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Honda Fit Wheels and Tires

fitcanuckfitcanuck Member Posts: 4
My owner's manual (Canadian version) states that the recommended tire pressure for the FIT is 32 psi front/rear. I have the LX model which came with Dunlop tires P175/65R14 with recommended maximum tire pressure of 44 psi. How much should the tire pressure be? Should I go with Honda's recommended numbers? It seems to be a sizeable discrepancy between Honda and the tire manufacturer. Any advice appreciated...
:)
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Comments

  • hqly2001hqly2001 Member Posts: 92
    Can you confirm the brand of tire you got?
    I got a Dunlop, but they gave me Firestone and Bridgeston pamplet, what brand does dunlop get warrentied under?
  • hqly2001hqly2001 Member Posts: 92
    I just bought a pressure gauge and will check my tires tonight.. is the wait 2 hrs after last drive for cold pressure?

    I also have an 98 Dodge Caravan and a 2005 Civic, any idea what psi they should be at?

    Also, i've heard that in the winter you are suppose to inflate them more and deflate during the summer?

    Hope all of this will help increase my milage!
  • dewaltdakotadewaltdakota Member Posts: 364
    If you look in the door jamb of each car, you should see the pressure for the front and rear listed on a sticker. If not there, then check for a sticker in the glovebox. The owner's manuals should also list it.

    In the winter, the colder ambient temperature will reduce the pressure in your tires, while in the summer, the hotter air temperatures will expand the air in your tires, resulting in a higher pressure. I think the manufacturers state it's perfectly acceptable for a tire to lose 1lb of pressure per month, without anything being wrong with the tire, wheel, valve stem, etc.

    You should check your tire pressure monthly, and set it to whatever the proper setting is for your vehicle. Doing so will automatically result in adjustments due to temperature changes, and account for slow losses of pressure over time.

    Either over or under-inflating your tires will result in improper tread wear, and possibly create an unsafe situation.
  • riposteriposte Member Posts: 160
    Your recommended tire pressures should be posted on a plate inside the door jamb.

    For best handling and performance, follow the posted ratings. Going higher will decrease your rolling resistance, but will also affect the handling in a negative way, and will also hurt the ride characteristics.
  • hqly2001hqly2001 Member Posts: 92
    oh.. so i should keep mines at 32psi? I think i saw a few post where people have increased it up to 38psi and have seems to get better milage.. i did a search and a few people have increased theirs to 36 and some 34 psi with better mpg.. i've just increased mines to 35psi hoping to get better miliage i guess i should let the air back out..

    had anyone who increased their milage actually notice a big difference in mpg??
  • hqly2001hqly2001 Member Posts: 92
    I checked my tire pressure yesterday and and they were 31, 31, 33.5 and 33.5 .. the higher numbers were the back rear tires.. I increased them to 34 all around..
    I checked again this morning and the back were still 34's..
    but one of the front dropped to 33 and the other 32..
    i'm afraid i might have a small hole somewhere on the front tires.. to lose 1-2 psi overnight is not right..

    would i take it to dealership since i'm under warranty or the tire company? i'm not sure which tire company these dumlops came from.. i will check again after work.. hopefully it's still at 33 and 32..
  • manlokmanlok Member Posts: 11
    Did you check the pressure with COLD or WARM tires? Normally a warm tire has higher pressure than when it's cold. So always check the pressure with cold tires.
  • hqly2001hqly2001 Member Posts: 92
    they were cold tires..
    there were no changes to the two back tires, only the front two decreased.. i will check again after work to see if it has gone down even further.. if yes, then there's a leak somewhere.
  • fitchgrrlfitchgrrl Member Posts: 21
    I would keep them at 32psi. Mine were higher when I first got my Fit and on uneven road, the car would slide significantly...totally not safe.
  • fittasticfittastic Member Posts: 18
    I don't really consider this a Fit problem (I love my car -- Base model!) so much as a tire problem... after 1800 miles, the front driver's side tire has two large bubbles in it! I can't believe it. In all the years I've been driving, I've never gotten a bubble in my tires.

