Wheel & Tire FAQ
#1
01-11-2008, 02:47 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 7,081
Wheel & Tire FAQ
Wheel FAQ
Q. Should I get these wheels?
[/b]A. Do you like those wheels? When it comes down to it, that's the only thing that matters; after all, it's your car. If you want to know what the wheels will look like on your car, post a request in The Chop Shop. We have some amazing photoshoppers here at HCF. Also, try checking out Our Wheel Picture Thread. You just might find someone with the wheels that you're looking at.
Q. What color wheels should I get?
A. What color wheels do you think will look best on your car? Do you want a low-profile look? Do you want your car to scream "look at me!"? Once again, place a photoshop request to find out what color wheels will look best on your car. Just remember that it takes an incredibly clean car to pull off those green wheels
.
Q. Will these wheels fit my car?
A. That depends... what generation civic do you have? Most civics have a 4x100mm bolt pattern (the 8th generation civics are the exception with a 5x114.3mm bolt pattern), so any wheel with a 4x100mm bolt pattern will fit.
Q. What size wheels should I get?
A. That also depends... how comfortable do you want your ride quality to be? Are you going to be racing or autocrossing? Are you just going for looks? For the most part, civics look best with wheels 17" or smaller (once again, the 8th gens are the exception). Anything bigger will probably look too big. Also, on most civics (the exception being 8th gens), you'll encounter rubbing problems with anything wider than 7" to 7.5".
15's: Expect near-stock ride quality. Also, they are usually the lightest wheels.
16's: Expect decent ride quality. They are usually lightweight, but not as light as 15's.
17's: Expect bad ride quality. They can be lightweight, but don't expect anything much lighter than 17lbs each. Also, 17's are usually the largest wheels that will fit a lowered civic without rubbing issues
18's or bigger: Expect even worse ride quality. They are usually heavy and will most likely lead to rubbing issues if you should choose to lower your car.
Q. 205/40-17? What does all that mean?
A. Tire sizes are written to give you all the information upfront. Everything you need to know about that tire's size is right there:
The first number (in the example, 205) is the tire's width in millimeters.
The second number (in the example, 40) is the sidewall height. It is written as a percentage of the tire's width. In the example, it would be 40% of the tires width, 205mm. That means with a 205/40 tire, the sidewalls will be 82mm.
The third number is simply the wheel size that the tire will be able to be mounted on. In the example, the tire would fit 17-inch wheels.
Q. Why do bigger wheels have worse ride quality?
A. Because in order to fit a larger wheel, the sidewall must become shorter to keep a near-stock overall wheel diameter. Shorter sidewalls must be stiffer to have the same load-carrying capacity; because they're stiffer, they don't absorb bumps like taller, softer sidewalls (like those on stock-sized wheels do).
It's that simple.
Q. How will wheel weight affect my car's performance?
A. Generally, heavy wheels will slow your acceleration and deceleration. Lighter wheels will help get your car going/stopping a little faster. Under normal driving conditions, wheel weight won't have any noticeable advantages or disadvantages on the streets. However, if you plan on doing any form of racing, you'll want the lightest, widest wheels you can fit.
Wheel eight effects (thanks to conceptualpolymer for the link)
Q. What size tires do I need?
A. Tire Size Calculator
Generally (please check the calculator to be 100% sure), these are the tire sizes you'll want for pre-8th gen civics:
14x5 wheels - 185/60-14 (stock wheels/tires)
14x6 wheels - 195/60-14 (same size as stock)
15x6 to 15x7 wheels - 195/50-15 (0.31% smaller than stock)
16x7 wheels - 205/40-16 (1.3% larger than stock)
16x7 wheels - 205/45-16 (2.24% larger than stock, better ride quality than 205/40's)
17x7 to 17x8 wheels - 205/40-17 (3.03% larger than stock)
18x7 to 18x8.5 wheels - 215/35-18 (4.94% larger than stock)
Q. I just lowered my car... will my tires rub?
A. Well, we need some information here. Generally speaking, it won't matter how much you lowered your car or what size your wheels are. What we need to know is: are you using the right tire size? Also (and this is the big one), what is your wheel's offset? For the most part, anything smaller than 18" should not have rubbing problems (on 7th gen and earlier civics) when you lower your car, assuming you have the correct offset.
