thogan

thansk bluetwo... that's some good info...

I just read a bunch of the tech guides at tirerack.com, and they say that wider is not always better in the case of Snow/All-Season tires - the narrower the better... I guess that explains why my current All-Seasons are 185's (and not 195's).

Is it possible that wider is better ONLY for Summer tires?

Another question... I've heard that having a good sidewall is important... but what makes a sidewall good? Does the size of the sidewall make a big difference?

jopa82

Thogan....the discrepancy you describe is because you're from Canada. I'm assuming you bought a CDM (Canadian Domestic Market) 2000 Si.

I'm pretty sure that:

Canadian Civic Si = U.S. Civic Ex
Canadian Civic SiR = U.S. Civic Si

The 99-00 Civic Si that is frequently mentioned on this forum is actually the SiR where you live.

Somebody else confirm this....but I'm pretty sure.

thogan

You're correct... I had no idea about this conversion.

Thanks.

h22afreak

195/50/15 these worked fine for me.

Kestrel

You have the equivalent of a USDM EX. The 195/55/R15 tires won't fit your rims because the stock EX rims are 14's not 15's.

bluetwo

yeah man, it's very possible that tirerack is right about that. :thumbup:
I was waiting for someone to do the conversion from CDM to USDM...
I'm glad I could lay the tire thing out for you. I went around for years never knowing what the heck it all meant until someone took a few seconds to explain it in a way that I could remember it.

nate886

Wider is bad in winter because it spreads the weight of your car out over a wider area. When you drive on snow, you DO NOT want to drive on snowshoes - in other words on top of the snow. Skinnier tires have the upper hand in compressing snow into the tread of the tire providing more grip. Whereas during the summer, weight spread over a greater area provides more friction. This extra grip allows for faster cornering, more grip during takeoff, etc. Sidewall is a completely different issue in itself. The easiest way to understand it is with the two extremes. Tires with lots of sidewall have more flex during extreme cornering which translates to a cushier ride but it affects handling negatively. Low profile tires have a stiffer ride and generally handle better. For your purposes, I would NOT recommend changing tire size. Without purchasing different wheels, changing tire size can effect your odometer/speedometer readings. Simply by choosing an all weather tire with sporty characteristics you can see a small improvement in handling.

Hope this helps!

bluetwo

and one of those smart guys said "If we wait until the last minute to do everything, it'll only take a minute."
I forget who that was though.
Sorry totally off subject. The previous signature caught my eye.

thogan

thanks nate886... More excellent info.

-cheers