    I took it to the dealer I bought it from two months ago and the guy dimissed it saying that it's not under warranty because it's not the fault of the tire, but rather the road. :confuse: I don't recall hitting a pothole or anything but regardless, the tire only has 1800 miles on it. I know they aren't the best tires, but come on!

    Anyone else have this problem... or know what's covered under warranty of the tire?
  • fittasticfittastic Member Posts: 18
    Well, I went to a dealer closer to my work and WOW what service! Talk about going the extra mile! Not only is Honda covering the cost of the tire, but also 1/2 the cost of labor. That's more like it! :)
  • petro33petro33 Member Posts: 192
    I have had this problem before on other tires, it's a tire defect(tread seperation). The dealer and/or tire company should replace it at no charge, labor included, you don't expect to pay half the labor charges for a defect repaired under warrenty do you???
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    Go with Honda's recommended 32 psi. The 44 psi is the MAXIMUM pressure the tire could withstand (before exploding!)
  • dratchedratche Member Posts: 1
    :confuse: Does anyone happen to know if you can put Honda Civic rims on an 07 Fit? I'd like to get a set of 14" alloys for my Fit and I figured that Civic rims might work. My Fit has a 55 offset. Thanks.
  • dewaltdakotadewaltdakota Member Posts: 364
    The Fit rim size and bolt pattern is the same as the 14" Civic alloys (14"x5.5" & 4x100mm), but the offset is slightly different. The Fit wheels are 55mm, and the Civic alloys are 45mm. You could probably get away with it, though. Your biggest issue may be whether or not the wheels would clear the brake calipers.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    TireRack has 14" alloy Borbet for $79 each. Simpler than buying used Civic alloys and sized properly. Save the steel wheels for the winter if you are in snow country or sell them to someone.
  • hatchgeekhatchgeek Member Posts: 7
    I've been planning on doing the same thing and when I was getting my first oil change this weekend I asked sales if they could order me some that I liked and he said he wouldn't do it because the offsets were going to be different and over time (years?) it would ruin my bearings. I then said that if the offsets were close enough I could live with it but he was pretty adamant against my thinking (from his own personal experience he said).
    He recommended going aftermarket because it would be cheaper with a bigger selection. So I'm thinking of going that route unless I find those rims I like for a right price. Regardless, what would be the max difference in offsets I could get away with?
  • hqly2001hqly2001 Member Posts: 92
    I pumped my tires up to 36 psi all around on cold tired and 3 weeks later.. i checked tonight, cold tires and the fornt are at 32psi and back at 34psi.. is it normal to lose 2-4 psi in a month??? i think there might be a small hole in the front 2 tires?
    I just bought the car and don't have any warrenty info on the tires.. do i just bring it back to the dealer for a test by honda?
  • jrlncjrlnc Member Posts: 48
    Some air leakage is normal on all tires. That's about what mine are losing in the same time frame.

    I've heard that some people fill theirs with N2 (nitrogen) because it doesn't expand and leak out as much as plain air does.

    But it also costs money. Air is free, so for now I'll just keep pumping them up! :)
  • peripateticperipatetic Member Posts: 1
    I took delivery of my new '07 Fit Sport, 5 spd. on September 22, 2007. I have driven about 3000 miles already (that's about 150 miles a day). I bought this as my commuter car and I will be driving over 40,000 miles a year.

    Overall, I think it's a super vehicle. I could live with little issues such as no lock on the gas cap, or the glove box, etc. etc...but the only real issue I have with the car is the tire drumming/thumping over washboard surfaces and sharp bumps. The ride does NOT bother me. It's the drumming of the tires that is killing me.
    Unfortunately, there is vibration resonance over some sharp bumps at lower speeds. I've lowered my tire pressure to just over 30 psi but it does not make a big difference. I heard this issue was addressed in the upcoming '09 Model by making the structure much stiffer.

    Has anybody felt an improvement with other tires?
    I believe the factory tires are not highly rated.

