Honda Civic Tires and Wheels

mcap

Hey all:

I seem to get at least two flats a year I had to run my car on a flat for a distance so although the patch is holding, I am going to replace the tire. It's the passanger side rear tire. Any receommendations? Should I just do the one (they always recommend at least two but who knows if that's honest).

Are the stock tires crap? Should I consider full replacement?

Marc

mrmusic

The stock tires are crap! The Bridgestones now clutter my garage. I got Michlein sport alantro tires and filled them with Nitrogen gas. Much happier now.

targettuning

As far as replacement, if the tires (car) has low miles and the tires are good tread wise AND you don't have any deep seated hatred for Bridgestone tires you can only replace the one. If you don't like some aspect of that model Bridgestone..too noisy etc now would be the time to totally replace them with another brand. This is my first experience with Bridgestone tires so will use them until worn and then see what brand I will use.

kero1

Never ever replace a tire with a OEM tire unless the car is a very high end car that comes with good OEM tires.

Most small sedans come with crappy OEM tires that wear quick and do very poorly in the rain and snow, etc.

Just remember if you replace the one, you have to replace the other one of the other side regardless of if it's the front two or back two. Different tread on the same end will cause odd problems, especially at speed. Dangerous as well.

My choice, replace all 4 with a good quality set from Tire Rack and have a trusted shop in your area install and balance them, etc.

Use the rating system to see how others rate the tires. I myself usually by a yokama tire, the V4 look good. I had a set of yokohama avid t4's on my 86 civic Si and they were great tires.

You can't go wrong with tire rack. If you are unsure, ask one of their specialists to help you and OH, price does not always equate to a great tire.

targettuning

I beg to differ on the need to replace 1 tire only with 2... or as you state in pairs. If the damaged one is nearly new and, as in this case, suffered a puncture that the owner feels uncomfortable driving on then only the offending tire needs replaced. If you replace it with the same brand and model tire as the rest and the other 3 have low miles, even wear and good tread there is no technical need to replace in pairs. If the others have 40K miles then replace all 4...

mcap

Thanks all for your responses. I agree with both of you actually. I am going to replace just the one with the original. I know it's not a great tire and it isn't cheap either. But I really just use my car to get around and I get a lot of flats in Brooklyn. So, I don't want to replace it with 4 high end tires that are just going to puncture anyway.

It was the rear tire and the car only has 6 k miles. So, it should be fine. I will look at the tire rack however, for when I need more or when it's time to replace. Thanks for the advice!!!!!! I really appreciate it.

Marc

kero1

I see your begging to differ and raise you multiple views, hahaha.

We all feel differently and we all have different experiences when it comes to tires and such so it's cool to feel otherwise on my view

goofycat

Tire Rack (www.tirerack.com) has a great forum on most tires. I bought a Honda Element 6 months ago and found that the original tires were terrible...hard riding, noisy and lacking grip. I replaced them with ones I found on tirerack and found that the new tires were far better than the originals. I was surprised that the cost quoted by Tire Rack for the new ones was not much more than the originals, and questioned in my mind why Honda put such junky tires on my Element. Maybe they got a good deal from the manufacturer. Anyway, before I buy a new car, I will check the history of bad experiences by owners' forum on Tire Rack and demand of the dealer that they change to the tires of my choice. They might say "NO," but I will never know unless I try to negotiate the change. BTW, I have never had any problems with Bridgestones, but tire features and quality can vary with the same manufacturer. Michelins are known for being able to be balanced, etc., but I will still check with Tire Rack first.

fullup

I just bought a 97 civic ES. It came w/ cheap hubcaps and small tires. I don't want to modify the car at all in any way that will negatively affect safety, braking, etc. I also don't want low profiles that make a pothole an expensive proposition. I just want to replace the cheap hubcaps w/ a nicer looking wheel (maybe pulls from another honda), and I want to put the largest tire on the wheel that it's rated for. Any ideas what the factory recommended range of tire sizes is, and what type/size wheels would be nice? Also, what year model pulls would work on a 97?

roaddog2

Anyone buy winter snow and ice tires and rims on their 2006 Civic EX from COSTCO?

