Hi guys- I recently purchased a '12 Honda Fit sport, it has 33K on it and need to replace the stock Dunlop 185/55/16 tires. What concerns me the most about driving in NYC is the massive amounts of serious potholes EVERYWHERE you go. Not only am I concerned about getting a smoother ride (in general) but I find that my front fenders are getting loose on one side as I notice the gaping is wider(where the fender meets the door). Being originally from Cali, I now know why people STILL drive huge tanks in this city...its to mitigate the carnage from potholes and just bad roads in general.

While obviously the Fit is a basic commuter and not a luxury Lexus where comfort is paramount, what set of tires would you recommend to " Soften the blow " as it were...then again my question may be more a suspension issue than a tire issue - I'm not certain. At any rate, I am currently looking at Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 for $62 per tire. Has anyone tried these tires on a Fit Sport ?

Ive read suggestions of going with a bigger tire like the 205 I believe..i guess whatever would give me a less bumpier ride..i am not a racer or don't drive my Fit hard, just your average commuter driving less than 10K a year.

till soon
Zero2Hero

 

It appears the stock Dunlops were almost worn out when you bought your Fit. If so, their shallow tread depth tends to give a rougher ride. Deeper treads on new tires normally softens the ride.
Cold temperature is another factor as it makes rubber stiffer.
Decreasing the tire pressures by a few psi should help make things a little smoother.

Suggest researching the comfort ratings for different tire brands at the Tire Rack site.
Also, suggest not getting 205 tires. They have a 50 aspect ratio, which means its sidewall is narrower than the stock 55 aspect ratio tires. And that will make the ride rougher.

 

Thanks for the swift reply and advice..i will look into tire rack site as suggested.

 

Apparently the comfort level is "good" or above in most reviews I'm reading , I think I might just go for it.. Most claim to be happy with it in general..

agreeable price doesn't hurt it either lol!

 

That's not true. Since the aspect ratio on a 50 series, is from a larger width, then it's not much of a difference in height. I'm running a 205/50/16 and the sidewalk height is nearly identical to the stock size. Check a tire size calculator to confirm. Check my build thread for my review.

I'm using the general altimax rt43 and have been happy with them.

 

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

@2Rismo2 - Are you suggesting that you have an improved overall performance with the bigger 205/50/16 tires ? Any drawbacks besides the apparently reduced gas milage ?

rgds

 

Yes performance has improved but anything would have been better than the stock Firestone. It is a better ride and I'm hoping for added pothole protection. Reduced gas mileage was negligible. I filled up last night and got 43.8 mpg

 

205/50/16's are easier to find too... the stock size is pretty limited, no?

i ran 205/50/16's on my GE and GK. DWS06 are my choice for compliant ride and all season performance.

185 x 0.55 = 101.75mm sidewall height
205 x 0.50 = 102.50mm sidewall height so rismo is correct in this case.

 

That's already been acknowledged. Your comment was totally superfluous.

 

Thanks guys- I am now convinced about getting the 205/50/16's..according to all the articles ive since been reading too. Only sticky is price..ideally I want to spend between $60-70 per tire.

Can you guys recommend brand-wise which ones are recommended ? Initially I was looking into this brand - Hankook Ventus V2 Concept.

rgds

 

If you have a Discount Tire store near you go there. I bought my son a set of Falken Pro 4 GS 185-55-16 tires for his Fit there. I paid $59.95 per tire. They matched a price I had from Tire Rack. I also bought the replacement certificates.

Living in NY this will ultimately save you money. Discount Tire can get you any tire you want even if it is not shown on their website. I've used our local store for years & they are very good.

EDIT.... I should have said my son loves these tires. He just did a cross country drive through the upper tier of states & had zero issues. Great traction he says.

 

ashchuckton - So your son didn't opt for the 205's ? i'll check if there's a Discount tire near me - thanks

 

The average price for Altimax rt43 in 205's are running around $95.00 a pop..a bit steep for me, the hunt continues..

 

Ok I think my best price option would be the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 in 205's for $64.00 each which Mavis discount tires will price match.

One question I hope you guys can help me with..Ofcourse I plan to get them balanced but do I need to get them aligned as well?

Allignment is $65 per wheel at Mavis..I've never bought new tires so I don't know if it is necessary in my case. As mentioned my Fit has 33K miles.

 

You can get the front end aligned, the stock backend is unable to be aligned unless you get aftermarket components. If you've never got the car aligned, it's probably a good idea to do so. A bad alignment can reduce the life of tires. Since my daily round trip commute takes me over 4 railroad tracks, I get an alignment 1-2 times a year. I have a lifetime alignment at my local tire place so it's free so long as I own this car.

I hit a pothole hard enough that it actually popped the sidewall of a tire on the Fit (before I went 205). It also screwed up the toe enough to need an alignment.

I've used TireRack and recently TireBuyer to purchase tires. You can then have them drop shipped to a local tire installer for mounting/balancing. I've been happy with both, but found that you can search for coupon codes. I was able to get a better price using TireBuyer.

 

ha! 4 railroad tracks is a piece of cake in my neck of the woods..in all sincerely, driving in NYC you would be mistaken for driving in a third world country..they no longer even bother to put orange cones or fluorescent markings around giant holes in the middle of streets/freeways etc. A sad state of affairs but I guess that's why they named it ZooYork, it really is..

Ok so in all probability then I will get the fronts aligned..BTW have you ever gotton your backend aligned ?

Haven't checked TireBuyer yet, will do so asap- thanks.

 

I have not aligned the rear in the Fit. Like I said, it's not really possible unless you get aftermarket shims. It's not worth my time since the Fit is my commuter car. I was still able to get 40k miles out of the stock tires. I also rotate tires every 5k. Probably overkill, but it's what I've always done...

I've driven in 3rd world countries where a 2 lane road is driven like a 3 lane. Cars get so close to each other, they stagger their mirrors so they don't hit. I yawn at NYC It's not a Zoo unless you got a random cow or goat crossing the road

 

sensitive you are. i wasn’t posting it at you, did you see your name in my post?
i was just showing how one would calculate sidewall thickness. useful to know if you didn’t know, don’t you think?

i mean you do agree your initial post was a complete newb post just taking a 50 aspect ratio and assuming it was shorter sidewall vs 55. now people can calculate on their own if desired.

 

its all good guys- we're only trying to help each other - which I appreciate very much )