Five-Bolt Conversion And Serious Wheels And Tires - Project DC2 Integra

By now everyone has heard of or seen the "stretched" tire look. Stretching a tire on a rim helps with aggressive fitment because you can fit a bigger wheel on the car and have the tire tuck underneath the fender for the perfect look. I wasn't about to go all extreme on the tire stretch since I still wanted to be able to drive the car hard with confidence. I eventually ended up with a mild stretch using a 215/40R17 size. My tire of choice was Dunlop's ultra-high-performance Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tire. Developed as a serious sports car tire that provides race-tire-like grip, The Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is a true dual-purpose enthusiast tire-meaning you can drive it with confidence on the street and beat on it continuously at the track. The Z1 Star Spec comes up to temperature much faster than other similar tires which ensures consistent and maximum grip at all times. This characteristic is ideal for the Integra or other lightweight vehicles, which often have problems bringing tires up to their proper operating temperatures hindering them from ever reaching their maximum levels of grip on the track.

As you can see in the photos, with the wheels and tires mounted on the Teg, a 4x4 look has resulted. Not only has the ride height increased but the wheels stick out from the fender quite a bit. This was to be expected, though. There is plenty of massaging that has to happen, but before adjustments can be done, the proper suspension bits must be installed. You'll have to wait until the next issue to judge whether the wheel choice and fitment was a good call or a mistake.