Offsets are kind of tricky, to be completely honest; too low of an offset and the tire will rub on the outside of the fenders, too high of an offset and the front tires will rub the inside of the fender around tight turns (my old EG had the rub marks to prove it). Generally (for EGs and EKs anyway), for a 7" wide wheel, +40 may rub in some cases, +42 should have no rubbing problems, and +45 might rub the inside of the wheel well around turns.
Q. What is a wheel's offset?
A. The offset is the distance from the centerline of the wheel's width to the hub's contact area.
Wheel terms glossary
HOW TO READ YOUR TIRE
Tire Size Viewed On Sidewall
P215/45R17 87V M+S
-P = Type of tire
-215= width of the tire across the tread in millimeters
-45= Aspect ratio of the sidewall compared to the width
-R = Radial construction
-17= Diameter of the rim in inches
-87 = Tire's load rating
-V = Tire's speed rating
-M+S = Tire is suitable for all-season driving
Speed Ratings
M 81 mph (130 km/h)
N 87 mph (140km/h) Temporary Spare Tires
P 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q 99 mph (160 km/h) Studless & Studdable Winter Tires
R 106 mph (170 km/h) H.D. Light Truck Tires
S 112 mph (180 km/h) Family Sedans & Vans
T 118 mph (190 km/h) Family Sedans & Vans
U 124 mph (200 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h) Sport Sedans & Coupes
V 149 mph (240 km/h) Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars
Alot of Tire Manufacters now adays DO NOT encourage downgrading the speed rating of your tires. This may result in poor handling and VERY unpredictable steering. If you want better cornering response, there is no problem installing a higher speed rated tire on your vehicle.
Understanding DOT's
How to read the serial number:
Example "DOT OB XO C60 2206"
DOT = US Dept. of Transportation
OB = Manuf. and Plant Code
XO - Tire Size and Code
C60 - Tire Manuf. Symbols and Keys
2206 = Production Date (ie: week/year, 22nd week of 2006)
Rotation
(6,000 - 7,000 Miles or Every Other Oil Change)
Tires need to rotate in more than one direction, rotating a vehicle's tires is essential to prevent uneven tire wear even MORE encourage if your dropped from OEM height. If left unserviced, unrotated tires will cause increased road noise due to "cupping", lower fuel economy, and decreased wet-weather traction. Additionally, badly neglected tires will have to be replaced ALOT sooner then if properly maintained.
Although typical rotation patterns consist of "Front > Back Rotation", It is now becoming generally accepted that on front-drive vehicles (like ours), you rotate the front tires to the rear in a straight line and cross the back tires to the front to inscrease traction and longevity of tires. In a rear-drive vehicle, you rotate the backs in a straight line to the front and cross the front tires to the back
Summary
All handling modifications and adjustments come down to improving the traction of the four tire patches on the road. Tires are actually their grippiest when there is about 5% slippage involved.
Driver smoothness is a major factor in the car's overall grip. All the fancy hardware in the world won't cure the loss of grip created by a jerky driver (and we don't mean personality).â€
ALIGNMENT TERMS
Toe
- Toe can be a very critical part in a wheel alignment because it has the greatest effect on tire wear. Toe refers to the parallelism between the wheels as viewed from the above view and is usually measured in inches or sometimes millimeters. When both front wheels are aimed straight ahead and the distance between the leading front edges of both front tires is exactly the same as the distance between the trailing edges, the wheels have "zero toe" and are "suppose to be" aligned. I "suppose to be" because toe alignment changes when the vehicle is being driven on a daily basis.
- Toe-in means the front edges of the tires are closer together than the rear edges
- Toe-out is when the front edges of the tires are farther apart than the rear edges. This may occur if the tie rod ends are worn, or if the control arm bushings have collapsed. Toe-out is a bad condition to have because it causes the tires to scrub as they roll along.
