smxcan

I need to buy a set of winter tires & steel rims for my 2006 Civic LX. I’ve listed the possible tire & rim sizes that are within 3% of the original stock tire diameters. Since they’re for winter, high-speed performance and appearance is not a major concern.

By lowering the rim size I noticed, both the cost goes down, and I believe the ride becomes smoother, since the sidewalls become larger. Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m new to buying tires.

The stock tires are 205/55/16, however I’m thinking of lowering the rim size to either a 15” or a 14” to lower costs, and the width down to a 195mm to help increase the traction by increasing the pressure on the ground.

With cost being my primary factor, I’m thinking of getting 195/75/14. My concerns are:

1. Will a 14” rim fit on a 2006 Civic? Will it clear the breaks? or will I have to settle with 15”?
2. Would the small 14” rims & large 75% sidewall aspect ratio have any negative effects?
3. Would the speedometer or any other parts of the car need to be recalibrated to counteract the 2.6% increase in tire diameter?
4. Perhaps I’m choosing the wrong tire entirely by looking at cost alone, what is the ideal winter tire/rim size for my car.

Thanks for any advice.


Tires..........Diameter..........Change..........P rice..........Rim..........Balancing..........TOTA L
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
205/55/16..........631.9..........0.0%..........$111.99.. ........$49.99..........$16.00..........$804.47
195/55/16..........620.9..........1.7%............?...... ............$49.99..........$16.00..........?
195/60/16..........640.4.........-1.3%............?..................$49.99......... .$16.00..........?

205/60/15..........627.0..........0.8%..........$101.49.. .......$46.99..........$16.00..........$743.45
205/65/15..........647.5.........-2.5%..........$95.99..........$46.99..........$16. 00..........$718.59
195/60/15..........615.0..........2.7%..........$98.49... .......$46.99..........$16.00..........$729.89
195/65/15..........634.5.........-0.4%..........$91.49..........$46.99..........$16. 00..........$698.25

205/65/14..........622.1..........1.6%............?...... ...........$45.99..........$16.00..........?
205/70/14..........642.6.........-1.7%..........$84.49..........$45.99..........$16. 00..........$662.09
195/70/14..........628.6..........0.5%..........$80.99... .......$45.99..........$16.00..........$646.27
195/75/14.......648.1.......-2.6%..........$76.99........$45.99.........$16.00. ........$628.19
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Price is for Goodyear Nordic winter tires and steel rims from Canadian Tire
- Total includes 4 tires, 4 rims, 4 balancing, & 13% tax.


Wasn't sure of the best place to post this question so I also posted here: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/2418372


Modified by smxcan at 2:01 AM 10/28/2008

08blackex

13% tax??

smxcan

Yep, 13% tax, that's life here in Ontario, Canada.

GST: 5% + PST: 8%

K5^

I'm not all to sure on how small an lx rim can be mounted. Check to see the rim size on your spare. If its 14, then you should be clear, but as for overall diameter, a sidewall of 75 seem large.

smxcan

Thanks for the info. I haven't had the chance to check the spare tire, but I just spoke to a couple advisors at Honda service centers, and they both recommend either the 195/65/15 or the 205/55/16. Also, the 195/65/15 would help cut through the snow a little better.

They couldn’t say for sure if the 14” would fit, but even if it did, it would be too close for comfort for winter conditions, since you need a little extra room for all the snow, ice, and salt that can fly off the roads.

As for the slightly different +/- sizes in tires, they said to stay as close as possible to the two stock sizes mentioned above, since the other sizes places extra stress on different parts of transmission, brakes, etc.


