16inch wheels on 2013 Si?

D

dirtybird222

Well-Known Member
268
181
'
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Sedan
Anyone know if it can be done? I have a set of 16inch wheels that I used on my 8th gen for autox but with the 2013 getting a tad bit bigger brakes I'm just curious if that would be an issue. I would love to bring those up to VA to AutoX with when I fly back home to get the wife's car. Thanks in advance for the info!
 
Yes 16's work. Dragos and many others have run 16" rims/winter tires when it snows.
 
I did go 16s for winter for better snow and ice handling. They look less nice but you get better handling due to smaller footprint which works both for plowing through snow or ice contact patch. I went steelies since I frequently plow through snow when needed and I do not want to worry about the appearance and structural integrity of my wheels :)

I used this to find a good match for the tire size.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I chose 205 55 16 since it has the closest fit to the original equipment.

Rims wise all shops have compliance books and they know which one to get to fit the Si. For fancy alloys it may limit the selection but I am sure there's still lots of choice.

For summer I would go 18 or 19 depending on how deep your pockets are, the only reason for downsizing was winter handling in my case, we got 4 inches of snow two days ago :) no ice sadly since it is spring snow, haha :)

Autocross concerned I guess the cheap option is to downsize since it has better bump resistance but you will loose road feedback and grip response on hard throttle will change. For asphalt/public roads I think 18 is a good choice, 19 may be too skinny and some bumps, ditches may give you a flat. Track I would go 19s or higher.

All my remarks are only made from a performance perspective, I like the looks but I love the performance ;)
 
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For the old rims you already have I would just put them on and see, on the ones I have now there is a 1/8th to 3/16s gap between brake pad and rim, did not measure it just a visual assesment. I seem to recall people say 16s should fit if they come from other Honda/Acuras. Many people put 16 Accord rims as well.
 
Thanks for the input guys! Tires are cheaper but they are mainly used for autocrossing and trackdays and they are 16x8 which allows me to put a wider tire on as well. I would love to put them on to see but I'm in Virginia and this stuff is in Florida. I'm flying down in a couple weeks to get my wife's car and will load these up if they work - like I said my main concern was the larger brakes on the 2013s from the 2012.
 
front/rear brakes (si)
2012's = 11.8" / 10.2"
2013's = 11.8" / 10.2"
 
doh! i could have sworn i read the 2013s got bigger brakes (they at least look bigger too). brain fart
 
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