Can I use spare 16" if i have 18"s?

[Shimian]

Heres a noob quesion. I have a Civic sport looking to get 18" wheels. My spare is a full size 16"s. If for some reason (touchwood) an 18" tyre blows, is it possible to use the spare 16" without any consequences. When i say consequences, something like i will be driving on an angle or one side will cause my tyres to scrape the fender etc. Or will it be ok? I was thinking that the wheel size for both will be the same in diameter but just which one had more % of tyre vs rim. So that means if i did use the 16", the car will still be balanced and safely drivable.

Any info is appreciated greatly.

[dsp26]

Yes if the tyre profile combo is the same diameter as your 18s profile... will never be exact but very close.

tell us what 18s profile you have and we'll tell you what 16s profile you should have for it to work

[Shimian]

Possibly 225/40R18 or 235/40R18. One of them has the minimal difference on the speedo reading. Dont remember which one.

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

as long as your 2 drive wheels are the same. Depending if your car is front wheel or rear wheel drive.

[dtrang]

as long as your 2 drive wheels are the same. Depending if your car is front wheel or rear wheel drive.

yeah when one of my tires went flat needed to change the front to the same size but the back was just temp. til i got a new tire.. alright to drive slowly lol

[Shimian]

its a 2006 civic sport. I think its a front wheel drive. I dont really understand. What difference does it make? I wont be driving it for a whole week, just enough to get me to a service centre to get the tyre fixed or get a new tyre after a blowout. Only concern is that it has the same diameter so im not driving around with 1 corner scrapping the fender or the ground.

[D4rk4n63l]

use this website (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html)to determine your 18" tyres profile

[Shimian]

Sweet. Great site. The diameter difference is only 6cm from the stock 205/55R16 to 225/40R18. I think it should be good enough to get by.

Thanks for the info

[e240]

If you have an LSD, just make sure the wheels connected to the LSD are the same size or you could stress the LSD.

[Shimian]

I thought u only stress them if ur driving it like a mad cat? If im gonna drive sensibly to a tyre shop, will it be ok with the 6cm difference? (Assuming the website calculation is correct?)

[D4rk4n63l]

u meant 6mm? 6cm difference is huge !!!
anyways, 6mm difference wont stress the LSD too much, weight difference will... will the new rims/tyre be heavier/ lighter than your spare?

[Rasputin]

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html Use this tyre calculator to see what difference, if any, there is between the outer dimensions of the tyres. Has a visual representation too. That way you can judge if the difference is negligable or not.
As said before, it's always good practice to put the spare on the rear in a FWD, if at all possible.
Also, if you have the time/energy, why not test-fit the spare while at home in a safe environment (i.e. not on the side of the freeway) and determine the suitability yourself.


Edit: Forgot to refresh page before posting. D4rk4n6el has it all covered.

[Shimian]

Its actually 6mm. I have to learn to read. So its bugger all. In terms of weight, i do not know how much stock civic sport wheel weighs. I guess ill find out when i go and buy my 18s and ask the dealer

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

6mm after 1000 rotations is a fair bit of stress. like i said change both drive wheels to the same.

[Drew]

Simply if you blow one of the front wheels you will have to put the spare wheel onto the back and get one of the 18s from the back and put them on the front

Otherwise you risk screwing up the gearbox

[Shimian]

Simply if you blow one of the front wheels you will have to put the spare wheel onto the back and get one of the 18s from the back and put them on the front

Otherwise you risk screwing up the gearbox

Thanks for the advice. Will do. Time for rims shopping