---> Best size (cost and effectiveness wise) for Winter tires on the 06 Civic: 195/65/15

Kidnkorner

Definitely something tall and skinny.

ajpturbopittsburgh

Tire rack can tell you everything you need to know!

nsxtasy

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by smxcan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">they both recommend either the 195/65/15 or the 205/55/16.</TD></TR></TABLE>

smxcan

Thx. I'll likely be getting Toyo Observe G-02 Plus 195/65/15 on steel rims in the next couple days.

sixonethree

yeaaaahhh 13% tax. lol! it used to be 15%

K5^

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by smxcan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thx. I'll likely be getting Toyo Observe G-02 Plus 195/65/15 on steel rims in the next couple days. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Are just going to mount it on some steelies?

smxcan

Yep, that's the plan. Winter can be tough on pretty rims, while steelies are nice n' ugly. So there's little regret if they get scratched. I heard steel rims are actually lighter than many alloys, so they may even increase effeciency.

smxcan

I checked the spare tire in the trunk and it's a 15".

Specifically, it's a Goodyear Convenience Spare T125/70D15 95M
Inflated to 60 PSI.

There's lots of good winter tires out there, but it all came down to the following three top tires.

1. Bridgestone Blizzak WS60
2. Michelin X-Ice Xi2
3. Toyo Observe G-02 Plus

I ended up getting the Toyo Observe G-02 Plus 195/65/15 91T, since I couldn't resist the deal I got from a local dealer: Wheels-Direct.
My final price, including all taxes/charges/rebates was $715 CAD (or about $600 USD).
The Honda Service centers were charging $922 for the exact same Toyo package.

Got them balanced and mounted on steel rims but haven't installed them yet. I'll install them my self, since after buying the winter tires, the weather now feels like summer here.


Modified by smxcan at 2:06 AM 11/11/2008

spth38

I will basically do the same thing to save $$.
I already bought a set of Nexen winguard 195/65/15 91T for only 79 each from walmart.

What do you need to specify when you buy the steelies? just tell them you need 15" 5x114.3? or you have to be more specific??

smxcan

I didn't have to state anything other than the year and model of my car. (2006 Civic LX)
They punched it into their database and the computer told them the correct rim & tire measurements for my car. I think that should be the case at all (or most) major retail stores. I doubt tire dealers would expect every driver out there to know wheel/tire terminology.

However, if for some reason you decide to buy used rims from someone, then you may need to know the specific measurements.

My 195/65/15 tires were mounted on:
15” rims,
6” wide,
5 X 114.3mm (5 X 4.5”) bolt pattern,
+45mm offset

15X6.0 5X114.3 New 06-08 Honda Civic (6HC) (64) +45

ac_attak

If you can fit a 14" rim on, i would go with 185/75/14. The narrower tire the better for snow. And the diameter on that size is 24.9 inches, exactly the same as the stock 205/55/16.

If 15's are the smallest rim, then go with 185/65

smxcan

For snow, that's true, but snow isn't on all roads throughout winter. In fact most major roads are kept clear of snow. In that case, wouldn't tires that are too thin wear out too quickly?

Too thick, and they may hydroplane or float on top of the snow.

Something in between, like a 195/65, seemed reasonable for our roads in winter.

ac_attak

Are you taking about the depth of the threads of something? Just confused by what you are saying. The width of tire has nothing to do with wear. You get snow tires for the dozen or so days throughout the winter where you will be forced to drive on snow filled roads, thats when the narrower tire is of benefit. But there is nothing wrong with going 195/65/15, i just would have went narrower for 2 reasons, better in snow and cheaper.

smxcan

I would guess that thinner tires results in higher pressure per square inch between the tire and the road. This is why they cut down through the snow and have better traction on the road. This extra pressure (force) per square inch of the tire would eventually make it wear out faster than a tire where the weight is spread across a larger area.

It's like forcing sand paper against wood with either
1) little force on a wide area, or
2) lots of force on a narrow area.

With lots of force in a narrow area, the wood will wear out faster.

At what thinness would a tire be too thin for a car?
Wouldn't a 100mm wide tire wear out faster than a 200mm wide tire?

ac_attak

Anyways, a thinner tire does not wear faster. There is no such thing really as to narrow for the car, there would be a point however where a tire would be to narrow for the rim its mounted on. 185 definitely wouldn't be it, i have 175's on my steelies.