    My Stable:

    '07 Honda Fit
    '05 Acura TL
    '98 Honda Accord EX V6 (215,000 miles)...Going to my oldest son soon.
    '97 Supercharged BMW 540 (The Anti-Hybrid with many mods...450 HP)
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    My Dunlop SP31 A/S tires have 48K miles on them, the thread is still good for I think another 10K miles but with the way I drive, that will be in a few months so time to think about replacement tires.

    Any Fit owners that replaced their tires yet? I don't really have any issues with my current ones and do not mind getting the same model but checking Dunlop's website, this specific model does not have a threadlife warranty.

    Their Dunlop Signature tire comes with a 60K threadlife warranty but its a Grand Touring All-Season tire. Anyone tried these? Any other tire brand recommendations? MPG is why I bought the car and I'm afraid getting the wrong tire type might lessen it so might as well do the research now.

    Thanks.
  • charmedseedcharmedseed Member Posts: 6
    The tires that came with my Base Model when I bought it fresh off the truck in 2006 are CRAP. I popped two of them (front passenger side) checking the same barely-there curb... TWICE. I made the dealership pay for the second one, because that just SHOULD NOT happen. If you curb check, the tire digs into the wheel and BLAM. Be very careful!

    Get different tires when they need to be replaced, period.
  • maryelizamaryeliza Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I travel to VT every weekend to teach skiing....travel often in very adverse conditions...Am trying to get more winter "elevation" and traction. Am putting 4 snows on larger rims. (came w/15 inch rims) What size rims and what brand tires...? Would appreciate any feedback
    Thank you

    :blush:
  • mcocorochiomcocorochio Member Posts: 4
    I will be picking up my new Fit on Tuesday and was thinking of dedicated snow tires and wheels. I really only want the cheap steel wheels these companies supply in their packages, but the put an * saying not tire pressure monitor compatible.

    Does anyone know if the system ignores non-standard wheels, or will I be looking at a warning lamp 5 months a year?

    Or, how is the standard tire in the snow?

    I still have access to my wife's CRV if the going if really rough.

    Thanks
    Mike C.
  • jratnourjratnour Member Posts: 4
    If you find an answer let me know because I searched far and wide trying to find some wheel and tire package for the winter that would be compatible and I couldn't. Hopefully my rims hold up this winter. The tires have not been that bad ... I live in upstate new york so it's already driven in quite a bit of snow.
  • mustangxrmustangxr Member Posts: 10
    Yes, in winter, you can lose pressure rapidly if the weather suddenly gets colder. Also, when tires are new, they will actually stretch out a little bit, decreasing the pressure. So check your tires more often when new, and it's OK to over inflate them a couple of pounds to 34 to allow for the stretch after rolling out of the dealership. Check your pressures often in cold weather, especially as temperatures drop.

    The front tires have the most weight on them and will do the most work, driving the car and stopping the car as well as turning the car. The fronts therefore will stretch more than the rears and will deflate more than the rears. Unless you are planning on a lot of high speed highway travel or a session on the track, maintain the recommended pressure of 32 psi.

    If you want to use the optimum gas for tire inflation, fill your tires with nitrogen. This is available for a low cost generally at specific garages or stores that specialize in tires. Nitrogen is much more pressure stable temperature wise and reduces oxidation of the internal rubber at higher temperature. The reason for this is that the nitrogen is dry and contains no water vapour which is not the case for gas station compressed air. It is the water vapour in the compressed air that causes most of the pressure increase on hot vs. cold tires. Think about this. Airplanes use nitrogen in their tires, and so do most big rig trucks, for the reasons above.

    Cheers, Pete
  • mustangxrmustangxr Member Posts: 10
    Hi there,

    You probably have already purchased your winter tires but I will thow in some advice here anyway. I have outfitted my FIT Sport with 14 inch steel wheels and Bridgestone WS-60 dedicated winter tires. I waited until the end of November here in the Pacific Northwest to install the tires since the weather was pretty good until then. I have experienced a fair amount of snow since then, traveling up-country to ski hills and some wet and slushy slop around town in Vancouver BC. The Bridgestones have been great, even in the slop. The only time I was uncomfortable with them was when it snowed 8 inches and then rained on top of it. The fit would make it up the steep driveway OK, but breaking trail in the wierd snow was difficult for it. I took it back home and swapped it for the F-350 4X4. Even that truck was not comfortable with the conditions, but the weight of the Ford, (8000lbs) made the difference. I must say that the performance penalty for the snow tires is minimal in normal driving, even though they are narrower than stock. I was surprised at this and I must give Bridgestone full marks for this tire.

