Fonzie91

I just bought 18 inch wheels with some cheap "triangle" brand tires. I know it's better to buy excellent brand tires but I'm keeping these triangles temporarily since theyre "new". My problem is.....as soon as I got these wheels installed I accelerated to 30 mph an I heard a rolling sound like ruuuuuuuu. Lol as I go over 50 u can't hear it too much. The guy who I bought the wheels off of said 18 inches on a civic is a big upgrade from stocks so changes will be felt..but the noise bothers me....could it be the cheap tires? Or could the wheels simply be too big for my civic? It's a 2011 civic sedan.... All stock

MindBomber

It's not because the wheels are larger, the sound is most likely being caused by the cheap tires. If the sound is not totally consistent and is a bit more of a rumbling sound then the hub size of the rim could be the wrong diameter.

Fonzie91

Wow really? The sound is at it's loudest when it's exactly at 29 mph. Its like a rooooooooooooo noise....like a pipe rolling down a pavement... And it's so hard to steer the car now...it feels much heavier and stiffer at the driving wheel...maybe it IS the tires... :/

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

not to mention the tires for 18s will be paper thin compared to stock. you will hear every noise and feel every pebble in the road.

Fonzie91

Youre Right. I should of got 17 inch instead of 18...but is there anything I can do about the rolling noise? U guys think it's the cheap tires? Or the wheels and tires being too big for a civic? I didn't lower the car btw

MindBomber

If it's consistent it's the tires, no question.

Keep in mind, people are willing to pay $1200 for a good set of tires because they affect road noise, handling, braking, acceleration, traction on wet roads and etcetera. If the rims are heavy and the tires have smaller side walls that will affect the way the car drives, but not create significant road noise.

I'd suggest buying a decent tire like yoko s.drives or toyo t1R and flipping the junk tires on craigslist; the importance of good tires absolutely cannot be understated, remember, they're the only part of your vehicle with thousands of components that actually touches the road.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

well its a combination of both. new tires (good brand) will prolly cut down on a lot of the roughness and noise, but not completely. it will be a big improvement tho. tires can be night and day different.

Fonzie91

Wow thanks to both of you guys. I actually do believe it's the damn tires. I think I'm gonna fetch myself some new tires then. If I use these tires for a month or so will the noise somehow damage the car? And are mitchellin tires good enough?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

michelins are pretty good normally. and no you wont damage anything with cheap tires, it will just be a hard and noisy ride.

Fonzie91

Thanks a lot. I'll gather some money and see if I can find used tires with my measurement...if not then I guess new (: I hope the tires at least eliminate MOST of the noise... People stare at my car like if it's a wagon lol

MindBomber

Michelin makes a wide selection of tires, but generally they're a decent brand. Check out the reviews on tirerack to decide what tire you feels suits your budget and needs best.

No, they won't damage your car, they'll just drive you to the brink of sanity. Generally speaking though, once it starts getting a bit colder the noise won't be as bad.

Fonzie91

Thank u both again. I will look at that site now (: