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reaper2022 -> =======Wheel/Tire FAQ======= (updated 4/20/08) (1/11/2008 3:47:29 PM)
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I've noticed there's been a lot of repeated questions about wheels lately, so I figured maybe an FAQ would help put some of those questions to rest.
Wheel FAQ
Q. Should I get these wheels?
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. If the overall diameter becomes too large or too small, the speedometer and odometer will read incorrectly.
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 - 205/45-16 (2.24% larger than stock)
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. Generally speaking, you want your offset to be at least +38mm to avoid rubbing. The bigger the offset, the better they'll fit (to an extent).
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
If anybody can think of any more information/questions to add (or if you have corrections), let me know and I'll edit them in!
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