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Comments
clunk noise. For a while I thought it was something moving in the
trunk but now I know the truth and I am set Free!!!
Adding the rear sway bar will cause the car to lean less in turns, but will NOT help the rubbing. Sway bars swing freely, and have no effect unless the pressure on the 2 wheels is uneven, such as when the car leans during a turn.
Neil
'99 SLE
Red\Gray
Thanks, Mike
All-in-all, this is really a minor problem. The car has been otherwise perfect, comfortable and a joy to drive, and I get constant compliments on it. Still a great value.
Cliffy - is this correct?
I have been out to the NHSTA Service Bulletin Database and as of today (Jan. 25), there is NO SERVICE BULLETIN posted there for "strut tower" problems!
So if there is one somewhere, I too would like to know what the number is!!!!!
Cliffy1 should know something.
'99 SE V6- Diamond Pearl White
23,000 miles
1.) What is the exact protocol for successfully breaking in a new Solara?
2.)I have read a lot about the Zaino products. I have also seen some of the pictures that were posted. From my understanding Z1 and Z2 (and maybe z6- gloss enhancer) are the main items. What is the typical application frequency?
3.) Being that this is my first new car, what other things should I look out for when I go pick up the car and also during the break-in period?
Thanks for all the postings. They have been very informative the last few months.
Regards,
Cheme74
Do It.
1) Break In - Keep it under 55, 2500 rpm and half throttle for the first 1000-1500 miles. The longer the better. Your dealer will tell you that break-in is not needed, but I have tried it both ways, and the it is clear that break-in is better. New cars have SO MANY moving parts pumps, bearings, seals etc, you really must give them a chance to break in properly.
2) Zaino- This is another good decision on your part. I changed from waxes to Zaino about a year ago, and will never go back. The intial kit is relatively expensive, but it lasts so long that the actual cost per application is less than a typical wax. You will need the Z1 base coat (once a year), and the Z2 polish, the Z6 gloss enhancer (spray on, wipe off) and the Z7 car wash. There are a lot of other Z products, but this is the basic.I have been using it for a year on 2 cars, and am just now needing to re-order a couple of items. If you put 2-3 coats of Z2 on, you won't have to re-polish for 3-6 months depending on where you live, etc. All the details are at www.zainobros.com.
See for yourself:
It is Highly recommended that you CLAY the car before polishing. This will leave the surface perfectly clean and so smooth you won't believe it. The already easy Z application will go even faster and easier (takes me about 20 minutes). Read about clay at www.erazer.com. There are many good clays, including Zaino.
Have fun and enjoy!
anyway, has anyone bought tires off an internet site? cause i was quoted a price of $104.99 each of H-rated potenza RE 92's, and i think i saw a web site where maybe i can get them cheaper to the extent that even after shipping, i save some bucks...
anyway-- i imagine alot of us 1999 owners are getting to the point of changing tires-- any advice?? thanks!! email me by clicking my name, or you can reply here if you have any thoughts...
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sungirl
i can replace my 205-60-16's with 215-60-16's????
no ill effects? my tires will fit the alloy wheels? my speedometer will still be accurate? i won't be scraping the fender wells during sharp turns???
if this is true, then, yes, i see my options are much more numerous.... but i know litle about tires except it's not good to see the air showing through...
as far as my driving habits, oh sure, i talk a good game in my 5 speed V6 fairway green loaded SE--- but i don't take corners at 55 or anything like that.... i'm 44 ....as long as i can easily pass V6 accord coupes in their automatics, I'm happy.... i always thought cooper made a nice tire... i don't need no michelin hot rod tire....
so-- just to be sure-- i can get 215-60-16 tires to replace my 205-60-16's, with no ill effects????? thanks for any replies...!!
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
Neil
'99 SLE
Red\Gray
28,060 miles
You and I are quite alike - I'm 44 too (turning 45 on Friday 2/2) - my initial preference was also for the fairway green, but there was a car on the lot which had everything I wanted and was the Diamond Pearl White; they offered a better deal if I took a car off the lot instead of doing a special order or dealer swap. You aren't by chance in Maryland, are ya?
so i guess i'll be ok with going with 215 60 16's??
pics of my solara with the worn tread tires are here...
http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4293372793
by the way, has anyone added an aftermarket wood trim panel for the temp/audio? i'm thinking of spicing up the interior, without going overboard...
I use 34/35 front and 32 rear for more balanced handling. Tires are wearing fine.
It would seem that 215 55 16's would be the same diameter, yes?
Wood -
Ral - I installed part of the wood kit from www.exoticwooddash.com It was easy and looks great. I didn't put the entire kit on - it looks too phony when the entire interior including around the key, speedometer and speakers has a wood trim. See it at
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1016688&a=7490587&p=34653637
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1016688&a=7490587&p=34653638
Every time I am in the car, I am amazed at how much more luxuious it feels with just this little be of extra wood.
Cute dog!
i hate to beat a dead horse on the tire issue, but...just so i understand...
i can replace the 205-60-16's with EITHER:
215-60-16's, OR
215-55-16's?
this is correct? anybody prefer one size to another? i'm leaning to the 215-60-16's, since there's only one number change, not two.. faulty reasoning?
as i understand, the first number is the "width" of the tire.... and the last number is the diameter of the tire--but the middle number-- i'll have to look that up...
as for 235/45/17, yes this is actually a better choice than 225/45, but 235's cost a lot and there may be clearance/rubbing problems. Ask a tire dealer to test fit a 235 to see if there will be problems.
215-55-16
215 - width in MM
55 - profile in MM (distance from top of wheel/rim to top of tire)
16 - size of wheel/rim
In essence, the lower the second number (55) the lower the profile and the harsher the ride. This is because there is less rubber cusioning between the rim and the ground.
