Lower Car via Tires?
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 180
From: Columbia, SC
Lower Car via Tires?
Please know this post's purpose is to inform you of an option to you and your Fit. Whether it is a good idea for your specific circumstance is a judgment you'll have to make.
Putting this post here instead of in the Tires section as it can partially achieve a goal of after-market springs. This result is lowering the car .25" or so.
For a GE8 (2009-2013 or so) *Sport* you can put on
195/50-16 size tires (and other sizes).
(185/55-16 came with the car)
These tires will lower the car around .25 inch. It will also be a little bit wider tire. If you pay attention, you might even buy a lighter tire than what came on the car. Reducing Un-sprung weight is a good thing. Read somewhere that lowering the car can increase negative camber slightly which would probably be a good thing.
Downside - your speedometer will be off a little. On the interstate - time your mile markers and use your cruise control to figure out how much to compensate. Also, the tires do look a little bit small for the fender opening. Doesn't bother me any. Theoretically, the 50 series tire should ride rougher than 55 series. But heck I get a rough ride out of the Fit either way so can't tell which one beats me up more.
Generalities sometimes are not as helpful as they could be. Here is a specific:
Dunlop SP Sport 7000 A/S is on a lot of Fits from the factory.
Weight is 18 lbs and tread width is 6.3"*
Diameter: 24.2"
General G-MAX AS-03 weighs 17 lbs and tread width is 7.1"*
Diameter: 23.7"
*www.tirerack.com
Did do 5-60 MPH runs with the new set up. Could not find it quicker but theoretically it should be slightly quicker. Won an autox race once by less than .1 sec so it could make a difference. In addition, if you team this small advantage with a few other small advantages you suddenly have a significant advantage.
Hope you find this option useful to you.
Putting this post here instead of in the Tires section as it can partially achieve a goal of after-market springs. This result is lowering the car .25" or so.
For a GE8 (2009-2013 or so) *Sport* you can put on
195/50-16 size tires (and other sizes).
(185/55-16 came with the car)
These tires will lower the car around .25 inch. It will also be a little bit wider tire. If you pay attention, you might even buy a lighter tire than what came on the car. Reducing Un-sprung weight is a good thing. Read somewhere that lowering the car can increase negative camber slightly which would probably be a good thing.
Downside - your speedometer will be off a little. On the interstate - time your mile markers and use your cruise control to figure out how much to compensate. Also, the tires do look a little bit small for the fender opening. Doesn't bother me any. Theoretically, the 50 series tire should ride rougher than 55 series. But heck I get a rough ride out of the Fit either way so can't tell which one beats me up more.
Generalities sometimes are not as helpful as they could be. Here is a specific:
Dunlop SP Sport 7000 A/S is on a lot of Fits from the factory.
Weight is 18 lbs and tread width is 6.3"*
Diameter: 24.2"
General G-MAX AS-03 weighs 17 lbs and tread width is 7.1"*
Diameter: 23.7"
*www.tirerack.com
Did do 5-60 MPH runs with the new set up. Could not find it quicker but theoretically it should be slightly quicker. Won an autox race once by less than .1 sec so it could make a difference. In addition, if you team this small advantage with a few other small advantages you suddenly have a significant advantage.
Hope you find this option useful to you.
Last edited by yovtecjustkickedin; Mar 18, 2015 at 11:30 PM.
Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 108
From: San Luis Obispo, CA
I have been running and advocating for smaller tires for a while. You have to keep one thing in mind though: make sure the load rating of the tire in question meets or exceeds OEM specifications. Stock load rating is 83 for the 185/55/16s.
Ride will be harsher as noted, but I think it's a good compromise.
Ride will be harsher as noted, but I think it's a good compromise.
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