Need 02 Honda civic help today. (205/75 14 ok on the front?)

[justme1969]

Getting new tires set for undieing POS. currently 195 70? or75 14. on front.
the gearing and well can easily handle the 205 75 14 Ive been planning for fronts.
It is mismatch in sizes I know, but I really want to see end result of final best MPG on this car before its retired.
This set of probbable mis match after is projected to go on my old car for my son to begin ecomodding ventures.
Plan is for 205s on front duty for long trips and 195 for daily driving.
This is an 02 civic lx automatic.
I need to know before hand will the 205 75 14 be ok on the front of the civic?? Gear ratio and well size. He intends also to do a 2" drop and add wings west front, back, and sides ground kit.
Other than this drive train, and propulsion to remain essentialy stock.
Need Honda experts to fill in the blanks for me.

Son wants to know if there is a upgrade for the final drive also besides tire dimensions.
Thanks in advance these rear tires are will pops and must go now.

[justme1969]

Thought there woulda been something. Lots of Honda fans here.

[cbaber]

As a matter of opinion I have to suggest not adding any body kit to this car. Not only would he look silly putting "ricer" styling on an automatic economy car, it also has the effect of lowering the value of the car, and of course the cost of buying the parts which add absolutely no practical value.

Opinion aside, going from 195/75/14 to 205/75/14 is only a difference of 0.5 in overall diameter. The only way to know how the planned suspension mods will effect tire clearance is to go measure the fender gap to determine if you can subtract 2.5 inches without having tire rub issues. There is also the issue of camber angles. 7th gen Civics have different suspension systems than previous Civic's, and they are notorious for severe camber problems when lowered. Are you willing to run a camber angle beyond factory specifications?

Being an automatic transmission there isn't much you can do with gearing. For a M/T I would have suggested swapping the final drive from the 7th gen Civic HX.

I run an overall diameter that is 1 inch larger than stock with stock suspension. It's fine for me since the car is not lowered, but I would probably have issues if I lowered the car 2 inches. I suggest skipping the ricer body kit and lowered suspension and you will be fine with the 205/75/14 on the front. If you really want a project, consider spending the money and time you would have spent on the body kit and suspension, and swapping that automatic transmission for a manual.

[justme1969]

Sons car not mine I hate Hondas He can paint flowers all over it for all I care
I gather you believe they should fit?? or at least the 195 will work ok and he can worry bout it all when he goes to lowering it.

[cbaber]

I just realized you weren't saying the 195/75/14 is the stock size. According to TireRack 185/60/14 is the stock size. The 205's are a whopping 2 inches in diameter. Thats almost 8% difference in speedometer readings. It will fit with stock suspension, but lowering the car is out of the question with those tires.

[justme1969]

yeah the KIA is a power house and rolls the 195 like its nothing so next step is to get them rpm down even more on hiway runs "upstep to 205".
I am wondering if he will even have gears or power enough to roll them 205 on the Honda.
Im soon to be rid of the KIA and dont want to waste the New tires.
I dont like the KIA Sephia but it still amazes me what that car "will" do.
Mabe I should turn it into a rally car instead of scrapping it.

[PaleMelanesian]

This is probably a better question for honda-tech.com than here. Body kits, lowering and upsizing tires are more their kind of thing.

[justme1969]

Thats prime eco modder all day long. He is getting the wheel disc's also with wheels n tires. I think ground effects should also be eco modding general tech. basically just same as air dam and side skirts plus or minus the obvious.
I shouldnt be going into unknown really either because we have several 01-05 civics here someone musta tried to raise final drive to drop rpm by now.
thanks all

[PaleMelanesian]

I didn't have that generation of Civic, and I don't even have my older one any more. What I would do is go out with a ruler/tape measure and check.

Sit on / bounce the car at each corner and note the minimum clearance between body and tire. Do the same with the wheel turned all the way, then the opposite way, especially checking the inside tire-to-suspension clearance.

I have my doubts the bigger tires AND lowered suspension would work, but probably one or the other will be fine.

[justme1969]

do that but I havent gotten the tires yet lol this is preceeding purchase.
Long and short is I know they will be fine on KIA car But not keeping it much longerand want to put all 4 new tires on sons Civic so when he gets engine done he has good tires. his tires are all my old junk kia tires now.

Second part: I would like to get this POS car over 40mpg before I give it to my neighbor, "and im close" the 205 on front should put me over the top.
The KIA needs new rear tires rite now!, well really 3 mos ago so I am waiting to see if anyone has ever gone to 205 up front on thier 01-05 civic here.
then I get my 40mpg epitome and he gets good tires that fit.
A good guess isnt good enough to sacrifice $215.00 on. Not this time.

Hey watcha do with the 70mpg civic? I wouldnt have ever gotten rid of that unless the seat fell through the floor.