Camber
- Camber refers to the tilt of the wheels as viewed from the front or rear direct eye sight. Camber is the inward (negative) or outward (positive) tilt of the wheels. It is usually measured in degrees
- With zero camber (perfectly perpendicular to the road) will be the ideal alignment setting. But like toe, camber changes as the vehicle is being loaded and every time the vehicle goes over a bump or dip in the road. The up and down motions of the suspension change the specs of the control arms and struts, which causes camber to change on a regular basis.
Caster
- The third most important wheel alignment angle is caster, which is the forward (negative) or rearward (positive) tilt of the steering axis as viewed from the side. Caster is usually measured in degrees, and only applies to the front wheels because they are the only ones that steer (except for the few oddball Japanese cars that had four-wheel steering).
- Caster is a weird angle because it doesn't affect tire wear DIRECTLY first hand. It's greatest effect is on steering ability, steering effort and steering return when you recover from a turn. So it is often the most ignored measurement.
AIR PRESSURE
Where To Find Tire Info
- This picture is the actual placard in your vehicle, it can be find inside the driver door jam one the right hand side once the door is open. Such information listed is the OEM Tire size, and proper air pressure
- How much air is the right amount to use? It depends on the application, the vehicle, the size of the tires and how much weight is on the tires. The simple answer is to follow the recommended inflation pressures specified by the vehicle manufacturer. The tire inflation specifications are generally listed in the owner's manual or on a decal in the glove box or door jamb.
- For many passenger cars and light trucks, the recommended OE tire pressure may range from 28 up to 34 psi. Recommended pressures for front and rear may also vary, and higher pressures may be recommended for towing or hauling loads.
- Also Keep in mind that recommended inflation pressure are for COLD tires. This means tires that have not been driven on for several hours (ideally overnight). It also means tires that are at a normal outside temperature of about 70 degrees F.
- To accurately inflate a tire, you have to compensate for changes in temperature. For every 10 degrees F change in ambient temperature, tire pressure will change a little more than half a pound.
Q. Should I get these wheels?
[/b]A. Do you like those wheels? When it comes down to it, that's the only thing that matters; after all, it's your car. If you want to know what the wheels will look like on your car, post a request in The Chop Shop. We have some amazing photoshoppers here at HCF. Also, try checking out Our Wheel Picture Thread. You just might find someone with the wheels that you're looking at.
Q. What color wheels should I get?
A. What color wheels do you think will look best on your car? Do you want a low-profile look? Do you want your car to scream "look at me!"? Once again, place a photoshop request to find out what color wheels will look best on your car. Just remember that it takes an incredibly clean car to pull off those green wheels
.Q. Will these wheels fit my car?
A. That depends... what generation civic do you have? Most civics have a 4x100mm bolt pattern (the 8th generation civics are the exception with a 5x114.3mm bolt pattern), so any wheel with a 4x100mm bolt pattern will fit.
Q. What size wheels should I get?
A. That also depends... how comfortable do you want your ride quality to be? Are you going to be racing or autocrossing? Are you just going for looks? For the most part, civics look best with wheels 17" or smaller (once again, the 8th gens are the exception). Anything bigger will probably look too big. Also, on most civics (the exception being 8th gens), you'll encounter rubbing problems with anything wider than 7" to 7.5".
15's: Expect near-stock ride quality. Also, they are usually the lightest wheels.
16's: Expect decent ride quality. They are usually lightweight, but not as light as 15's.
17's: Expect bad ride quality. They can be lightweight, but don't expect anything much lighter than 17lbs each. Also, 17's are usually the largest wheels that will fit a lowered civic without rubbing issues
18's or bigger: Expect even worse ride quality. They are usually heavy and will most likely lead to rubbing issues if you should choose to lower your car.
Q. 205/40-17? What does all that mean?
A. Tire sizes are written to give you all the information upfront. Everything you need to know about that tire's size is right there:
The first number (in the example, 205) is the tire's width in millimeters.