I went to COSTCO looking for Mich. Ice-x on steel rims and was told the bolt spacing had been modified for 2006 and the don't stock. The deal is I'm not worried about putting 205/16's on if I can get away with 195/15 which is quite kosher as the diameters are the same. The diffrence is the 15's are a lot less money. Also COSTCO fills with Nitrogen for the money.

robert8

I just purchased a 2007 Civic LX Sedan and have a quick question on the rear tires. I noticed while looking at the rear tires it looks like they are at an odd angle, like there pointing in. I'm sure it just looks that way with the wheel well body angle but it makes me curious. There are no steering, handling problems, car is brand new. Stopped and looked at another Civic, looked the same. It's probably my eyes playing tricks on me. Does anyone see the same thing or am I going crazy. Thanks, luv the Civic.

sandman46

Brought it into the dealer and they said all is fine with the car. They were probaly right because the treads all wore evenly on all 4 tires that I swapped out today. I rotate every 5k miles and try to keep 32 lbs. all around.
Just walked out to the garage and looked at my '06 Civic LX and the rear tires do the same thing also! Intersting actually, both our cars and now yours. Anyone else care to weigh in on this?

The Sandman

karkook

I have a question for anyone who can help. I am looking at after market wheels for my Civic and can't decide whether to go with 17s or 18s... Does anyone have an '06 or '07 with after market wheels? Pics?

karkook

Independent Rear Suspension. The wheels will pitch independently based on weight in the car... Ask a couple friends to sit in the back seat and look at the rear wheels form the outside. You'll see what I mean...

smnason

I just bought a 2007 Civic and noticed that right around 80 mph either the engine or the wheels begin to shake a bit. I can definitely feel the shaking when holding onto the steering wheel, and my wife says she notices it in the passenger seat as well. I can't tell, though, whether it is something with the engine or the wheels. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what did you do?

Thanks for your help.

civicriderz

yea it aint a prob .. im guesisn this was on the highway .. its cuz the Civics front wheel drive and the tires got good grip .. and since some parts of the highway are new or is weatherd abit ..the car tends to shake abit.. but its nothing to worry bout .. i've hit like +100 a few times .. and the shakein really isnt a issue ..

backy

The most common cause for this kind of vibration at high speed is mis-balanced wheels. That is what I would check first if I were you. If a proper re-balancing doesn't fix the problem, it could be a bad tire.

smnason

I figured the problem is wheel related. I just don't think it is normal for a brand new car to shake like mine does at only 80mph. I traded my old 96 Jetta in for the Civic and I never felt the Jetta shake like the Civic does. I guess I'll have to take it in.

Thanks.

backy

Not that uncommon really. And it's likely Honda doesn't test every new Civic at 80 mph at the factory.

sandman46

Would the alloys from the Accord fit an '06 Civic LX? Would any of the 16" alloys that I've seen online fit the LX? I'm thinking of adding alloys to my Civic and am not quite sure of the offset & things like that.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks all.

The Sandman :confuse:

cj20

I purchased a 2007 civic lx about 2 months ago and wanting to upgrade wheels. Sure I can buy aftermarket wheels with the exact offset i need, but the all wheels produces now use hubcentric rings and i am not sure using those. But I was thinking about trying to put the new Civic SI 17" rims and tires on my lx civic. Here are the specs for the EX vs. the Si:
EX Wheels
Wheel Size: 16 x 6.5"
Bolt Pattern: 5 x 114.3mm
Offset: +45mm
Hub: 64.1mm
Hollander # 16114
Structure: Aluminum Alloy
Finish: Silver Painted
Tires: Bridgestone Turanza EL400
Tire Size: 205/55/R16

Civic Si rims:
Rim Width: 7J
Tire Width: 215
Aspect Ratio: 45
Rim Diameter (inches): 17
Offset: 45 Load Index: 97
Number of Bolts: 5
Speed Index: W: max 270 km/h
Bolt Pattern: 5 x 4.50 or 5 x 114.3
Can anyone tell if me if these wheels/tires will fit without having to buy spacers or added mods? Any input on this would be appreciated.
Thanks,

sandman46

I also want to swap out my steelies on my '06 LX and I found some great Accord wheels, but have been told by others that they won't fit. Bummer. Might have to break down and just get some EX rims somewhere. I think the LX looks a little boring without some nicer rims, but will probaly have to wait awhile longer.

