Will new rims lower my MPG?

Hey.... I got a 2002 Civic LX 5sp with stock 14" steel wheels and hubcaps. Right now I do a lot of commuting and get about 39 to 42 miles per gallon. However don't like the looks of the cheap looking hubcaps on my Civic and was thinking of going to the nicer looking 15" or 16" Honda wheels or nice after market wheels.

But, I really don't want to lose my good gas mileage that I'm getting with my Civic.

I did some checking and my stock steel wheels, plus tires and hubcap weight around 31 pounds. going to a new larger wheel and tire will add around 10 to 15 pounds per wheel and tire. I do a lot of atv riding and no first hand at the power you will lose by getting a heavier bigger wheel and tire, so was wondering about the mpg that all Honda owners here have experienced when they install new sets of rims. Thanks for any advice, Rob.

Reply to
Rob
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Find lighter rims. 1 lb rotating weight = 4 lbs static weight wrt acceleration, braking, etc. Narrow rims will get better mpg than fat rims, but probably result in poorer handling.

Reply to
mrdancer

Whoever installs the new wheels should be able to find a tire rim combination that has the same outside diameter as the original.

I question whether alloy rims would be mnoticeably heavier than the original steel rims.

Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor

Reply to
Elliot Richmond

You have already received some good advice; The following may help you with your decision. Gear ratio's (tire and wheel size) directly effect your milage and acceleration. I personally try to keep the same overall gear ratio that the manufacture designed the car with. It's usually the best combination of milage and performance. Go to

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click on wheels and tires, click on tire size calculator on right. Good Luck

Reply to
duckbill

I would find some good used Honda OE aluminum wheels from higher trim versions of the Civic. If you go up to 15" rims you will need to use lower aspect ratio tires in order to keep your speedometer reasonably accurate.

Reasonable sized aluminum rims of quality manufacture should weight less than steel rims, so something seems odd about your situation.

John

Reply to
John Horner

Where did you get those figures?

As all have said, the idea behind aluminum/alloy wheels is to weigh

*less*, I think you might check again, go to some reasonable nearby dealer and weigh the stuff yourself if you have to!

Larger wheels suggest lower-aspect tires, which will weigh less. For a given size, more wheel and less tire might weigh a bit more for decorative wheels, if you're really that serious, I'm sure you can find some wheels lighter than others.

Bottom line is it's unlikely to matter beyond cosmetics.

J.

Reply to
JXStern

Is it not possible to recalibrate Honda speedos for non-standard tire sizes?

Reply to
Doug McCrary

I went to Tire Rack and for example took the 15" Borbet rims(several choices) at 18.5 pounds then picked there recommended size tire 195/60/R15" tires in lets say in a BridgeStone Potenza (Because I have a brother that works for BridgeStone and can get a very big discount) at around 21 to 22 pounds which comes to around 40 plus pounds.

Reply to
Rob

Thanks...that's a good calculator.

Reply to
Rob

Sounds ballpark right.

And your current steel wheels and tires you weighed directly, I presume?

Are the current tires 6.5/195 width? All I can think of, though it shouldn't mean more than a pound or two.

Let's see ... ASA AR-1 15x6.5" "lightweight" at 15.9 pounds, Michellin MXV4 at 195/60/R15 are 21 pounds. Hmm, BBS RG-F 15x7 are 10.2 pounds for only $340! Others at 13 to 14 pounds around $120. SS-R competition at 9.3, $289. Borbets seem some of the heavier rims.

FWIW

J.

Reply to
JXStern

Anything that makes the car heavier will reduce fuel economy. 40-60 pounds extra probably won't make a significant difference though. Cars are a lot heavier than ATVs to begin with, so the PERCENTAGE weight gain will be a lot less. Cars also have a lot more power, so the effect of the added weight won't be as noticeable.

You might want to look for lighter rims, if you're that concerned about it. Also, try to get a lower-profile tire that will give the same overall outside circumference, or expect your speedometer and odometer to read wrong (smaller circumference will make the speedo read higher and the odo tick over faster). Any decent tire shop should be able to match up the new tires properly.

Remember too that wider tires will increase your rolling resistance and that will negatively affect fuel economy, though it will improve handling.

Reply to
Matt Ion

I found the weight of my stock 02 civic 14" wheels by weighing myself then removing the steel wheel and hubcap and holding both standing on the scale. It was a very good new scale so am pretty sure of the results and did it three times to be sure of the weight. I was very surprised at how light the set up was myself. I thing this is one of Hondas Civci's secrets for there good gas mileage.

Reply to
Rob

My stock tires are 185/70/ 14" on my 02 Civc.

Reply to
Rob

The BBS RG-F are 10.2 pounds but that's $340 per wheel, don't have that kind money for a whole set. True some wheels weigh less than Borbets but if you look at the whole lot of wheels that fit the Civic the Borbets are on the lighter side plus there prices are some of the best for a high quality German made rim. But it's going to be tough to match my stock Civic hubcap set up for weight. Later, thanks for the looking.

Reply to
Rob

I have to say I had potenzas (RE92's) on my 01 maxima, and man they were Horrable!, they wore out in about 23,000 miles, were really bad in the snow, and less than average in the rain. only thing they had going were they were pretty decent on dry pavement. but for teh price they ask, and for how long they lasted, I'd NEVER get them or recommend them again. (now your discount might change that for you) but personally, when I replaced them with Yokohama Avid V4's it was MUCH better all around (rain, dry and snow) and more than half the price than the bridgestones.

Reply to
Dr Nick

Increasing weight on wheels have a higher effect on increasing weight than, say, inside the car. The wheels and suspension pieces are unsprung weight. This is much more significant than sprung weight. Consider this: Wear a backpack with 20 pounds in it and run. You won't feel a big difference. But if you put 10-pound weights on each foot and ran, you will be much slower.

In addition to reducing gas mileage, it makes the handling worse (other than the added mechanical grip with wider tires), makes the ride harsher, increases braking distance, and slows down acceleration.

Lighter or equivalent wheels are indeed possible even though the rim size increases...if you're budget allows it. Keep in mind some tires are heavier than others too. That weight is actually more critical than the wheel weight.

Reply to
Viperkiller

Another secret for their good gas mileage is their tall gear ratio. My's sister Civic EX, which has a 5-spd manual, was the only I car I drove that lost speed while going up one of the steep hills in my city. When I floored the gas pedal, it still lost speed. A down shift was necessary.

I'm not knocking the car. I'm just augmenting upon your comment on how they achieve their good gas mileage.

Reply to
Viperkiller

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