"HellaFlush"...I don't understand.

[Drift Motion]

I understand the objective modifications that are done to make a car "hellaflush." I just don't understand why anyone would be silly enough to reduce the functionality of their car.

how does it reduce the function?

 

I still can daily drive it perfectly.

 

I get the awesome wide looking wheel with either deep lip or concavity

the super beefy look from behind and in front

 

I don't need 255 for DD, 225 is more than enough

 

so yeah

 

and Legacies are really "tall" cars.

even if I slammed my car, I can still clear the speed bumps easily, unlike other cars I've had experience with

[thefultonhow]

how does it reduce the function?

 

This, first of all:

 

even if I slammed my car, I can still clear the speed bumps easily, unlike other cars I've had experience with

 

So what you're saying is it does not reduce the function on the Legacy, but it does on many other cars. Meanwhile, people in the Hellaflush community would be saying your car isn't low enough.

 

Second of all, "slamming" your car, as mentioned before, means you either have less suspension travel, or are rubbing when you go over bumps. I would say that reduces the function of the car.

 

Third, as I mentioned before, I live in an area that, as in many parts of the country, has less than perfect roads. I don't want to have to constantly be worried about blowing out a tire or bending a wheel.

 

And fourth, slamming a car too much (or having too extreme a wheel fitment) will make it impossible to turn the wheels to steering lock, because they'll collide with the wheel well. Larger turning circle = reduced function.

 

I'm sure I missed a couple of things, but that's just off the top of my head.

 

Maybe these kinds of modifications are fine, or in some cases advantageous, for drifting, but for street driving, they reduce function, end of story.

[Drift Motion]

1- everyone has a different definition of slammed, anything with less than 1 finger gap fitment is slammed to me, and of course that's probably not "approved" by the HF community...but whatever

2- slamming does not mean you have to rub, that's exactly why you run stretched tires and roll/pull your fender

3- that i have no comment, places i go to, the roads isnt all that great or bad

4- putting any wheels that are wider/lower offset will increase the turning circle

[thefultonhow]

So in other words, in the case of your Legacy, it doesn't reduce the function, but in the case of many, many other cars (or in the case of your Legacy if you lived in Minnesota), it does.

 

EDIT: Well, besides your rebuttal to point 4, anyway. That just means you shouldn't be using the wrong wheel fitment for a car, whether or not it's Hellaflush. Okay, cool.

[mustangendsley]

I would think that if you went around a corner fast, that tire would pop off inside. I don't see the cool factor in that pic above at all. But everyone likes what they like. To me it is unsafe and tearing the side wall of the tire up slowly.

[TRSCobra]

I think a 245 on an 8" rim looks 10x better than a 225 on a 9". Who cares how wide the wheels are if you're running stretched pizza-cutter tires on them. Reminds me of those lowrider guys running 155/80r13's on their daytons.

 

Most mods that look good are that way because of a functional advantage, even when exaggerated. Take large tipped exhausts for example. Sure, I don't need 4.5" tips on my HKS cat back, but it looks like I'm making some decent power to warrant the extra flow.

 

IMHO, hellaflush is like putting 1" chrome exhaust tips on a car.

[N.sane]

HellaFlush = current ricer fad

 

previous ricer fads include:

- Altezza tail lights

- neon underglows

- park bench spoilers

- vinyls

 

These fads arent something that you need to "understand", it's just personal taste on what looks good, which varies from person to person.

[bnguyenbb6]

I don't understand the people getting their panties in a bunch over this. If its not for you then leave it alone. A huge tire on a small wheel is just as "unfunctional" as the opposite(big tire on a small wheel= lots of slop). Saying a 4.5" muffler tip on a 2.5" exhaust increase performance in anyway is hypocritical(you get no gain from 4.5" tip vs 2.5" tip). Its what you think looks cool, whatever. If its not for you, move on.

 

You have your own car for a reason, don't try to mod someone else's car for them. Being a ricer is believing(and trying to convince others) that something adds performance but in reality it does nothing(i.e. dual exhausts, big mufflers, bigger heavier wheels). None of the "stanced out" guys I know argue that its for performance. I'm completely for function> form...so why should I care about car show related stuff?...you guys shouldn't either. Leave it alone. Get a life, worry about your own business.

[/rant]

[TRSCobra]

This thread causes me to lose sleep at night...

[Draco-REX]

"Hellaflush" (which is a misnomer since the wheels AREN'T flush with the fenders) is another example of a half-assed fix for improper parts inexplicably becomimg popular. Essentially, in the past, people got ahold of really wide rims without checking if they would fit. But since they shelled out the cash, they weren't going to admit that they made a mistake. So they stretched smaller tires over them so the sidewalls would clear the fenders.

 

Just like saggy pants, oversized hats with flat brims, and jacked up cars on "donks" (rather than ones made to FIT the huge rims). It's just poor planning turned into a "fashion."

 

To me, stretched tires scream "I bought rims that are too wide! I can't plan my mods properly." Because, really, you can get rims flush with the fenders without stretched tires.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2625778230_0dc52961c1_z.jpg

 

That is the textbook definition of "flush." And that is *proper* fitment.

[mattg]

File this with the list of other things you don't understand.

[thefultonhow]

I don't understand the people getting their panties in a bunch over this. If its not for you then leave it alone.