The Sandman

cj20

I am being told by one honda dealership that the positive offset is wrong on the SI wheels and won't fit on the lx/ex. It is a +45 offset, but so is the standard ex wheel, the only difference is the si wheel is a 17"X7" where the ex is a 16"x6.5"...I might also have to go with standard ex wheels, just to make it look better, or aftermarkets, but those si wheels look awesome, especially on a silver car.

buddyo31

if i were you i would have them looked at. i have the same problem and it turned out both my rear tires at broken belts in them at 30k. I don't want to say the problem is bad factory tires because my front ones are fine and they are the driving tires, but it might be. all I know is the warranty better cover it. :mad:

mpan20

I have a 2006 Civic EX sedan with almost 20,000 miles now. My tires are the same and it WILL be a problem. After 15,000 miles I was getting a vibration and noise in the rear and took the car in. The dealer said I needed 2 new tires because the inside edges of the rear tires were completely worn and left it at that. I went back a week later after checking online and finding it to be a fairly common problem. Over 4,000 miles later and I'm still trying to get it taken care of. I was told two weeks ago Honda has a bulletin about it and needs to send a rep out to the dealer to look at the car. I can't find anything about the bulletin. Then last week the dealer called me back saying they ordered 2 tires and Honda will split the cost with me. Got a call today saying the tires are in. Well, I'm not paying for tires that were destroyed due to whatever the problem may be with the rear suspension, just to have them destroyed again because no one's doing anything about the problem. So the fight to get the problem fixed will continue tomorrow when I call the dealer back. All I know is that the service guy at the dealer said 06 and 07 civics were affected and I think it's going to be a major problem.

sandman46

Bought some new rims on eBay last week...16" Honda Civic wheels from a '05 Civic Si. Should be on the car by the end of next week. Think they will be a big improvement over the steelies with bolt on wheel covers on my '6 LX.

The Sandman

cj20

I looked at a set of 2005 civic si wheels also..but wasn't sure about the offset. Would you mind sending me some pics when you get them installed? Just curious as to how they look.

karkook

Aren't the '05 rims four bolt? or are the Si rims 5 bolt...? :confuse:

jmastron

Hello,

I've searched, and can't seem to find this info anywhere -- can anybody with a 2006 or 2007 Honda Civic EX (with the 16" wheels) report what the manual says about using tire chains and/or cables? I'm considering this car, but make occasional trips in the California mountains, where chains are sometimes required.

My old Neon lacked clearance to the front strut, and required expensive (and bulky) "Spike Spiders" traction devices that I used exactly twice in 12 years (but without them wouldn't have been allowed to drive back home over the passes); I'm hoping my next car can just take a cheap set of cable chains...

Thanks,

Josh

sandman46

I just looked again at my EBAY acount and there are 5 lug nut holes in the rims. You got me scared there for a bit. Whew!! When I spoke with the seller, I made sure that he knew that I had a '06 Civic with the 16" wheels and again got an e-mail confirmation that these rims would indeed fit the car. I found a chart with all the information needed and after hearing all the numbers, he said there'd be no problems.
I expect them sometime next week and am figuring they'll be installed next Friday at my mechanic's shop which is within walking distance to my installation.

The Sandman :surprise:

karkook

Sorry for the scare, good for the wheels. I might go that way , too!

sandman46

The seller sent them to my house instead of to my mechanic like I asked...3 times! He's going to try & fix the snafu...so he says. i just want 'em like...NOW! I think they will give my LX a more sportier look than the oem steelies & caps.
Guess I'm done with the car after this. Nothing more I care to add to it actually. Just want to enjoy it for the next 5 or so years.

The Sandman

kero1

Why not call the people at tirerack.com or call your local honda parts department and inquire their.

Also, why not consider a really good set of high quality snow tires for the treck you sometimes tack.

I will check in the morning for you in the manual.