    For the lady who wanted to put on oversize wheels and tires for better snow clearance, yes you can but be advised that your speedometer will not be accurate and you will be traveling faster than advertised. Also, if you stay with the stock tire size for a 15 inch wheel, the width of the snow tire will be a bit more than optimum. In my experience, narrower snow tires work better than wider tires. The recommended snows are the same size as the stock tire for the non sport models and the tires are a bit shorter than the stock Fit Sport tires. This makes the speed over the ground less than advertised on the speedo.

    For a full rundown and a good price comparison on winter tires, visit the Tirerack.com for an evening of informative reading.

    Cheers, Pete
  • clarksterynclarksteryn Member Posts: 18
    Pete where did you get the 14" steel wheels for your Fit Sport? I would like to do the same thing.

    Richard
  • mcocorochiomcocorochio Member Posts: 4
    Richard,
    In case Pete doesn't have a chance to get back to you, here are a couple of ideas.
    1. The Tirerack (www.tirerack.com) company noted in some above comments may sell the wheels by themselves. They generally supply complete tire/wheel assemblies.

    2. The kids who mod the non-sport model may be willing to sell the steel wheels. Check ebay or craigslist.

    When I was buying my car, the dealer had been playing around with a couple of cars. The Sport in the showroom had nice after-market wheels and tires, they put the Sport wheels on a standard model. I tried to get the leftover standard wheels, but they gave me some mumbo-jumbo about how the future Sport buyer is supposed to get the extra wheels. (He going to get the wrong ones, though), The hitch for me is the pressure sensors. I think I'm screwed and will have to stare at a warning lamp each winter.

    BTW - I did about 50 miles in light snow in NE yesterday with the stock Fit Sport tires and was less than thrilled. I got there, but I think my wife's CRV has spoiled me.

    Mike C.
  • clarksterynclarksteryn Member Posts: 18
    Do you notice much difference with the 14" vice the 15"? What is the bolt pattern, I see online some that have a bolt pattern of 4x100mm or 4x3.93. They come to $56 a wheel with shipping costs though.
  • clarksterynclarksteryn Member Posts: 18
    How many miles can be expected out of those Bridgestone WS-60's? I will extreme commuting about 150 miles a day back and forth from Detroit next winter and I am planning ahead...wheels, and then eventually tires for the steel wheels. We all know the kind of weather Detroit offers.
  • clarksterynclarksteryn Member Posts: 18
    Pete, I have a set of 4 14" steel wheels coming my way for my Fit Sport. I will use them for dedicated snow tires as well. Bought them on eBay today.

    Love my Fit - Too bad I am going to drive it into the ground starting July 1st!
    Richard
  • mustangxrmustangxr Member Posts: 10
    Richard,

    Sounds like you are set for winter. If you go to Tirerack.com and input your make and model (Honda) (FIT) (Sport) then you will find that the recommended snow tire for the car is the one that I got. I got my wheel/tire set from the Honda dealer in Kamloops B.C. I found later that the same set from Tirerack would have cost almost 200 bucks less. We still have this weird price differential from the states vs.here in Canada. It was snowing tonite on the way home though and the tires were great. The WS-60s are third generation Blizzaks and I think they got it right. If you peruse the tire tests they do on Tirerack you will notice that the Blizzak will out perform the Michelin Ice-X among others and gets first place in the comparisons. Tirerack actually rented a skating rink and did acelleration tests, braking tests and a slalom to get the ratings. The Michelins came in third!?!?! The baseline tire was a winter tire that was studded. It came last in all the testing! Go figure. It goes to show the technology payoff in the new winter tires.

