I want soften the ride on my Fit any ideas? I thought tires not wheels just bigger 15" tires.

 

In theory taller section tires would soften the ride, but the difference you would feel on stock rims with tires that fit inside the fenders is very small.

You could go to 14" rims and 70 series tires which would be softer, but you add vagueness to the handling. It's a tradeoff.

 

A call to tirerack.com for advice might get you a stock-sized tire that rides nice and runs quiet. They are very helpful and knowledgable.

 

Lift it 2-4" and put some big ol rally tires on it

 

^ sounds legit

The effect ties will have is minimal, you'd have to swap springs/shocks to really feel much of a difference and most things in that arena are decidedly geared to the handling side of the spectrum.

 

I bought -1" (15") wheels and snow tires for my EX, which have a somewhat more softer right (and squishier handling). My summers are 16x7s with Contis, which tightened up the handling somewhat from the OEM wheels/tires.



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Generally, the less sporty the tire, the softer it is. What tires are on now? It seems like stock tires differ by country, trim level, even possibly the region the car is going to. My stock Firestones are absolute crap. Okay maybe that's a bit much, but they're too soft for my liking with not enough grip.

Generally "touring" and "grand touring" tires are pretty soft. The higher the tire (the middle number in the xxx/xx rxx sizing convention) the more comfortable it is. "passenger" tires are also softer. Anything that not sporty at all, though you will likely lose grip and road feel. The less sporty the tire is, the softer the sidewall will be (sporty tires do NOT want the sidewalls to flex in turns, so they stiffen them, which stiffens the ride).

I mean you could look for suspension components but I haven't noticed many out of this newer generation, and they're all generally aimed at sportier results, not comfort.

And, as mentioned, smaller wheels with larger tires = soft ride. (smaller wheels in general = better gas mileage as well). Larger wheels with thinner tires = better performing but harsher. And 15 - 16 " rims are already considered pretty small in this day and age.

Personally I think the car is pretty soft (but not too soft) already.

 

I should have thought of this, check your tire air pressure! Sometimes a dealership or mechanic will over-inflate the tires, intentionally, or by accident if using an out-of-calibration gage.

 

From Bassguitarist1985: " the harshness comes from the cars short wheel base, not necessarily from an inadequate suspension system. its a McPherson strut system, you cannot expect miracles with that system. Upgrading the suspension in the back for towing has drastically softened the ride. I put Monroe Air Shocks in."