The second number (in the example, 40) is the sidewall height. It is written as a percentage of the tire's width. In the example, it would be 40% of the tires width, 205mm. That means with a 205/40 tire, the sidewalls will be 82mm.
The third number is simply the wheel size that the tire will be able to be mounted on. In the example, the tire would fit 17-inch wheels.
Q. Why do bigger wheels have worse ride quality?
A. Because in order to fit a larger wheel, the sidewall must become shorter to keep a near-stock overall wheel diameter. Shorter sidewalls must be stiffer to have the same load-carrying capacity; because they're stiffer, they don't absorb bumps like taller, softer sidewalls (like those on stock-sized wheels do).
It's that simple.
Q. How will wheel weight affect my car's performance?
A. Generally, heavy wheels will slow your acceleration and deceleration. Lighter wheels will help get your car going/stopping a little faster. Under normal driving conditions, wheel weight won't have any noticeable advantages or disadvantages on the streets. However, if you plan on doing any form of racing, you'll want the lightest, widest wheels you can fit.
Wheel eight effects (thanks to conceptualpolymer for the link)
Q. What size tires do I need?
A. Tire Size Calculator
Generally (please check the calculator to be 100% sure), these are the tire sizes you'll want for pre-8th gen civics:
14x5 wheels - 185/60-14 (stock wheels/tires)
14x6 wheels - 195/60-14 (same size as stock)
15x6 to 15x7 wheels - 195/50-15 (0.31% smaller than stock)
16x7 wheels - 205/40-16 (1.3% larger than stock)
16x7 wheels - 205/45-16 (2.24% larger than stock, better ride quality than 205/40's)
17x7 to 17x8 wheels - 205/40-17 (3.03% larger than stock)
18x7 to 18x8.5 wheels - 215/35-18 (4.94% larger than stock)
Q. I just lowered my car... will my tires rub?
A. Well, we need some information here. Generally speaking, it won't matter how much you lowered your car or what size your wheels are. What we need to know is: are you using the right tire size? Also (and this is the big one), what is your wheel's offset? For the most part, anything smaller than 18" should not have rubbing problems (on 7th gen and earlier civics) when you lower your car, assuming you have the correct offset.
Offsets are kind of tricky, to be completely honest; too low of an offset and the tire will rub on the outside of the fenders, too high of an offset and the front tires will rub the inside of the fender around tight turns (my old EG had the rub marks to prove it). Generally (for EGs and EKs anyway), for a 7" wide wheel, +40 may rub in some cases, +42 should have no rubbing problems, and +45 might rub the inside of the wheel well around turns.
Q. What is a wheel's offset?
A. The offset is the distance from the centerline of the wheel's width to the hub's contact area.
Wheel terms glossary
HOW TO READ YOUR TIRE
Tire Size Viewed On Sidewall
P215/45R17 87V M+S
-P = Type of tire
-215= width of the tire across the tread in millimeters
-45= Aspect ratio of the sidewall compared to the width
-R = Radial construction
-17= Diameter of the rim in inches
-87 = Tire's load rating
-V = Tire's speed rating
-M+S = Tire is suitable for all-season driving
Speed Ratings
M 81 mph (130 km/h)
N 87 mph (140km/h) Temporary Spare Tires
P 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q 99 mph (160 km/h) Studless & Studdable Winter Tires
R 106 mph (170 km/h) H.D. Light Truck Tires
S 112 mph (180 km/h) Family Sedans & Vans
T 118 mph (190 km/h) Family Sedans & Vans
U 124 mph (200 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h) Sport Sedans & Coupes
V 149 mph (240 km/h) Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars
Alot of Tire Manufacters now adays DO NOT encourage downgrading the speed rating of your tires. This may result in poor handling and VERY unpredictable steering. If you want better cornering response, there is no problem installing a higher speed rated tire on your vehicle.
