I'm looking to get new rims and tires to replace my stock steelies and worn Eagle GTIIs and I wanted some recommendations on wheel diameter, width, and offset, as well as tire size and type. I'm WAY more familar with Jeeps, so these little pocket rockets are all Greek to me.

I want a clean-looking simple alloy rim for aesthetics (some of the stock alloys look nice) and weight-savings. I'm not looking for anything fancy or expensive. I just want something that fills out the wheelwells nicely without the tire tread sticking out AT ALL. A little bit of sidewall is fine.

- The pluses to 14s are that they're generally cheaper for both the rims and the tires, and they make for a better ride and resistance to pothole damage with higher-profile tires that still fit in the wells.

- 15s would probably look/handle beter by making for a lower profile at the same given overall tire diameter. Rims and tires in 15" sizes aren't THAT much more $$ either.

I guess my BP is 4x100mm, but what is my stock width/offset, and what width/offset would I want for a given tire size to just barely keep the tread under the fenders with the sidewall bulging out a hair?

What type of inexpensive tire do you recommend for decent rain/snow traction for city/interstate driving? I don't race or drift or anything, but I would prefer the tires to handle at least as well as the Eagle GTIIs on dry pavement. I would like to get the widest possible rim width and tire size that still fits inside the stock wells without ANY rubbing. I haven't modified the suspension or really anything else.

16s or 17s are not something I think I'd want, as low-profile tires and potholes don't mix too well here and the costs go up for both the tires and the rims. Try to convince me otherwise if you think this perception is false or extreme.

Also, where is a good place to buy a package deal for these? I found 4-15x8 steelies w/4.75" of backspacing and 4-31x10.5 Trxus MTs online recently, mounted and balanced, with lugs, for under $700US (delivered).

 

I feel almost STUPID asking......what's a VP

 

VP = value package = DX with a couple more options

first of all, so some searching in this forum, you will find lots of info on what to get and where to buy it.

anyway:

your stock wheels are probably 14x5.5, 45mm offset, 185/65R14 tires.
you could replace them with the same, or, 15x6, 45mm offset, 195/55R15 tires.

Tire Rack has good packages, their wheel selection is "debatable" though (i.e. I think they have a lot of crap)

you will find many opinions on tires, the last time I had all-seasons I got Goodyear Regatta 2, they were quiet in the dry, and got enough traction in winter -- and I'm in western New York.

 

Thanks. I'm guessing that with the same 45mm offset, the extra .5" in rim width would be towards the outside, and help fill out the wells a little better. I'm not too familiar with how offset is figured, as what I usually communicate in is backspacing. I guess I can google that easily enough.

The VP is a Value Package, but I thought it was just an upgrade from a bare-bones LX. With AC, auto, power locks, CD/AM/FM, and cloth seats, it's almost "luxurious" compared to my Jeep (no AC, manual tranny and tcase, no doors sometimes...let alone locks, aftermarket stereo and water-resistant speakers because it didn't have ANY audio components in it, and vinyl seats that roast your rear in the top-down summer while chilling you to the bone in -20F January).

 

http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

 

VP is the DX with all the DX options standard....so if something is optional on the DX it is standard on the VP.

btw dude your jeep sounds badass. i want one of those bare-bone jeeps for offroading .

as to your question...stock offset on most civics is 40 but if MXS says that its 45 on the VP i'll trust that. if i were you i'd get something tahts 6.5-7 inches wide and put a 205/45/whatever on it. thats the widest tire you can fit in a civic without wheel well modification or rubbing.

 

i use a 45 off in the front and a 40 in the rear...just cause i don't use a camber kit..

 

Thanks. When I googled offset, that's the calculator I got. It turns out, the .5" is added to both sides of the rim equally if the offset stays the same. The offset is the distance from the wheel centerline that the mounting surface is offset, towards the outside (positive offset) or the inside (negative offset).

 

A 205/45 on a 6.5-7" rim sounds like it would corner at over a G on something so small in the dry. How do 45-series tires ride on a stock suspension 4dr? Is it noticeably harsh or just something that you notice if you're paying attention?

I checked today, and the previous owner put 185/60-14 Eagle GTIIs on the stock rims. It rides fine, and corners fairly well on dry pavement, but they feel like slicks in the rain and snow. Having new treads with better siping will surely help.

Bare-bones Jeeps are a blast offroad, BTW. You don't worry as much about scraping your paint, muddying your carpet, or crinkling a fender as some of the guys running Unlimited Rubicons w/$2-3K hardtops that are DONE if you roll. Plus, WHEN I blow something apart, I can hop in the Civic and drive it worry-free to the parts store, cranking the AC and the tunes. If I've got dirty/bulky stuff to haul and don't want to tear up the Civic, I can throw it on the 500lb cap roofrack, 500lb cap hitchrack, in the "bed", or on a trailer behind the Heep. For less than what a Rubi costs, I've got a trail-rig/toy-hauler and a plusher street-carver that gets twice the mileage, and both of them can fit in some of the smallest parking spots downtown. Don't get me wrong, a Rubi is nice if you've got money to burn and don't want to have to modify a lot of stuff yourself, but I've got other things in mind for my $$, and I haven't seen a factory vehicle yet that couldn't stand some customizing. I'd like to get a 250-400cc dual-sport cycle for commuting/play too.