What do you mean by that term? Deflection of sidewall?

 

What I mean is how big the outside diameter of the tire is. That affects the speedometer accuracy, and the bigger the rim, typically the shorter the sidewall of the tire which affects the ride quality.

 

Also the larger the rim -- even if the weight is the same -- negatively affect FE, because the weight is further from the center.

nf

P.S. Don't fear the rings. I've been using them for years and have never had one break.

 

may I add a rookie question? Is there an advantage to putting 16" wheels on the HCH II, besides styling issues?

 

Here is a link to tirerack.com they have 235 different styles of Alloy wheels to choose from for the Civic. If this link works you can choose your car color and see what the wheels look like on your car. discounttire.com also has the same feature.

If this link Works there should be an Atomic Blue Civic Hybrid.

http://www.tirerack.com/upgrade_gara...ModClar=Hybrid

Just click on the wheel you like and you can see it on the car. They also have steel wheels. You can do this for any vehicle.

 

The larger the wheel diameter, the lower the profile of the tire, if you size it correctly. In the end, the diameter should be the same. That's how you pick tire size to match your wheel if plus-size.

 

so why get larger diameter wheels for the HCH II?

 

I would recommend getting 16" wheels and tires as that is what the car was designed for. 17 or larger will compromise the car.

 

Gotta go for the bling, baby!

Just kidding, I like my dinner plates just fine.

 

so here's where I'm probably being dim. My '08 HCH II came with 15" wheels; was the '07 sold with 16", or are there model diffs in the '08?

(knowledge is power!)