Understanding DOT's
How to read the serial number:
Example "DOT OB XO C60 2206"
DOT = US Dept. of Transportation
OB = Manuf. and Plant Code
XO - Tire Size and Code
C60 - Tire Manuf. Symbols and Keys
2206 = Production Date (ie: week/year, 22nd week of 2006)
Rotation
(6,000 - 7,000 Miles or Every Other Oil Change)
Tires need to rotate in more than one direction, rotating a vehicle's tires is essential to prevent uneven tire wear even MORE encourage if your dropped from OEM height. If left unserviced, unrotated tires will cause increased road noise due to "cupping", lower fuel economy, and decreased wet-weather traction. Additionally, badly neglected tires will have to be replaced ALOT sooner then if properly maintained.
Although typical rotation patterns consist of "Front > Back Rotation", It is now becoming generally accepted that on front-drive vehicles (like ours), you rotate the front tires to the rear in a straight line and cross the back tires to the front to inscrease traction and longevity of tires. In a rear-drive vehicle, you rotate the backs in a straight line to the front and cross the front tires to the back
Summary
All handling modifications and adjustments come down to improving the traction of the four tire patches on the road. Tires are actually their grippiest when there is about 5% slippage involved.
Driver smoothness is a major factor in the car's overall grip. All the fancy hardware in the world won't cure the loss of grip created by a jerky driver (and we don't mean personality).â€
ALIGNMENT TERMS
Toe
- Toe can be a very critical part in a wheel alignment because it has the greatest effect on tire wear. Toe refers to the parallelism between the wheels as viewed from the above view and is usually measured in inches or sometimes millimeters. When both front wheels are aimed straight ahead and the distance between the leading front edges of both front tires is exactly the same as the distance between the trailing edges, the wheels have "zero toe" and are "suppose to be" aligned. I "suppose to be" because toe alignment changes when the vehicle is being driven on a daily basis.
- Toe-in means the front edges of the tires are closer together than the rear edges
- Toe-out is when the front edges of the tires are farther apart than the rear edges. This may occur if the tie rod ends are worn, or if the control arm bushings have collapsed. Toe-out is a bad condition to have because it causes the tires to scrub as they roll along.
Camber
- Camber refers to the tilt of the wheels as viewed from the front or rear direct eye sight. Camber is the inward (negative) or outward (positive) tilt of the wheels. It is usually measured in degrees
- With zero camber (perfectly perpendicular to the road) will be the ideal alignment setting. But like toe, camber changes as the vehicle is being loaded and every time the vehicle goes over a bump or dip in the road. The up and down motions of the suspension change the specs of the control arms and struts, which causes camber to change on a regular basis.
Caster
- The third most important wheel alignment angle is caster, which is the forward (negative) or rearward (positive) tilt of the steering axis as viewed from the side. Caster is usually measured in degrees, and only applies to the front wheels because they are the only ones that steer (except for the few oddball Japanese cars that had four-wheel steering).
- Caster is a weird angle because it doesn't affect tire wear DIRECTLY first hand. It's greatest effect is on steering ability, steering effort and steering return when you recover from a turn. So it is often the most ignored measurement.
AIR PRESSURE
Where To Find Tire Info
- This picture is the actual placard in your vehicle, it can be find inside the driver door jam one the right hand side once the door is open. Such information listed is the OEM Tire size, and proper air pressure
- How much air is the right amount to use? It depends on the application, the vehicle, the size of the tires and how much weight is on the tires. The simple answer is to follow the recommended inflation pressures specified by the vehicle manufacturer. The tire inflation specifications are generally listed in the owner's manual or on a decal in the glove box or door jamb.
- For many passenger cars and light trucks, the recommended OE tire pressure may range from 28 up to 34 psi. Recommended pressures for front and rear may also vary, and higher pressures may be recommended for towing or hauling loads.
- Also Keep in mind that recommended inflation pressure are for COLD tires. This means tires that have not been driven on for several hours (ideally overnight). It also means tires that are at a normal outside temperature of about 70 degrees F.
- To accurately inflate a tire, you have to compensate for changes in temperature. For every 10 degrees F change in ambient temperature, tire pressure will change a little more than half a pound.
Last edited by trustdestruction; 07-19-2010 at 09:39 PM. Reason: I added to the offset section
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