Oh, I was the proud owner of a 2005 subaru impreza wagon until someone creamed her throught a light. 2000 miles on the car and 15,000K worth of damage. Traded her right after she got fixed.

The car was a great car and is highly rated in all areas of it's segment. Would be a great car for mountain trecks and with 170+ horses in the entrey level "I" model, the mountains would be no problems.

I love my civic but loved my impreza more. I might trade back this year for a 07 impreza wagon. You can't beat a boxer engine for reliability and durability.

jmastron

Thanks; I appreciate you checking whether the manual says anything. When I took a test drive, the salesman mumbled something about "all Hondas" not being able to use chains, and that they sell "wires" (I'm guessing he might have meant true chains are bad, and the "cable chains" are allowed, but needless to say I didn't trust the info :-) I should have asked the parts department, but didn't think of it at the time.

We have a 4WD Highlander Hybrid that will get the bulk of any family snow trips; maybe once a year if that we would want to leave that and the kids with the grandparents and take the small car up. It doesn't snow here in Sacramento, so no use for snow tires 99.9% of the time. Even up in the mountains, it's fairly rare to actually need the chains, but if the controls do go up, you chain up or turn around.

I really like the Subarus, but rarely have use for AWD in this car, and would prefer the better gas mileage of the Civic.

Thanks,

Josh

maysonsmom

I have a 2006 Honda civic and first thing in the morning the tires would vibrate very bad and around 70-75 it would shake even worse. I had taken the car in since around 10,000 miles for the same problem and after 4 times they say they found the problem. They said my tires were out of round (3 out of 4) and the tires need replaced. Since they were 40,000 mile tires and mine had 20,000 on them Honda would pay 50%. I told them no way in heck was it my fault the tires were defective and to go back in their records and they can see we have had this problem several times. Bottom line they paid 75% and I paid 25 plus the 4th tire to replace them. They had my car a week and I just got it back today. Frustrating to say the least. I love my car but it has been nothing but a problem.

flseadan

what else is been the problem with your civic?

sandman46

Had my new rims installed on my LX...'05 Civic Si 10 spoke alloys and so far, so good. The tires have seated well...no leaking and my mechanic balanced them perfectly. They must be light, cause the alignment didn't need any adjustment which I thought it might. Did have to purchase 20 lug nuts as my LX's couldn't be used. Makes the car look totally different also.

The Sandman

pcurrie

my 2006 EX is on its second set of back tires...8 months old and you could not drive the car above 120kph for shaking..went to the dealer and he said the back tires were out of round..because I had not rotated them (remember 8 months old). I said BS these tires are faulty...he said Honda would change them for free `cause they like to keep their customers happy (I had the car back for 3 repairs..A/C lost coolant, two trips to fix rattle in sunroof) After the tires were changed the service manager said this kinda bothered him since this was the third 2006 Civic with the same tire problem!!!!!Well less than two months after the second set of back tires, it is shaking like hell again...I bought a Honda because of reliability....should have bought another Hyundai :mad:

flseadan

2006 or 2007? That sucks man, let us know the problem

flseadan

thats crazy to say, my 07 seadn has goodyears that are 105 dollars at tirerack and have good reviews. Also I have driven 40k miles on patched tires

pcurrie

2006 Honda Civic EX auto CDN

pcurrie

Does anyone have anything definitive from Honda stating the tire problem? I am taking mine in tomorrow and am looking for some armament. Also checked my A/C today, out of Freon again!!
Obviously I am not impressed

kwk1

pc,

They can refill the freon a million times and your a/c will not work. There is a leak in the system which has to be found. Freon doesn't just stop working, it's obv escaping out of somewhere.