    Cheers, Pete
  • mcocorochiomcocorochio Member Posts: 4
    >> Do you notice much difference with the 14" vice the 15"? >What is the bolt pattern<<
    Pretty much a non-issue if you stick to Honda small car specs, same wheel. That is why a lot of us Sport owners have locking lugnuts. The kiddo's can use our Fit Sport wheels on their low end Civics.

    Unless you live on a street that is seldom plowed, try to stick with the recommended snow tires sizes from the various vendors. If it is not plowed, look at an SUV.

    Mike C.
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    I have a set of Blizzack 185 60 15 on my 2005 Scion and I'm in my 3rd winter with them. I drove 112 miles/day for the 1st 2 winters and drive 60 this winter in the DC-West Virginia corridor. Great tires! I roll in snow where the giant SUV's slide and wreck. I don't track mileage with them nor my summer tires. I got the upgraded rims when I bought the car new and requested the stock rims for my snow tires. The Firestone dealer that I purchased the Blizzacks from said that I should get 2 seasons out of them but there is still about 1/2 tread depth left in this 3rd season. I swap the snows on in November and swap out in April. Hope this helps.
  • clarksterynclarksteryn Member Posts: 18
    Yes, very helpful. I was wondering about the Blizzacks as I will be commuting back and forth to Detroit (about 80 miles one-way) and I was wondering how many miles I could get out of a set of Blizzacks; and it appears that I will be able to at least get two seasons out of them, maybe three. This will work for me. Thanks for adding your info on your experience with those tires. :shades:
  • bigred12bigred12 Member Posts: 12
    Has anyone tried to put a full-sized spare in the storage well? If so, does it fit both in diameter and depth? (Will the cargo area floor lid lie flat?)
  • emmett5emmett5 Member Posts: 2
    I drive a 2007 Honda Fit Sport that comes stock with size 195/55/15 tires. I have changed those for size 205/55/16. What is my actual speed when the speedometer says 30,40,50,60,70,80,90,100 and whats the difference between my actual traveled distance and what the odometer says or is the difference so small its not worth noting?
  • blackberry2blackberry2 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2008 Fit Sport MT with 195/55/15 tires and want to know if I can sub. 195/60/15 tires. If it is possible (not scrape when turning), what effect would I encounter? With Speed-odometer-MPG calculation? :confuse:
  • emmett5emmett5 Member Posts: 2
    Or where might I find the answer?
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    You can find tire size calculators online, but the difference in diameter of those two tires is about 6% and your speedometer is going to be off by a corresponding amount. Not insignificant. Also, I've seen recommendations that anything more than a 3% increase can lead to brake issues not to mention possible suspension issues when you change the size of the tire/wheel combo.
    Read the section "What is the right size for my vehicle?" at tirerack.com
    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=31
  • igloomasterigloomaster Member Posts: 249
    question: is MPG negatively impacted with the bigger tires? for example, the '08 fit base comes with 14" tires. But if I wanted to, I could buy 15" or 16" rims/tires to fit this vehicle. I'm wondering if the bigger tires would negatively impact MPG. Opinions?

