Hi all, this is my first post. I searched, so I hope this isn't too old of topic, but I'm looking to buy a '95 Civic, and it has, I think, 15" wheels. The tires aren't super low profile, but sort of, and when we drove around at 30 MPH on the test drive the wheels/tires seemed pretty loud. Is this kind of normal with this size, or should I look more into bearing or hub problems? It only has 80K miles. The seller said it could be reduced with a less aggressive style of tire choice. As I have no experience with this type of tire combo, and any help would be much appreciated. It’s never been raced or anything, and seems louder in the back. Also, it's an automatic, and seemed to shift a little choppy in the parking lot, but fine on normal cruise. Normal too? It's going to be my work car. Can you recommend any sound proofing techniques if this is common? So many questions…

Thanks,

kellog

 

Uh, they may be 16" - not sure.

 

what brand of tires are they? some tires are louder than others. and a transmission should shift solidly, so that sounds ok. as long as its not jumping around too much or sounds like its hurting something.

 

I'm sure they are 16" now. I should have asked, but they were getting a bit thin, and from what I've read in Honda-Acura.net this isn't so unusual. They do seem pretty noisy though, and I was just concerned about wheel bearing probs. 80K doesn't seem likely yet does it? Nice car though - hope I get it.

Thanks for reply

 

tire noise is normal for performance tires because of the tread pattern mostly. Also the wheel bearings shouldn't go at 80k (miles or km?). 80k miles is borderline but 80k km shouldn't be problems.

 

Oh, miles. I should be more clear. Well, the car has been driven mostly by a college gal commuting to school, and other than a parking lot dent it looks like its been well taken care of. It kind of sounds more like tire noise, but it's hard for me to tell. I got the nod for the buy, and haven't got a manual yet. So wheel bearings can need done at 80,000 miles? Can rear bearings be done at home? I have air tools, but no press. And how much does this run at a shop? Thanks for a great forum; I hope to contribute some day soon too.

Thanks for reply,

kellog