Tire Sidewall Height/ Performance

[Hazardjackson]

Hey everyone, first post. Got my Civic Si a few weeks ago after checking out a lot of cars. Love it. Have started looking at wheels for some sticky summer tires. I like to go on the back roads/ mountain roads here and have fun with it. The roads are often not perfect, with weird dips and imperfections.

From reading other threads it seems like the Type R size 245 width will fit with no issues in the Si. I am debating 18" rims with 245 width vs. 19 or 20". The 18" wheels will be around 6lbs lighter per wheel/tire and take little bumps and whatnot better. However being able to corner harder with the 20" is something that seems appealing. The price is also much lower for 18" wheels/tires. Aesthetic is not really a concern.

The difference is 1" on the sidewall height.

Thoughts?

Sponsored

 

[gtman]

Unless your roads are perfect, don't do 20's. Check out the amount of posts where Type R guys swap them out for 18's.

Personally, I think 18's are the sweet spot for the Si. Lighter wheels with grippier tires will be all you need. Any bigger is mostly for looks.

 

[Benster]

larger wheels won't give you better cornering performance, the tires will. Depending on the tire, sidewall strength and tire compound plays a much bigger role in how the car will handle than how much sidewall you got. Just look at F1 cars with their massive sidewalls.

 

[Yonder]

I'll second what @Benster said. More tire is more grip and more side wall to flex when going around corners.
Go 17's with a thicker sidewall if cheaper priced tires and performance is what you're looking for. Not saying 17's are better than18's, but one can hold more tire.
Here is a photo for reference. 17x9 +40 - 255/40/R17

Sponsored