I have a 1996 honda civic ex sedan -

I am going to become due for tires and was wondering if I could go to a wider or lower profile tire on the stock suspension without stressing the other components of the suspension out and also to keep the speedometer accurate.

not looking to get ridiculous - it currently takes p185/65/14

could I go to a p195/65/14 or p185/60/14 without putting too much stress on the suspension - just wanting a little better grip and better look.

thanks for the forum it is a really good source of info.

 

The generally minimal changes in tire size on a small car aren't going to overstress stock suspension and brake components. DRIVING more aggressively could though.

I run 195/60/14s on my '00. They're about the same overall diameter as the stock 185/65/14s, but slightly wider. I went with Yokohama Avid H4S tires, and they've been a huge improvement over stock-type tires in almost all conditions. I have about 30K miles on them now, and the tread still looks pretty good. They had one of the best traction and treadwear ratings of all the all-season HP tires I researched. The sidewalls are a bit soft for track use, but my stock suspension is WAY overdriven (HUGE lean) before the tires are. Wet traction is truly impressive with these tires, compared to stock rubber.

If you want even more grip, look for a UHP tire...probably in a plus-1 or plus-2 size.