Does anyone have experience with fitting studded snow tires onto a 2008 Honda Civic? I’m concerned that with the tighter clearances between the tire and inside fender on the new Civics(designed for aerodynamics), I’m going to have trouble getting a good quality snow tire on without the fender rub.
There are two things to be aware of here:
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It is usually recommended that you mount snow tires that are one size narrower than your regular tires. Your Owner’s Manual should mention the acceptable size(s).
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Studded snow tires are not legal in every state. Check regarding your state’s regulations before buying them. And, even if they are legal, the studs are effective for only a small portion of the tread life.
As long as you stick with the OEM size you’ll be fine. www.carbibles.com has a calculator that should help keep the same rolling circumference if you decide to go to a slightly narower width, but with the Civic you really don’t need to. While VDC’s comment that a narrower width will dig in better is true, it will also affect your car’s handling and I’d have to repsctfully disagree with VDC in that with the Civic I think the 205mm OEM size is best. The optional tire for that car is a 215x45/17, 10mm wider than yours, so you should have no problems. I run 215s on my tC with no problems.
Why not solve the problem by buying snow tires that are not studded?
I would suggest modern snow tires called winter tires. They perform as well if not better than ice than studded snow tires. They also perform very well and are quiet on wet and dry road surfaces in the winter. Check tirerack.com
I suggest that studded tires be called ice tires and we leave the snow tire name as it is. To me the sound of studs sounds like security when a front is approaching and the temps are or are predicted to be near freezing. Modern lightweight studs are long-lasting, don’t wear out the pavement much and increase ice traction significantly. If I am in a position to need winter tires again I will gladly sacrifice a little dry pavement traction for a lot when I need it the most.
To the OP, you may indeed have trouble finding the tires you want. I suggest that letting a shop or Tire Rack do the work might be your best approach. Be firm and don’t let them switch you to another type of product prematurely.
Most studs don’t poke out much at all. About a sixteenth of an inch is about it.
Since no one said it yet, I will. You need to mount 4 snow tires, not 2. You want your car to turn and stop, as well as accelerate. You need the same traction at all 4 corners. I agree with many posters that modern, studless ice/snow tires are great.
The Michelin X-Ice tire is absolutely incredible on slick surfaces, and it is actually very good on dry surfaces also.