hello,
i have a '06 civic lx with 50 series tires which i find harsh & stiff. if i replace them with 60 series tires, will it improve (less stiff) the ride, somewhat? also, will it have any drastic effect on the handling? i drive conservatively, but its nice to know the car will perform when called upon.
thanks,
victor

 

Hey dude my name is nick just signed on the forum today and i say your question with the 60 series tire there will be alil different you could probly feel it when taking turn or on ramps i on the other hand went the other way i wanted a stiff tire on my 05 si because it sits lower then the rest and i wanted better handaling i only feel it alil its not a big deal but if you like the way it rides rock on for you!!!!

 

no, the tires will be too big, they will rub on the fender liners or the suspension components, and your speedometer/odometer will be wrong

 

If you have steel wheels, you can improve the ride by getting lighter, aluminum wheels, like the 13.5-lb (16-inch) Rota Slipstreams.

 

will it improve the ride? If you mean make it less harsh during bumps then yes. It will be noticably "softer"

Drastic effect in handling? Yes, not a huge change but definitely noticable... there will be more sidewall which means more "play" when turning.


you can go with a 60 series and not rub, you just need to compensate somewhere else. That means that you will need a wider tire to counter the taller sidewall. The "50-series and 60-series" term is a percentage and not a set number. Also, by doing this you can keep your speedo very close to stock.

 

You will not fit ANY 60 series tire (that won't rub and look goofy) on the stock 16 inch steel wheel.
There is almost a full inch diff. in the 2 sizes.

 

What size tires? The 07 LX has 205/55-16's as standard. I can't imagine them putting 50's on an LX as standard equipment. Actually, I'm surprised by the 55's and not 60's. In any event, using my 07 as baseline, a 185/60-16 has a 0.2" smaller diameter and is significantly narrower so there shouldn't be any way to make it rub since it's smaller in all dimensions except aspect ratio. I'm really curious what size your current tires are. Did you buy the car new or from someone who might have changed them out?

 

It can improve the ride, but it won't be a huge difference. You should be able to find a 60-series that fits, but it will likely be narrower. The handling will not be quite as good, as you'll typically have more sidewall deflection when cornering. What does the sticker in the doorsill say about tire size and pressure?

Have you checked your tire pressure? Your tiresmay be slightly overinflated, which will cause a harsh ride. I'd also think you'd get much better ride improvement by swapping shocks. If the previous owner put a different suspension on the car, you could also swap out the springs for something with a softer ride.