pcurrie

Lets start of with a :mad:
My wife took the car in today. In November when the rear tire issue first arose, the service manager suggested that the out of round was because the Civics are so light in the back end that the tires are "bouncing" when hit bumps...I said are you suggesting they are coming off the ground, he said no but they are unloading...I thought this was bull and suggested that perhaps I make the wife ride in the back (no points there). The car was extremely skiddish at the rear on packed snow(first winter we owned it) so we added two sandbags in the trunk over top of the rear axle, since my wife does lots of highway driving by herself. Well aware that this is a front wheel drive car.
Today the service manager said that there was no way that Honda was changing the rear tires again because here was according to him 150lbs of sand in the trunk and the sand bags were the problem!!!
They also addressed the lack of freon by adding a dye to the refrigerant so that the "next time" I bring the car back for an oil change (at 90% right now) they will be able to find the leak...which seems lame since I might run out of freon BEFORE the oil change date....By the way the dealer is 120 miles away.
I will be talking to the service manager myself tomorrow..and then the area service representative...not a good Honda experience :lemon:

flseadan

That sucks.....they should be able to find the leak as they put dye in........I am getting the Si sware bars put in for handling myself. Read on another forum it helps greatly with the crappy handling of the civic at highway speeds.
Not sure if that would help you though.

brw115

I've owned the 2007 Civic for four months now- and let me attest that Bridgestone Tires on these cars are horrible! At 65 MPH, the car veers from one side of the lane to the other. When I took the car in to Honda to be checked, they told me it was due to the "low profile" - ie: cheap- tires on this car. I called Honda customer service and was told by their regional customer rep that it was basically my problem. I've owned six Hondas- never again! Toyota for me next time!

sandman46

Have the Goodyeas RS-A's and they're just o k. Had Bridgestone Turanzas on my last ride and those were great tires. Plan to get something close to them again once I swap out the four. But just because your tires aren't the best, don't discount all Honda's in the future. Wish we were the lucky one's who had Michelins as the oem tires. Maybe next time.

The Sandman

baronep1

My 2006 CIvic recently started making a howling noise, sounds like a bearing going bad at freeway speeds. I asked my Wife to take it to the dealer and have it checked out. They told my Wife that the tires are out of round causing a vibration. The service advisor asked my wife if she had applied the brakes hard recently, she told him yes, to avoid an accident. He told her that is what caused it.

The noise in the car is so loud, it is hard to talk.

I have never heard of this before, and in my 40 years of driving have applied brakes hard many times.

Has anyone heard of this before or should I take this up with Honda.

Thanks

Peter Barone
Chandler, AZ

mpan20

It sounds like the same problem with the camber on the rear tires. If you are behind your car looking at the rear tires do they look like are on an angle, tilted in at the top? If so, they wear excessively on the inside edge and cause a loud noise and vibration. Maybe if you're lucky your dealer will replace the tires if you [non-permissible content removed] enough. I could only get my dealer to pay for one tire. I have 31,000 miles on my '06 and I'm almost in need of my 2nd tire purchase. I've already given up going back and forth with the dealer. Honda won't acknowledge this as a problem and they'll accept the fact that their customers have to buy tires every 20,000 miles or so. Guess it's Toyota for me next time.

kenlw

TIRES ARE NOT WARRANTED BY THE DEALER NOR BY HONDA.

If they are truly defective, a TIRE DEALER will replace them (possibly prorated) with a lot less hassle than the Honda dealer.

(Toyota will tell you the same thing...)

aseengnr18

I have a 2006 SI running the 18" wheels w/ low profile tires. I noticed I was getting a vibration and whine from the rear tires of the car at about 14,000 miles. A Honda dealer could not fix the problem, so I replaced the tires. An alignment and balance was done and the problem was fixed....for about 2000 miles. The noise has come back so I took the car to friend who's a long-time race-suspension professional and owns an performance alignment shop. After looking at the suspension for about 10 minutes, he said the rear camber on both wheels was off by about twice what it should be (should be 1.0 deg and its 1.9 deg on both sides). The suspension on these new civics is non-adjustable for camber in the rear. To fix the problem, aftermarket brackets have been ordered to make the rear camber adjustable to the correct constraint.

This same problem seems to be occurring on many new civics. No, its not the tire manufacturer's fault. It IS Honda's problem and responsibility to fix this camber issue. Buying new tires every 20,000 miles is not cheap nor acceptable. Honda needs to recall and fix these cars if this is a common problem to all civic suspensions. I intend to talk to Honda (not a dealer) about this problem and about how many people have experienced it. I encourage everyone to do the same. Maybe this problem has not been properly brought to their attention.