What should my next MOD be?

[AU XR6 UTE]

hey guys ive got three mods on my mind at the moment.

1. Full exhaust system including headers etc.

2. New rims (copies i was thinking about getting BF MK2 rims)

3. Get her lowered (how low do you think i should go?)

considering my normal week i have a tray full of tools that makes it sit down a bit lower any way? (in the rear)

What do you guys think any ideas ?

[T3man]

Exhaust ... the aural pleasure will live on way past the initial euphoria from spending all that money ...

[Jack91]

Nah, mags first, and 245's or bigger makes any car look tough. Then just spend $50 on one of those massive rice looking sports mufflers that put out a loud note. OR just cut out the muffler all together

[fordman_01]

exhaust mate.......make it sound

[RUKIDN]

Full exhaust, lower then rims! If not go lower, rims then exhaust..
Anyway you go just dont go rims first. A car with bigger rims still at standard height :

[Mechan1k]

As some who is in a vehicle everyday of the week driving a lot of kays.
Upgrade the suspension first ... a better handling vehicle will make driving more of a pleasure.

Exhaust can be done later if needed. And wheels are just a cosmetic thing.

Suspension would be my first choice.

[CliffM]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

As some who is in a vehicle everyday of the week driving a lot of kays.
Upgrade the suspension first ... a better handling vehicle will make driving more of a pleasure.

Exhaust can be done later if needed. And wheels are just a cosmetic thing.

Suspension would be my first choice.

Although it seems that wheels are just a cosmetic thing these days, they shouldn't be, a lightweight alloy wheel is one of the best modifications you can make to a car in the handling dept. I would go as far to say it IS ESSENTIAL if you want a good handling car. Your expensive suspension is actually designed to work with light weight wheels and tyres, unsprung weight is THE most important thing when it comes to a good handling vehicle, whether it be a car or a bike or whatever. It's a sad part of our so called performance car world these days that wheels are no longer light weight and something I find very hard to believe.... I can't understand why anyone would spend big dollars on wheels that actually hinder the way a cars suspension works. This is one of the reasons I am selling my 19inch wheels and have gone back to 17inch alloys, they are so much lighter....

As for exhaust, well the performance gains from a high flow system and headers are without doubt the biggest reason to change from the standard system, NOT the way it sounds.... get the air in as quickly as you can, then get it out as quickly as you can. Your performance will improve and you wil spend less on fuel.

When I change cars (or bikes for that matter) I make sure the car has alloys, a high flow exhaust, air cleaner and lowered suspension, if it doesn't then I budget for it, I rarely drive more than the distance to the exhaust place and the suspension shop, the aircleaner place and tyre shop in the first weeks I own a new car....

[Mechan1k]

If carrying loads with a trayback ... and I mean really carrying loads ... there aren't many wheels out there (that are lightweight) that can handle many loads ... and there are only a handful of tyres that are capable of carrying half decent loads ... most tyres are only load rated at 94 ... not nearly enough .... if you can get a 97 load rated tyre or higher in a sports tyre the better though.

I find for a work vehicle though ... nothing over 17" for everyday comfort (especially Sydney's crap roads). I'd be going a higher load rated wheel ... nothing lightweight (as stress and fractures will occur with higher weights) ... decent 2nd hand factory alloys do the job quite well.

I found for a work vehicle .. especially load carrying ... upgraded suspension was the most benefit. Made traffic maneouvring with loads on much nicer ... less sag in the rear ... helped with braking immensely as well.

An exhaust sounds great as well ... but no real benefit (except sound) when sitting or plodding along in slow traffic all day ... a standard system will suffice for quite sometime untill you have the extra cash to get it done.

Another mod I'd suggest though ... especially if carrying loads a lot ... an upgrade in brakes (at least going a slotted rotor to start off with).

[blueoval]

I kind of agree with CliffM regarding wheels being a good change in handling.

I noticed that on my subaru when I swapped the original 15's and 195/60/15's to 17's with 215/50/17's. Ride quality was a little firmer but the handling was improved somewhat with less side wall flex in the tire. Made going around large round abouts a bit more pleasurable without them squeeling like a pig on heat.

