I have a 2005 Civic Si with the OEM Michelin HX MXM4 16" tires. I am expirencing HORRIBLE wet traction. 50 on the freeway will cause the rear wanting to swing out in curves as on interchanges. Has anyone else had this problem? The tires have excellent dry traction, but it is like driving on ice in the rain. The rear has a strut bar and tokico shocks with skunk 2 springs (quite stiff) if that has anything to do with it...

Any info/help is appriciated.

 

A thicker rear sway and higher spring rates will help the car rotate more easily ... so yes this may be part of the issue. Those tires should be pretty decent in the rain compared to a performance summer tire. How many miles are on the tires? Are you low on tread? Are you tapping the brakes on the interchanges ... this will upset the balance of the car and cause the rear end to get light and come around? Wet weather traction has never been of high interest to me so I can't really suggest a tire ... check out tire rack and read some of their reviews and ratings.

 

The OEM tires are the worst tires ever. Their traction in wet and dry is terrible. Look for another set of tires and you won't experience so many problems during wet weather.

 

Get Toyo T1-R's, they're AMAZING in the rain.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johnclaunch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a 2005 Civic Si with the OEM Michelin HX MXM4 16" tires. I am expirencing HORRIBLE wet traction. 50 on the freeway will cause the rear wanting to swing out in curves as on interchanges. Has anyone else had this problem? The tires have excellent dry traction, but it is like driving on ice in the rain. The rear has a strut bar and tokico shocks with skunk 2 springs (quite stiff) if that has anything to do with it...

Any info/help is appriciated.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hello johnclaunch: Perhaps some things go without saying, but after the installation, was your Si realigned properly? When a suspension is dropped with aftermarket springs and/or dampers, three things change: camber, toe, and stiffness. Given the Si's already and impressively rigid chassis, plus the added stiffness from your damper/spring instal, changes will be felt immediately. Your symptoms are a result of the additional negative camber, but mostly because of the toe change and your suspension's stiffer spring rate (you will have less bounce/rebound) than you did with the stock set up. Another symptom is the inability of your car to track straight on the highway by having a subtle, but constant bunny hop from the rear.

Regarding tires, the stock Michelin HX MXM4 was not made for such changes. With the exception of some high-end sports cars, one thing to keep in mind is, if you are modifying your suspension, you should also consider replacing the tires as well. Here are <FONT COLOR="blue">two exceptional options worth mentioning</FONT>. All the best...