dmteter

Sorry for not replying sooner. I spilled a cup of coffee on my laptop. The good news is that I now have a new top of the line MacBook Pro. The bad news is ....

My 2009 987.2 Base came outfitted with:

• Bilstein B8 shocks & struts
• Cayman R springs
• Oz Ultraleggera HLTs wheels in 19x8.5" (F) and 19x10" (R) (and I curbed the rear passenger one today. Argh.)
• Michelin PS4S tires in 245/35 R19 (F) and 275/35 R19 (R)

It's my understanding that the 987.2 Cayman R came with 235/35 R19 (F) and 265/35 R19 (R) tires on the same sized wheels that I have. It's about time to put new tires on the car. Perhaps going to 235/35 and 265/35 might help cut down on the harsh ride and scraping the front bumper? Any suggestions from the peanut gallery would be appreciated. Thanks.

Ric In RVA

Well since the section width (The 35 in that number) is the height expressed as a percentage of width then going down in width goes down in height. Maybe if you go down in width and up in section. See the link below to play those games.

https://www.willtheyfit.com/

Less harsh ride? go to 18" inch wheels and a taller tire or different struts. You aren't the first to call B8's harsh.

Less scraping? raise the suspension is the right way to fix that but you could add height in the tires but not without slightly throwing off the speedo. You could add a spring spacer or go back to S springs,



Remember front and rear tire diameters must match with in a very small range for ABS and other functions to be happy/ not throw codes.

Kuro Neko

Yeah, the swap from the stupidly over-spoked 19-inch Sport Design wheels to the 18-inch five-spoke Ronal S wheels was a great move at this end.
Even on Japanese roads, the 19s were just too harsh.
I also moved from PS2 to PS4, as I never used half of the softer compound capabilities.

Ride better, easier to clean, cheaper tires - a win all round as far as I am concerned. The present config is: Michelin PS4, F: 235/40ZR18, R: 265/40ZR18

sasilverbullet

That's exactly what I'm running for daily driving!

Are these the Ronal S wheels you are referring to?

Kuro Neko

Yup!
That's them...




One day, I might have them painted to match the 50 Jahr, Fuch-like finish.
Though, I've seen some OEM Ronal S 18s painted similarly...

sasilverbullet

You mean like this? I just painted them, waiting for the Kumho's to put on them. They'll be my autox wheels.

Kuro Neko

Hai, though, black .
What was your process, and paint type - baked?

TMc993

I see three right hand rims painted on the inside where the tire mounts and one not...What's that/

sasilverbullet

The wheel on the left was the first one I did, big learning curve. Once the tire is on it will look like the others.
My wife suggested using a lazy susan, that worked great, much easier to apply the paint while spinning the wheel slowly.

sasilverbullet

Process:
1. Clean wheel thoroughly
2. Sanded where I painted the red with 220 grit
3. Taped off the silver with high quality automotive tape
4. Used VHT Engine Enamel 5. 2 light coats, then a third heavy coat
6. After about 15 min, removed all the tape
7. After about 1 hour I sprayed the clear coat. This is expensive stuff that I purchased from an auto paint supply store. Note: I had to purchase an auto paint grade mask to spray this stuff, very dangerous, had to make sure all of my skin was covered.

No Baking...wheels that have been powder coated and then baked at 400 or higher, that heat for that amount of time changes the molecular structure of the metal, then they bend easier. Ask me how I know, I had a wheel powder coated, bent it beyond repair.

Lessons learned: I'm very happy with the results, SUPER GLOSSY!!! And I put a very thick coat of the clear on.

TMc993

Do you have a link for the source of the mask? I need something like that for a non-automotive project with a similarly hazardous substance...

sasilverbullet

Can't find a link, here's a pic. Important is the type of filter...NIOSH

Kuro Neko

Thanks for taking the time on the details, as I might attempt it one day myself, as sanding was perhaps a step I'd not considered.
Interested to see how long the finish lasts with your track work too...



After a week or more touge hunting, through all sorts of weather, I gave a rather grubby Cayman a wash.

We only use the Tokyo apartment a few days a week, so I offered the garage to a local Elise driver, and by way of rent I get to use the Lotus' cleaning materials.
The recommended foaming cleaner did a great job of taking off much dirt, but left deeper stains embedded in the paint.
You could see vertical streaks as the foaming cleaner had run down the sides, and splotches on the horizontal surfaces.
Not a statement on the cleaner, but more a flag perhaps on the overall deep clean the Cayman needed.

Those are not shadows, but streaks of white coming through the finish.



Thus I took it to a local garage that specialized in 'Car Life', and mixed with the new kei for a three day deep clean, polish, and ceramic coating.
We had hoped for a Lapin or Hustler loaner, but instead scored a full-size Demio.



The Keeper coating is awesome, and already after one wash, the dirt just falls away.
I've never really had a deep full ceramic coating applied professionally before, and would thoroughly recommend it.



Not cheap, but the results are excellent, and they asked nicely if they could list the Cayman with their usual kei on their blog.



Running around our village, doing a few errands.



We spotted this Stitch equipped Hi-Ace running down the coast.



Back in Tokyo for a few days, this real G-Wagon contrasts nicely against the usual posemobiles running around Shibuya.







Downtown Shibuya and Omotesando, and time for a wash.
The ceramic coating really shines.



Also in need of a wash, and perhaps a few other items, this last registered in 2011 Evo IV?



Home again for a quiet weekend, and a BBQ at a friend's down the coast... and the Cayman is noticeably whiter than white these days.
It was clean when I purchased it five years ago, but now after a deep clean and the ceramic coating, I am reasonably sure it is one shade whiter.
I had previously thought Carrara White was less white, and more a slightly off-white than it is now...

Ric In RVA

If you are spraying 2k catalyzed enamel or isocyanates you need an air source. A mask wont do it. The isocyanates cure in the presence of moisture and lung tissue is perfect to cure it.... PLease research this and don't use a particulate mask.

Kuro Neko

That sounds just nasty!