Civic VX wheels or aftermarket?

[monroe74]

I am thinking that the tires generally weigh more then the wheels so I think it would be better for me to go with a 14" light weight wheel and buy a lower profile tire which would save weight

I think you'll find that the stock setup (13") is lighter, overall, than anything else you're going to come up with. And for multiple reasons cutting weight on tires/wheels is especially important.

There are many more good tires available in 185 60 14 than the 175 70 13

A lot of VXs seem to have 175/70-13, but the proper size is 165/70-13. I think using the proper size is probably a good idea. Tirerack has a couple of choices in the proper size.

I would stay with the stock over all diameter because then your speedometer is correct.

Yes. There are multiple reasons to stay with stock tires, in addition to the speedo issue. As someone mentioned, that VX gearing is already very tall. It doesn't need to be taller. When you make it taller (with tires that are literally taller), this will tend to make it a bit tougher to get the car moving in 1st gear (especially if carrying a load and/or climbing a grade). I think this could cause extra wear on the clutch.

I did pick up an extra set of VX ones for just around $100.

That's a great price. I also have an extra set of VX wheels, for snow tires.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

By the way, I've heard that some of the GM and Saturn alloys, 15" 4x100, are very light for 15s around 12lb or so.

[Nden]

I have VX 13's in the front and 14" HX in the rear. Lookin to sell at least 2 of my spare VX rims $150, maybe all 4 VX 13"s if i can find another 2 HX rims. (san diego fyi). i like the broader choice of tires for the HX 14's myself.

[mini-e]

Originally Posted by Danronian

There are some 13 inch tires which are sticky and designed for auto-cross use.

I like both the hx and vx wheels, but for me I could never find the HX ones for cheap but I did pick up an extra set of VX ones for just around $100.

Like r compound track tires? Hoosiers or something?

[travr6]

Thanks for the replies.
I think I will stick with the 13's then.
Anyone know of any wheels other then the vx 13's that are light?

Miata wheels?
Geo Metro Wheels?
Aftermarket wheels?

[spazzer]

These Mini Cooper R81 wheels are 15x5.5" and weigh 12 pounds. They're nicknamed "holies". They have a 4x100 bolt circle and a slightly larger centerbore than OEM hondas. I've seen them priced about the same as HX rims around here, roughly $250-280 a set.

http://www.helix13.com/images/r81holies.jpg

Rota Slipstreams (an aftermarket rim) available in a bunch of sizes. Allegedly the 15x6.5" rim weighs slightly under 12 pounds as well but of course they are more expensive than HX/VX rims.

http://www.jaydm.com/wheels/rota_slipstream.jpg

Don't know if there are any good LRR tires in 15" diameter though.

The Miata shares the same bolt circle as the Honda, but has a smaller center bore in the wheels. Geo Metro uses a larger bolt circle.

I got the wheel weights from this site: http://www.wheelweights.net/

[travr6]

I like the 14" wheels and tires combo better for highway speeds.

The majority of my driving is on the highway so I think the extra mass and larger size from take off would be negated by the high amount of miles spent on the highway.

How do you find LRR tires? If you go on tire rack.com will it say LRR?

[mini-e]

Originally Posted by travr6

How do you find LRR tires? If you go on tire rack.com will it say LRR?

That sounds like a good idea.

[monroe74]

"I think the extra mass and larger size from take off would be negated by the high amount of miles spent on the highway."

I think you'll be paying for the extra mass every time you accelerate (and not just from take off). Which is something you do a lot, if you do P&G.

If you want to save gas, making the wheel/tire assembly as light as possible is a really good idea. The people who designed the VX knew what they were doing. They sweated the details, and it's not an accident that it gets great mileage.

[suspendedhatch]

Metal is much denser than rubber, so you were incorrect in that assumption.

Going up a wheel size and going down in sidewall height makes it possible to keep the same aspect ratio so that your speedo is not affected. I believe that tirerack.com has a calculator for that.

Also, because wheels are a rotating weight, a 13 inch rim that weighs 15 lbs is functionally lighter than a 14 inch rim that weighs 15 lbs.