[thundrgrl]

the car looks nice too.

they did the front bumper (5+ pieces) the hood, the mirrors, the door edges, and under the door handles...$350 (250 for 3m film, 100 install) +tax (no tax on install!)
will take pics this weekend, too many tests to grade/record right now...then food to bake for my lovely kids (high schoolers)...they suffer through my history classes.

so, ideas for color mods on the interior?

and, will bigger wheels make my ride any smoother, or is that just suspension...killing two birds...one stone, here.

thanks all~

 

[yellow_sub]

bigger wheels will make the ride rougher because you will have to then run a smaller series tire. also dropping you box will make it a bit rougher too but not that much.

 

[thundrgrl]

gotcha

so, that's all for looks? geez, i thought my kids were helpin me out~

so i need to modify the suspension or shocks? will that make the ride any smoother? suggestions...

i can feel the patches on teh d*** road. spoiled from a my baby SUV i traded in ...but LOVIN' my new toaster.
darc

 

[yellow_sub]

yep pretty much anything related to the wheels and suspension is for preformance and looks. theres not really much you can do to make the ride softer.

 

[thundrgrl]

oh, and props to the company!

http://www.empireclearshield.com/

Mesa AZ...they'll come to work or home!

 

[thundrgrl]

;-{
bummer. good thing i have "back."

 

[yellow_sub]

well i take that bakc you can replace the shocks to monroe's. some people say that makes a difference but i haven't done it yet so i'm not sure you'll have to get someone elses word on that.

 

[Anime Gee]

Bigger wheels & a modified suspension will make the ride rougher. It'll handle slightly better, but at the cost of losing some teeth, a kidney, & your back. Hahahaha!

Like my Sentra. That thing is as stiff as riding on a 2 wheel horse pulled cart or a roller coaster ride at Six Flags. I roll over a piece of gum & I know what flavor it is. I can tell you how many ants I killed as I got out of the driveway. If I roll over someone's spit, I can almost tell what they ate! Hahahaha! ( ^o^) But yeah. I point the steering wheel to wherever I want to go in that car & the car will follow without any hesitation whatsoever. (^_^ )

 

[surfcitylocal]

Congrats on the clear bra, it's an awesome investment considering the quality of the stock paint on the Box. I have a 2 inch drop with Gold-Lines, 18 inch rims and the shorter Monroe shocks. The ride is not that bad. It's a little rougher than stock but it's worth it for the appearance. IMO.

 

[Tomas]

I now have a box that rides very smoothly, yet handles a slight bit better than it did stock...

How, you may ask, did I manage that?

First off, I went to the stock bB tire size (taller sidewall) instead of what the xB comes with in the US. The tires I choose are known to be quieter and smoother with a much better grip in the wet (I live where it is common for things to be wet).

Next, I went to the Monroe SensaTrac 5987 variable rate shocks in the rear. That reduced the extreme stiffness over tiny irregularities in the road surface, while retaining the control of a stiffer shock during larger suspension movements.

Last week I took a friend out to lunch who hadn't ridden in my car for a couple of months. All the other times she rode in it, she strongly objected to the harshness of the ride - she liked the car, and in fact wanted one like it, but couldn't get past it riding so stiff.

Anyway, last Friday we had gone no more than 50 feet and she asked me what I had done to the car.

I played dumb.

She said that it rode a lot better than it did before, and in fact felt better than her Chrysler Town and Country. At that point we entered a construction zone and she oooh'd and aaaah'd about how well it was taking the hits. I told her I bought some $60 tires and a couple of $40 shocks and fixed the ride right up.

She dropped me an e-mail yesterday that she had just spent a bunch of time looking at, talking about, and test driving a new xB at a local dealer.

What I'm trying to say, is that if civilizing the ride of your box is something you really want to do, it can be done - but you won't be running 19 inch wheels with tires stretched around them looking like rubber bands.

Wanna see my horrible looking tires? They are in my gallery here. I don't really think they look all that bad, but then I used to drive 4X4s...

BTW, congrats on the new bra - an excellent investment in maintaining your box.

Tomas

 

[Big_Kokujin]

so, that's all for looks? geez, i thought my kids were helpin me out~

Right...I tell my mom the same thing(she's thinking of getting a box) She says, "Son, I promise you those things don't excite me." Things= any mods...i told her i would have to switch hoods with her, i think a TCM hood on a SRP would be tight...

 

[Scion-Doll]

Yep, I have a 2in drop on mine with 19's and the ride is a little rougher, but not too rough. I'm not complaining though cuz I did sacrifice a smooth ride for looks.

The bra is a good investment, wish I could have gotten one now that I see my hood is many chips in it.

 

[Skeeter]

Well Im thnking about buying a whole role from 3M and cut out the middle man, and sell that stuff to whom ever wants it. Heres the product itself.

 

[Tomas]

Yup, that'sa the stuff, Skeeter - the 6 mil thick, clear coated variety is what is used, although the 12 mil would b e good to protect the top surface of the rear bumper, just below the hatch...

Expensive stuff - there are several on-line vendors that supply it... I plan on buying some of the 'tape' version to protect my new grill and my door edges.

Tomas

 

[HeGaveMeGreenEnvy]

Well Im thnking about buying a whole role from 3M and cut out the middle man, and sell that stuff to whom ever wants it. Heres the product itself.

and install it on my car....right?