[Mechan1k]

And here is what I mean about only handling certain amounts of load.

These are factory 17" XR wheel with 235/45R17 Maxxis rubber (97 load rated) ... I had a pallet with about 600-700kg of dry adhesive loaded in ... along with quite a number of 50kg plastic drums of other adhesive as well ... it really strained what the tyre could handle.

And this is in a Styleside ute only ... but I have upgraded suspension under it to allow it to handle the load better though too.

I found the factory 16"s though to handle the loads much better ... but when empty ... the 17"s were a bit better. Tyre selection is a keey though.


I had pumped it up as well to about 43-44psi prior to taking this pic.
I don't have a wheelnut missing ... just the chrome cap off the end of the nut has come off :P

[blueoval]

good points mechan1k. I guess in AU XR6 UTE's application he needs to weigh up what the ute's main usage is for.

Hope I get this right but:
Big loads over 600kg in ute = specific load rated tyre to suit
Unloaded ute for everyday use = 17's with sticky rubber for extra handling.

[Mechan1k]

And here's the driveway I kind got stuck on when reversing into the other day (at Vaucluse) ... had a nasty sharp crest on it ... had to unload the pallet there to get off ... LOL

[blueoval]

^^^looks like you were gonna back right into the sea mate :P

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by blueoval

good points mechan1k. I guess in AU XR6 UTE's application he needs to weigh up what the ute's main usage is for.

Hope I get this right but:
Big loads over 600kg in ute = specific load rated tyre to suit
Unloaded ute for everyday use = 17's with sticky rubber for extra handling.

My previous tyres I had on the ute were only 94 load rated ... and they were awful when it came to handling loads ... these ones I have on are better. But if carrying bigger loads than that all of the time ... you really need to be using 1T rated suspension/wheels/tyres ... and that's not available for any XRs anyway.

For my job ... I have found the 17"s have been good ... any bigger in wheel size (with a smaller sidewall) and I reckon I would have de-rimmed a tyre by now with the odd load.

The driveway was steeper than it looks as well ... thank goodness for a working handbrake ... and the exhaust/chassis rail resting on the crest of the driveway.

[blueoval]

Well I think its a given if your carrying large loads on a regular basis. Its too much to ask of a 17' tire or bigger to cope with.

[daniel_rossy]

Wheels, exhaust, lower. Thats what i am currently doing!
But if you personally dont like the hight as it is, lower it, wheels then exhaust.
i am in love with my exhaust note!
(Supercat 2.5" Cat Back)
Nice and quiet but give it abit and upto 4,000 its loud but at 5,000ish you cant really tell it is there, still has to wear in, only got it last week.
I would like it slightly louder, which is why im grabbing some pacy's soon. =)

[blueoval]

Your exhaust system will get a bit quieter once the system carbons up Daniel.

[daniel_rossy]

Yeah the guy who fitted it told me it will get louder after about a month then it will quieten down after that.. But yeah im also thinking about a high flow cat..

[blueoval]

Hey Daniel,

High flow cats IMHO are only worth having if your pumping out some serious HP. I was told by an exhaust specialist that the AU cats are extremely sufficient in flow as they are in a normal street application of around 180rwkw or so. Then if your making bigger HP get it changed. OR if your current cat is cactus already then get it changed.

Its up to you man, its only my opinion, but for what you spend on a high flow cat, your better off saving for your extractors. The gains of the extractors will be heaps more noticable over a high flow cat in a street application.

Expect a maximum of 2-4rwkw difference and ~$250+ for hiflow cat

Extractors expect up to 12rwkw difference for about ~$250-300.

These are just estimates only and will more than likely vary dependent on brand and store you decide to go with.

Im happy to stand corrected if someone else knows differently.

[daniel_rossy]

Yeah thanks mate for that info. But yeah i have heard they make it slightly louder also.. But yeah i would only go a second hand one, i think my mate is selling his, which is good. But yeah im not going over 150. And yeah im going to go for Pacemaker 4499's. So hopefully about 15-20rwkw's if im lucky! =D.

[blueoval]

good luck with it mate, let us know how progress. I'd be interested myself in how much power you gain from it. ;)