Congrats on the 1 month anniversary. I'm comming up on mines (a few days off) and I'm loving the car as well. I do not have a RS6.0 but I did own a caravan as well which I traded in (coincidence much?) Anyhow, let us see more pictures of your ride with everything you've done so far. Thanks for the "before and after" on the lowering, definitely A+ stuff!!!!

 

Yeah, I definitely need to get some more photos up. The problem is it's dark by the time I get home from work every evening. I've also been spending all my spare time out in the garage doing the mods and routine maintenance on the xB. The xB inspired me to do my first oil change in almost 20 years. Other than the two freebies, I plan to do all the oil changes on my new xB and also on our almost new Kia Sedona minivan (bought in March).

PDX_xB

 

btw, what was the total cost of the wheels and the drop? Yours is exactly what I am looking for to do.

 

The wheels were $179 each from tirerack.com. The 18" wheels are on closeout and actually $40 each cheaper than the same wheels in the 17" size.

The tires, also from tirerack.com were $114 each - $50 rebate on a set of 4 = $102.50 each. I have since found the same wheels cheaper at other sites. So, shop around.

Shipping of wheels and tires was about $95. Local install of wheels and tires, including transferring the TPMS sensors from the stock wheels was about $120.

The NF210 springs were $220 + $12 shipping. I installed them myself. I took advantage of the Autozone free rental of a spring compressor and saved $120 on the install (what I was quoted by a local shop to install the springs).

The thing I like best about these wheels is the lightweight. Although they are 2" bigger in diamter and 1.5" wider than the stock steelies, they actually weigh less. There were other 18" wheels I liked, but they were all > 20 lbs. Most in the 25 - 27 lb. range. These are 17.2 lbs. So, I still get good gas mileage and the car accelerates and handles well. Unsprung weight is often overlooked when shopping for wheels, but is a very important factor in how the car performs.

I also like the open look of the wheels - especially now that I've painted my brake calipers red (I'll try to get some photos posted this weekend).

Hope that helps,
PDX_xB

 

OK, yesterday was the two month anniversary of purchasing my RS6.0. Since I last posted photos a month ago, I've added the following:

Tanabe NF210 Springs
Sharkfin Antenna
Wheelskins Red/Black Leather Steering Wheel Cover
Painted the Brake Calipers
Brake Caliper Decals
TRD CAI
TRD Front Strut Brace
TRD Oil Filler Cap
TRD Fog Lights

Here's what the Red Box looks like now:

























PDX_xB

 

You have two valve stems?

 

Looks great, but why do your wheels look like they have 2 valve stems each?

 

Because they do. They are a Japanese racing wheel designed for use with nitrogen. You fill the nitrogen through the top valve stem while bleeding off the oxygen through the bottom stem.

PDX_xB

 

Good job man, it's looking good. How do you like the CAI? Mine comes Wednesday.

And yeah, whats goin on with those valve stems?

 

I LOVE the TRD CAI. I installed it Wednesday night, but today was the first day I drove it with the CAI. The sound really kicks in around 3000 rpm. I notice a definite boost in power in the 3000 - 5000 rpm range. I know it's also supposed to improve gas mileage, but I was pushing it hard all day today just to hear that sound and feel the power.

Here's a description for a similar wheel made by Enkei:

"The NTO3+M is the ultimate race wheel when it comes to cornering and just flat-out speed. The dual valve stems allow you to control air and nitrogen levels depending on weather and track conditions. The NTO3+M utilizes the innovative MAT (Most Advanced Technology) process that maximizes material and elongation without sacrificing its hardess, resulting in dramatic reduction of weight."

I don't race, but the Kosei wheels were the absolute lightest, affordable wheels I could find. To get anything lighter you'd have to go with a forged magnesium wheel, which would cost about >5x what I paid for my Kosei wheels.

PDX_xB

 

Well they look cool at least.

 

I didn't buy them because they have two valve stems, that's just a "bonus" of buying an ultralight racing wheel.

In fact, I was disappointed when I learned I wouldn't be able to use both red valve stems that came when them due to the TPMS sensors. So, I have one red valve stem and one stock valve stem with TPMS per wheel. I did put matching red caps on the stock stems, though.

In any case, I've very happy with the wheels. 18x8 wheels that are lighter than the stock 16x6.5 steelies. I like the way the car handles and accelerates with the lightweight rims and tires, and I still get very good gas mileage (when I'm not pushing the pedal to the floor to hear the roar of my new CAI).

PDX_xB

 

Heck, I would think you'd know all about that! lol

 

Just goes to show that you can teach an old dog new tricks; but since our normal atmospheric air is already composed of 78% nitrogen, I don't think it would make much of a difference unless you are in a pure racing setting.

 

I was at a dealership in Phoenix and they had added nitrogen to all their cars and added $199 to the sticker.

 

Fixed it for you...

That's just a highway robbery profit center for them. Pure nitrogen is basically useless for a daily driver street car. It shouldn't cost more than about $10 per tire either.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...Overblown.aspx

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...instead-of-air

 

Not really, most race cars use the the single valve stem, at least in Formula One, Indycar, and prototype sports cars. Racing teams purge the air completely, then refill with nitrogen, repeating the process 4-5 times before using the tire.

 

I didn't get my tires at Costco, but they fill them up with nitrogen for free if you buy the tires there. Not sure how much they charge to fill up non-Costco tires. I may check next time I'm there. In non-commercial, non-racing applications, the benefits are small, but they do all favor nitrogen over "air". I think "rubber attack" would be the most important. Less frequent filling isn't really an issue for me. I check my tires regularly and have the TPMS sensors. So, I won't be running them under inflated.

PDX_xB

 

I agree with everything you said, but not even "rubber attack" will be an issue for most drivers that put on 10-12k miles per year or more. I put on 24k+ miles per year, so I burn through a set of tires in less than 2 years... no problem for me. Heck, I'd rather put the extra $$ for nitrogen into a better set of tires, and keep on top of the air pressure myself.

 

I've averaged less than 9K per year over the last 11 years on my daily driver. That went down to about 6K last year when my daily commute when from 9 miles (each way) to 3.5 miles.

Still, I didn't buy the Kosei rims for the two valve feature or to run nitrogen in my tires. I bought them because they are ultra lightweight, affordable and I like the way they look. If my local Costco will fill them with nitrogen for free, or a couple bucks a tire, I may get them filled. Either way, no big deal.

PDX_xB