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I need help with tire choice for H Stock, 14x5.5 rims (I know, really small, but at least they're light). I'm a total beginner and it's a low mileage daily driver so I don't want to go with r compounds or crazy wide 225s right now, which rules out the Victoracer 205/55/14 that seems to have the widest tread at 7.6. The only alternatives I can find are Azenis in 195/60/14 with a tread width of 6.6, or the Yoko es100 205/60/14 with tread width of 7.1. The Azenis are shorter which should help acceleration. From what I can tell, the Azenis is a lot stickier than the es100 but .5 inch less tread seems like a lot. I'm not concerned with being competitive, I just need something decent to get started and learn how to drive. What would you pick? Please don't suggest that I change wheel size, suspension, class, etc.

 
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Get a set of Civic HX wheels, get the Azenis... they're a lot stickier, and go have a blast. I'd still have an extra set of rims for them.... they tend to wear out quick, and if you put a nail or something in a race tire, they're useless.

 
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Azenis..yes.

HX wheels...not so much.

I would personally go with the civic HYBRID wheels....SUPER light.

 
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How light are the Hybrids? Cuz the HXs are somewhere around 12 lbs as it is.

 
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how wide can you go on those stock hx wheels?

 
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The Hx rim they're referring to is 14x5.5. Most of the manufacturers I've checked indicate that a 5.5 wide rim can handle a maximum tire size of 205/60-14 or 205/55-14. I've heard that some stock class Honda autocrossers have squeezed a 225/50-14 on a 5 inch rim but it's probably for competition only, not street. And I'd bet it would require a skilled tire tech to mount it, and some wheel spacers to clear it.

Thanks for the feedback above, the Azenis sound like the best choice and based on what people have said they seem to be bigger than advertised

 
Rep Power: 424

They are larger than they say... its a pretty wide footprint tire and the sidewalls are probably the stiffest you can get. As far as shoehorning, you can get a 225 on, but you're right... someone better know what they're doing, and those kinds of things are typically R compounds, where the grip of the tire can outweigh the flub of all the excess tire.

 
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ya, your probably better off starting off with the Azenis in 14"...