 

It's a free country. Just as the Hellaflush guys have the right to modify their cars in retarded ways, I have the right to ridicule them for it.

 

A huge tire on a small wheel is just as "unfunctional" as the opposite(big tire on a small wheel= lots of slop).

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting people run high-profile tires... the stock LGT sizing is pretty much perfect IMO. With that sizing, it's good for the street at stock pressures, and for the track or autocrossing, just bump pressures up 5-10psi. Or get wheels for DOT R-compound rubber and don't use them on the street. Either one.

 

Being a ricer is believing(and trying to convince others) that something adds performance but in reality it does nothing(i.e. dual exhausts, big mufflers, bigger heavier wheels). None of the "stanced out" guys I know argue that its for performance.

 

Incorrect. Rice = modifications that do nothing to improve the performance of the car, or decrease the performance. Thus, your examples are correct (well, big mufflers on a high-powered car make perfect sense if the piping size matches them, but otherwise, you're correct), but Hellaflush is also rice.

[Frogg]

i think all you guys care too much about what other people are doing....

[SpecBGuy]

it looks sweet on some cars but for legacy:rolleyes:.

[Baddog]

So I am just jumping in on this thread. But the quote in the first post (the Nasioc member) Who goes and buys an STI or LGT for "STANCE"?

 

I guess I don't understand this. It's no luxury car.

 

I like the idea of a flush rim to the side of the wheel arches. That makes it look clean. But tucking tires like the VW guys do is just a no go for me.

 

Flush is a nice look. Dumped and stretched tires are questionable.

[frkkevin]

"Incidentally, the reason it’s unsafe is that, when tires are mounted on rims that are wider (or narrower) than the rim widths approved for the model and size tire, heat and stress can build up in the sidewall, leading to tire failure (either popping the bead or an actual blowout). The engineers and customer service staff of the tire manufacturers hear about this constantly, because users who “stretched” their tires then file claims under warranty. These claims are then denied by the tire manufacturers as a matter of user error (improper usage), and the customers get ticked off and then start fighting with the tire store that mounted them (even though any conscientious tire store will refuse to mount the tires on rims that are too wide). Talk to the folks from the tire manufacturers and watch them roll their eyes at the mere mention of “tire stretching”, because they’ve already dealt with so many cases where the tires failed as a result. This is NOT a matter of opinion; it’s a matter of fact. Tires can, and do, commonly fail as a result of mounting on wheels that are too wide. DON’T DO IT."

 

http://jdmaddiction.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/stretch.jpg?w=300

[frkkevin]

http://www.honda-tech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=117080&stc=1&d=1269564995

[TRSCobra]

http://jdmaddiction.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/stretch.jpg?w=300

 

I think this is the ultimate expression of what hellaflush guys aim to achieve. 225 tire on a 12" wheel?

[frkkevin]

I think this is the ultimate expression of what hellaflush guys aim to achieve. 225 tire on a 12" wheel?

 

 

I've seen some VW guys stretch a 210 on a 12" wheel..

[obk25xt]

"Hellaflush" (which is a misnomer since the wheels AREN'T flush with the fenders) is another example of a half-assed fix for improper parts inexplicably becomimg popular. Essentially, in the past, people got ahold of really wide rims without checking if they would fit. But since they shelled out the cash, they weren't going to admit that they made a mistake. So they stretched smaller tires over them so the sidewalls would clear the fenders.

 

Just like saggy pants, oversized hats with flat brims, and jacked up cars on "donks" (rather than ones made to FIT the huge rims). It's just poor planning turned into a "fashion."

 

To me, stretched tires scream "I bought rims that are too wide! I can't plan my mods properly." Because, really, you can get rims flush with the fenders without stretched tires.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2625778230_0dc52961c1_z.jpg

 

That is the textbook definition of "flush." And that is *proper* fitment.

 

Is that an outback?? The fender cladding looks like it to me. I'm not 100% sure but if so could I see some other pics of it please?

 

Thanks, Spencer

 

Also, I share this very opinion exactly......

[JrBully]

I just finished reading this and understand everyones point of view. I personally like the "FLUSH" look and had a set of stretched tires, 18x9 with 225/40's. I think alot of you that don't like it are only looking at the cars that are stretching tires to there max. Such as a 205 on a 9.5 inch rim. I've seen alot of Japanese Time Attack cars with stretch tires like the CyberEvo and the Cusco Sti.

 

Respect

[Blizzard]

I've seen alot of Japanese Time Attack cars with stretch tires like the CyberEvo and the Cusco Sti.

 

Respect

 

Yeah so much stretch

 

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/Shockwave179/a011.jpg?t=1293231732

 

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/Shockwave179/m004.jpg?t=1293231757

 

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/Shockwave179/130_0904_30_zsubaru_wrx_cuscowide_fenders.jpg?t=1293231787

 

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/Shockwave179/130_0904_26_zsubaru_wrx_cuscovolk_wheels.jpg?t=1293231814

[05_2.5]

Is that an outback?? The fender cladding looks like it to me. I'm not 100% sure but if so could I see some other pics of it please?

 

Thanks, Spencer

 

Also, I share this very opinion exactly......

 

I think its an 04/05ish STi.

 

tire stretching is big with the euro crowd.

[RShaw]

05 sti would be my guess. The 04s dont have the flare becuase they were narrower.

[katalyst]

post #72, done proper.