

thanks on the rim comment.....

they are some off brand, Millenium wheels, but i really like them....

they were pre-installed on my xB....

anyone wants to check them out, go to www.victoriatires.com and email the contact there to find out price and stuff.....

also, check out this tire sizer:

http://www.saturnperformance.com/tech/tiresize/

plug in xB's original size [185/60/15] with whatever you have or want and you can see exact size difference and effect on odometer reading....

ScionVan

Different tire manufacturers, and even different model tires from the same manufacturer, can usually vary in overall size by a few %, even when they are of the same numerical dimension. So a Pirelli P Zero Nero 205/40-17, for example, may be quite a bit smaller in overall diameter than a Yokohama AVS-i 205/40-17. Of course, this doesn't help us consumers when we start worrying about how things will fit on our cars...!

BUzzBUcket

Van-

I started plugging numbers into the applet provided at Saturnperformance.com, trying to see what tire/wheel combos would be close to the 185/60 15 that comes on the Scions.

As a result of my experiment, I ended up with the following as close in size to the 185/60 15:

215/45 16
215/40 17
215/35 18
205/30 19

I know the 16", 17", 18" sizes are available, but the 19" size is odd.

Next, I checked the specs on tirerack.com for the Goodyear Eagle LS 185/60TR15, which is the tire that Toyota slaps on the Scion as you know. According to the spec sheet, this tire provides 880 revs/mile whereas the applet provided at Saturnperformance.com comes up with 850 revs/mile for a 185/60 15 tire. The difference being theory versus actual data for a specifc tire brand/model.

So this brings up the question, since 880 revs/mile would seem to be specific to the tire delivered on the Scion, should someone who is interested in keeping the speedometer/odometer true to the original design intent be looking for a wheel/tire combo that provides 880 revs/mile ?

If so, then it would seem that picking a 215/45 16, 215/40 17, or 215/35 18 tire without knowing the revs/mile specific to the tire brand/model wouldn't neccesarily keep your speedometer/odometer readings correct.

Also, can I conclude that going with 19" wheels, the speedo/odo will be wrong since their doesn't appear to be a tire made that would give a revs/mile close to the 880 that the OEM tire does ?

XAonair

Yeah i noticed the bumpinees of the suspension when i got it but now im on air rirde and at about 30 psi front and 20 psi rear rides like a race cadi LOL little bumpy but smooooooooooooooooooooooooth mostly !!!

eric_m

an xA on air. sweet. let's see some pictures. i want to see how high and low it can go! i'm sure it looks awesome.

oh, my car rides like a race cadi too.

yanges

the revs per mile is important, but i am looking at the overall diameter and sidewall height more....

i have 215/40/17's and they are .1" larger than a stock wheel and tire...

that is a minimal difference as far as revs/mile goes.....the table is a good reference for sizing a tire to suit your tastes and see how something else would compare....

as for the difference in the revs/mile between tiretrack.com and the saturn site for the stock tire, try comparing a 215/40/17 tire to the stock size on the tiretrack site to see the difference in revs/mile...

i would think it would be very similar to the difference in revs/mile between the two sizes of tires as found on the saturn site, the two sites probably just calculate the revs/mile a little differently....

i put in my 215/40/17 size as initial size, and came up with a 235/40/17 tire that is slightly wider and slightly taller than mine, which is kinda what i want.....

i know i would lose a little accuracy in odo reading, but i have while to think about it as these tires are brand new......

yanges

i guess that is why it handles so well!

i was up on Angeles Crest Highway in SoCal going to Mount Wilson and both going up and coming down was very surprised at how well mine handled with 215/40/17 tires and wheels....

it really cornered well and was a pleasure to drive in the canyon....

ScionVan

The revs/mile is derived from the overall circumference of the tire, and that is a function of the overall diameter of the tire. So as long as you can get a tire that has the same overall diameter as the stock setup, you will be safe. And in all honesty, even if you are off just a few %, the difference isn't as bad as some people think. True, it adds up after hundreds and thousands of miles (the odo reading), but I personally think that its a very very very small price to pay to ultimately have a wheel and tire setup that you think looks good. Of course, going to a tire size that is extraordinarily off in diameter (like trying to run some 20s, for example) might cause more immediate problems...