CRX wheels on the Fit - Half inch narrower?
 

It's that time of year where I'm contemplating winter tires. I was digging through my shed and came accross a set of old Honda teardrop aluminum rims from my '88 CRX Si. I believe these are 14x5 with a 45mm offset.

I've read the Fit steel rims are 14x5.5 with a 45mm offset. Is that correct? Any problems going down half-an-inch in the width? I'd stick to the stock 175/65 14 for tire size. :)

Assuming not, I just have to decide whether I want to use these old CRX rims as my summer rims or my winter rims. :P

shouldnt be a problem

I've put Civic wheels 14x5 w/45mm offset on my Fit Sport without any issues. The slightly narrower offsets (pun intended!!) the 55mm offset of the stock wheel.

The outer edge of the tire is about the same, the wheel center-line is just pushed outward slightly.

FWIW - I'm running 175/70-14's on the Civic wheels (same as CRX wheels, of which I have several sets since I have two CRX's.) It gives a slightly taller tire which increases ground clearance slightly. I'm using mine for winter tires.

The offset is what you always need to look at. As long as the rims are 14+ they should fit with an offset of 55mm and lower.

As said above.

Foiled
 

For those of you who may have been considering this, don't. The rims from an '88 SI don't fit.

I checked all the measurments before I went to the tire store, but I asked the mechanic to double check, and mount a rim before he mounted all the tires. He took one of the rims, slipped it over the lugs, held it by hand and spun it, no problem. Then he mounted all the tires, put them all on the car, and then thought to double check and tried to spin the wheel again.... nope. You can see little shiny spots in the accumulated dirt in the back of the rim where the very edge of the front break caliper just slightly digs in to the rim, right where the "sidewall" of the rim curves in to meet the surface parallel to the tread. It's SO close, but not close enough. Odd, since the stock steel rims on the DX and LX have the same 45mm offset.

So, I now have two CRX rims with small gouges in the back of them. I can only imagine the carnidge that would have resulted if they'd lowered the car and tried to drive it out; little bits of rim and brake caliper all over the floor. *sigh*

I got the shop to mount the tires on the stock rims (mine is an LX), so now I have six months to think about what kind of rims I want to put on in the summer.

What would it take to get a set of the base model steel wheels?

I wonder about the possibility of putting washers over the lugs. Since the wheels are hub-centric, it should be ok?

Thoughts on that?

This would, in essence, increase the offset.

Sounds terrifying. :)

Obviously, you can't put TOO many washers on, since you have to make sure the hub still reaches the center of the rim. Although, actually, even if it was lug-centric, you should still be OK, as the washers would be behind the rim; the lugs would still center properly...

There's something about this that just sounds off to me, though. I have to wonder at what kind of forces are going to be put on those washers.

Sir, is this the wheel in question? I assume the #40 on this wheel is the offset? I ask as I found a set for sale, but do not want to get them if they will not work. Thanks!

http://www.breakerbar.com/images/CRX/86crxsiwheel.jpg

No, that's a 1984-1987 CRX Si rim. The '88 looks like this:

http://www.thedreaming.org/%7Equartz/CRXRim.jpg

I'd agree that the 40 is probably the offset, though.

Thanks, what is the offset of the 1988-> Si wheels then that caused the rub?

I put 90 Crx Si wheels on my fit, for the front two I had to use spacers because they hit the calipers. I can post pics of them on the car if you like.