Tire recommendations for my 97 Civic HX

[Titanium]

Originally Posted by mcrews

consider going up a size.
ex: 245/45/18 to 245/50/18 on my Infiniti. increased diameter 6.7%. Lowered rpms at cruise, better mpgs.

Not something I want to do personally just to get a certain Michelin tire which is not made in the exact size my owners manual states is the stock tire size the car was made to use. I always use the exact tire size my Civic HX owners manual states to use on this car.

I wish Michelin made a few more models of tires in the 14" size I want to buy just to have more options.

Not a big deal because the Michelin Defender is available in the size I need and that tire is extremely high rated. I like the fact that this is the tire several people on this forum are using which says allot...

[Titanium]

Thanks to everyone for all of your input. I am convinced at this point to buy the Michelin Defender tires for my Civic HX for my summer tire set. This winter I am going to buy another set of non studded General Altimax Arctic snow tires.

I do have eight stock Civic HX rims for my car. I should be set with tires for 4 to 5 years and I do drive allot. I plan on keeping this Civic for five to ten more years at least. Love driving this car...

[turbovr41991]

Sounds like you made the right decision. I just hope you can find a good sale to save a little more money!

I am running HX wheels with the Michelin Defenders. The LRR aspect is decent. It was an improvement over what I originally had. If you search hard enough you can find better LRR tires, but they typically cost more for a 40-50k mileage rated tire. The defender is rated for 90k making it hard to beat on a cost per mile basis.

I will also say, these tires are amazing for handing on wet and dry conditions and ride really nice. I was not out to get these features, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out how well they performed in any weather condition.

[Hog F150]

I will be buying new tires for my 98 civic soon. Those Michelin defenders have terrible reviews on tire rack right now, and they are pricey. The General Altimax tires have great reviews, with a decent price. What are you rolling on?

[California98Civic]

My 98 Civic is on 13" VX wheels, running Michelin Defenders. I love 'em. Compare the UTQG ratings and realize that the General Altimax is rated 600 and the Defenders 820. Remember that replacing the Generals possibly after 25% fewer miles means the price is a bit closer to the Defenders than at first seems to be the case. Also, replacing them more often means you pay for mounting/balancing more often. Add the fact that the rebate brings the Defenders' price to merely $75 ... the Defenders are about equal or maybe a bit cheaper. IMHO. And the Defenders are low rolling resistance tires while the Altimax is not. I hope that helps.

[Hog F150]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm just reading that folks are only getting 35-40,000 miles on a tire that is rated for 90,000. Now if you can get 90,000 miles, it's a no brainer.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Hog F150

Thanks for the feedback. I'm just reading that folks are only getting 35-40,000 miles on a tire that is rated for 90,000. Now if you can get 90,000 miles, it's a no brainer.

Yeah, but presumably that would mean the Altimax would do proportionally worse with those same drivers. I always like to remember the differences between how we drive and how the average person does.

[Hog F150]

Alright, Michelin it is!

I've got a "hum" coming from my front end right now. I was almost certain it was from the wheel bearings. I replaced both of them, and the "hum" is not as bad, but still there. I'm hoping the new tires I put on will solve the noise issue.

[MPGomatic]

Good choice! Slambo's running happy with Defenders, 10K or so and they're looking fine.

How tough was the front bearing replacement? My rear bearings were done recently, I have a pair of fronts sitting on the shelf.

Originally Posted by Hog F150

Alright, Michelin it is!

I've got a "hum" coming from my front end right now. I was almost certain it was from the wheel bearings. I replaced both of them, and the "hum" is not as bad, but still there. I'm hoping the new tires I put on will solve the noise issue.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by MPGomatic

Good choice! Slambo's running happy with Defenders, 10K or so and they're looking fine.

How tough was the front bearing replacement? My rear bearings were done recently, I have a pair of fronts sitting on the shelf.

I did one front bearing DIY, except for pressing the new bearing in. I took the knuckle to a machinist for that. $20 or something was what I paid. Maybe $30... I don't recall. There is a test to see if the bearing unit is failing:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post364406

I only replaced the one indicated bad and the problem went away. The other three bearing units are OEM 1998 and still going strong! Save $$!

Hope that helps...

James