There is also one other identifier in the tire code. This is the speed rating. I believe that H is rated upto 130 mph and V is rated upto 150 mph and Z is rated beyond 150 mph.
Hope this answers your question.
Neil
'99 SLE - Red\Gray - 28,060 miles
with these tires i still should be able to zoom by honda accord V6's automatics with their fancy smancy steering wheel mounted audio controls--- and maybe even those acura CL-S's (which i never see on the road--maybe they're hiding from me and my 5 speed)....
if anyone thinks i am better off with the 55 and not the 60 for a middle number, maybe i'm not understanding why.
55s are no big deal, actually -- I doubt you'd ever notice the difference in ride, especially with a Solara -- but you will notice the sharper response. The lower-profile tire will also be slightly wider, which means better overall grip.
after looking at the space in the wheel well i would say that 235 would probably not fit, however are you going with or without the trd springs? it might fit without the springs, im not sure.
i got my wheels from tirerack.com, but they said that 225/45 would rub on the fender and I can't even guess where they were talking about, cause I have no rubbing at all.
i also called trd to get more info, cause i heard the same crap about screwing up some of the computerized stuff. they said it wont mess anything up and that an offset between 38-42 will be fine for the car. they also said the trd wheels are 38mm offset, in case anybody cares, dont know if thats true cause TSW says they are 43mm.. maybe they were specially made for the solara...
anyway, i don't think the ride is that much bumpier, but the handling is way better than it used to be...
for the guys with the trd muffler---
is it an annoying high pitch sound or a deep rumbly, i know kind of a stupid question to ask, but i dont know if im willing to sacrifce the quiet ride for a few more horses..
anybody have a wav file of it???
brian
Nil
'99 SEE - Red\Gray - 28,065 miles
- 215 / 60s - a little taller and giving the same ride
- 215 / 55s - The right size, with better handling but a rougher ride.
How about errors with the speedo with the slightly larger 215/60's? Any idea how much it will be off?
nrl - rad is correct. If you think about it - there are many different sizes of tires that have the same middle measurement - 55s, 60s, etc.
2) I have 215/55/17's and they fit great until I put on my springs. They are on 17 X 7 40mm offset rims and they stick out just enough to rub just a bit over some bumps. I will be rolling my rear fenders to solve this problem.
3) I personally like my TRD muffler. It is not a high pitch, and it is not like a "fart" muffler. I think it souds really sporty and gives the car a really nice sound at high RPMs (which is where I stay).
4) A few people have said that the Greddy cat back system sounds and looks good also. I just wanted to stay with Toyota/Kazuma parts to stay with the TRD look.
see my car at:
http://users.ev1.net/~gunpilot/misc/spring1.jpg
or
http://users.ev1.net/~gunpilot/races/
I saw the previous posts and checked with the tire calculator and I see that a 225/55R16 will fit on the rim and have minimal speedo error. The tires will be 0.8" wider. Does anyone know if these will fit without rubbing? It looks really tight near the bottom of the rear struts.
i think the fogs are 51w and the heads 60/55, is that right?
thanks,
brian
http://coopertires.com/tire_cooper/info-sidewall.html
(Sorry for the above sarcastic rant, but I had to share my frustration with others who may be able to emphatize with me.)
Neil
'99 SLE - Red\Gray - 28,067
i just knew having a republican in the white house would start saving me $$$
and here i was wondering about these other tire sizes, when all the time my full size spare was laying on my trunk floor, just ready to be put to good use--- and to think those accord coupe owners scoff at solara's full size spare-- i guess i showed them! they can keep their la-di-da steering wheel audio controls-- you look in their trunk, you see a gosh-darn donut!!
(if any of you see a flaw in my thinking, let me know-- but i think i got this tire situation figured out finally)
My girlfriend took a nail in one of her Michelins, and ruined the sidewall before she discovered it. The tire has been replaced with a new model, so I called all over to find a matching one. She has VERY low miles on her Accord, so only one tire is needed.
We found 2 at the Winston warehouse, and practically had to FORCE the local store manager to order them for us - he just didn't want to be bothered, but he was much closer than the next store. He called this morning to say that they were in. Later in the day, we called from the car, and were told to come in, it would only be 30 minutes. We arrive 5 minutes later, and now it is 1-1/2 hours wait, so we go back home and take 2 cars back, drop one off.
An hour or 2 later he called and says they can't find the KEY to the car - they have LOST it! So we have to go back again take the spare key, and we do not feel really comfortable that someone has her car key. They make NO OFFER to replace the key - it's just too bad.
Then we go later to pick up the car - and we find that they put the 2 new tires on the BACK instead of the FRONT as requested, and is NORMAL. Now we have to go back again later to have them rotate the tires. After we get home, we see that they have SCRATCHED the alloy wheels on the car with the tire changing machine - nice round scratches through the paint!!!
This is TOTAL incompetence!!! Sorry to rant in a non-tires forum, but I want you all to beware of Winston tire shops - You can only assume that this is typical. With people like this, a I wonder how they stay in business. Anyone know how to email Sam Winston?
Msg 521. Nice addition to the car but can you order just the pieces
you want? From their site it appears you have to order either the Basis
kit of the complete kit/ To get the pieces you have one would have to
order the compete kit. thanks
Sorry - they have us over a barrel - you must order either too little or too much of the pieces. I had to order the whole kit just to get the pieces for the transmission lever and the windows. I have a lot of little pieces left that I will transfer to the next owner if they want to over-do it. It would probably raise the cost for the makers to package each piece separately. On the positive side - it is worth it! REALLY classes up the interior.