    (I know the speedometer/odometer would not be accurate/need adjusting)
  • fitman548fitman548 Member Posts: 172
    Hey all, my 2007 sport AT is approaching 50k miles. The OEM Dunlops are doing ok, but probably need replacing in the next 10-15k miles. Anyone put new tires on? I got Yoko V4s for my wifes Acura, they seem to be doing well, but they're all-season. I just want comfort and quiet, in a summer tire. I don't need super grip or anything.
  • fit4life1fit4life1 Member Posts: 14
    There's online formulas for calculating the speed diff when changing rim/tire size. Basically, when you go up 1 rim size, you need to bring the middle number down by 10. 195 55 15 would turn into 205 45 16. Keep in mind that size does matter with these little cars. I replaced my original 14" rims with 17s. I then put on 205 40 17 tires. I basically did everything by the book but am still rubbing the fender when I hit bumps. Now i'm trying to get the supplier to drop it back to 16" and cover the cost.
  • fitisgofitisgo Member Posts: 40
    Does anyone know where I can buy a set of 15" steel wheels to put winter tires on my 08 Fit Sport, with 195/55/15 tires? I have bought numerous sets of tires and wheels for various cars from TireRack.com, and they have a great selection of winter tires, but no steel wheels in 15" dia to fit an 08 Fit Sport. The steel wheels are typically $40-50 each in this size, but the cheapest wheels to fit this vehicle they have are custom style wheels starting at $75 each, and it makes no sense to put winter tires on custom wheels. I have 3 08 Fit Sports, and right now it's a different game plan for each one. I did buy a set of winter tires for one, and Wal-Mart will swap the tires back and forth (without balancing) at $3.50 X 4 is $14 in fall and $14 in spring, or $28/year. For Fit #2, I am buying a set of Michelin Pilot Excalto A/S V-rated tires in the 195/55/15 size (got a good deal through Army & Air Force Exchange Service AAFES of $525 on sale for a set of 4 including mount/balance and lifetime protection plan) and am going to put them on the stock alloy wheels, as the Michelins are highly rated for year-round driving. For Fit #3, the plan is to garage it on bad winter weather days and have my drive my 03 CR-V EX with AWD. By the way, the Dunlop SP31 tires that come on these cars are terrible in ice and snow, my son found that out last winter, so if you live where there's winter driving, be careful if you're going to use the stock tires.
  • fit4life1fit4life1 Member Posts: 14
    My 2007 fit is a base model. It came stock with 14" wheels. I upgraded to a 15" and then 17" aftermarket. The 17" wheels are supposed to take a 205 40R 17 tire size, which is what I have. However, my tires hit the wheel well when I hit bumps. They also did that with the 15". I noticed that their is a lot of bounce with the stock suspension which could be causing the problem. My question is, has anybody plus sized their wheels to a 16 or 17"? If so, rim width and tire size did you use and also do they rub?
  • fitisgofitisgo Member Posts: 40
    I added a posting a couple below your original one, asking about winter steel wheels for a Fit Sport. I am planning to replace the Dunlop SP31 stock tires on one of my 08 Sports with the Michelin Pilot Excalto A/S (all-season) in V-rated design in size 195/55/15. This is a top of the line tire and is #1 rated for year-round use by TireRack.com - go there and you'll see. The downside is a set of four costs around $600 installed, or $150/tire. The best price I've found after much searching is $525. If this is more than you're able to spend, I recommend you go to TireRack.com and input your vehicle description or tire size and you'll see they probably have 30-40 choices, along with their test results and customer ratings. I've bought a lot if tires and wheels from them and they ship fast and have great customer service.
  • mesaumesau Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 Fit LX , and was just wondering if its possible to put 185/65 15 on the car instead of 195/55-15? I think the 185/65 is like 20mm taller but its narower.
  • andysdandysd Member Posts: 87
    Not too interesting, but I saved a set of Kosei Racing wheels from an '04 Civic when I traded it for an '07 Accord. The Fit is the same H100 4-bolt pattern. With 215/45 Kumho sport tires, it would be fun. The 17" wheel with tire weighs about a pound less than the stock aluminum wheel of the EX Civic. These 215/45-17 tires are around 5% larger diameter than the stock Fit's, so an indicated 65 mph would be about 68 actual. They'd fill out the wheel wells nicely.

    The trouble is, I can't bring myself to sell any of the cars I have. I'd get a Sport manual transmission. The Sport weighs only 31 pounds more than the base model, which is important to me because I'd put a free-flowing exhaust on it and drive it like a sports car.
  • andysdandysd Member Posts: 87
    Many of the questions I see can be answered by using a tire size calculator available online (as our host pointed out). Following is a good one:

    www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

    You can compare OEM tires with any size tire and/or wheel. It returns difference in speedometer readings, revs per mile, difference in diameters, and more.

    If you try a tire size more than 3 per cent different in diameter, a warning pops up that doing so would risk brake failure.
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