Q1: hey guys i have a 98 civic 2dr its all stock except for the wheels. whenever i drive on the highway my car dosent feel as stable as i would like it to be. it kind of moves around too much for my liking. basically is there any way i can improve stability at highway speeds? i thought putting wider tires would help im running on 205/60/15 right now.

Q2: i have been having problems with what seems to be rubbing i have fat fives on my car right now, the tire size is 205/60/15. i was wondering if the possible rubbing could be because the tire offset might be different, im not sure.


thanks guys.

 

Did you get it properly alligned and balanced?

Does it only rub during sharp turns? You'll prolly have to roll the fenders if you keep the rims, if thats whats rubbing.

 

Your offset might be wrong, but those tires also seem a little big for a '98. For 15s, I think you should be running like a 195/55 or 205/55 tire.

The wrong offset and/or wide tread could be causing your car to follow grooves in the pavement.

Check www.tirerack.com to find out what offset you should be running. Your stock tires are about 23.5" in overall diameter.

 

yes the car is balanced and alligned. and yes the tires rum only when im at full lock

 

Sounds like you may need more sway bar- my '06 LX sedan doesn't feel planted on the freeway either, and it has 205/55R16's stock. I'm planning on getting a set of Eibach sway bars to help with the handling. I put a set of Suspension Techniques sway bars on my '95 Accord EX, and the difference in handling was very noticaeable (much improved).

Geno

 

Tire size and wheel offset should be correct before messing with stuff like anti-swaybars though.

 

yeah kommando is right about the tire size. but i dont know what i could do to keep the car planted on the highway.

 

What do you mean car is balanced.....He asked if tires are Balanced correctly. Sometimes warped rims make the car run real funky. I would check all tires to see if they are properly balanced at a tire shop. If you hit also a lot of pot holes your alignment will be off right away

 

Make sure the tires and wheels are squared away. They may be the main part of the problem.

Once that is done, I'd start checking things like steering linkage, suspension linkage, wheel bearings, ball joints, etc. Even a stock Civic should feel pretty planted at anything close to a legal road speed. The right aftermarket wheels and tires should make your Civic feel like it's just about glued to the road.

 

^ x2. Especially if there feels to be any play in the steering, chances are something is just getting work. Tie rod ends might be a possibility also.