Honda Civic Type-R - Wheels & Tyres

Tyre & Wheel Specification
Replacement Tyres
Rotating Tyres
Tips for Jacking
Cleaning Wheels
Refurbishing/Repairing Alloy Wheels
Checking Tyre Pressures
Aftermarket Wheels

Tyre & Wheel Specification

17", 7 spoke alloys, painted with lacquer finish

Tyres 205/45R17  - Factory Fitted with Bridgestone Potenza RE040s

Replacement Tyres

While many people criticise the grip of the Bridgestone Potenzas I believe you'll be hard pushed to find a better all round tyre for this car. The real limitations on grip are none more than would be expected on a front wheel drive vehicle. 
Depending on your personal driving preferences you may find some other brands of tyre provide better grip or have less road noise but will compromise handling.

Rotating Tyres

As front tyres wear much faster than rear ones it's good practice to swap your front and back tyres so wear is evened out. Many garages will do this for you as part of the service but always ask. Otherwise it's a very simple task that you can do yourself.

With directional tyres (as standard on the Type-R) they must remain on the same side of the vehicle as originally fitted.

On the Civic Type-R when jacking up the front wheel you can lift the rear wheel clear as well, making swapping over even easier. Now this is not an approved procedure, just something I've found is possible. You can use axle stands in addition for added security.

Remember you only need a small amount of clearance between the tyre and the ground, going any higher serves no benefit at all except to make the car even more unstable.

Tips for jacking:

- Ensure the ground is relatively level
- Place the car into first gear, release the handbrake and let it roll till it stops
- Apply the handbrake
- Chock the wheels that are not to be lifted by placing bricks or similar against them
- Ensure the jack base is on solid ground, on block paving it's best to use a wooden plinth to spread the load.

Cleaning Wheels:

Regular cleaning will help ensure your alloy wheels stay pristine.

The market is full of alloy wheel cleaners but just standard shampoo and water used regularly is best. Only use wheel cleaners as a last resort for tough staining.

A good preventative measure is to apply a decent coat of polish/wax to the alloys. This will prevent brake dust, road salts and dirt building up and sticking to the alloy wheel finish.

When cleaning avoid getting cleaning solutions and polishes onto the brake discs and calipers. Also, do not clean when the wheels are hot.

Refurbishing/Repairing Your Alloy Wheels:

The Civic Type-R alloy wheels are as prone to 'kerbing' as any other. If you don't want them scraped then you will have to avoid 'kissing' the kerb when parking. Because of the low 45 profile of the tyre, even the smallest kerb can cause damage.

It's advisable to treat any scrapes with touch-up paint as soon as possible because eventually water penetrates beneath the paint finish and starts causing it to bubble.

If your alloy wheels are in embarrasingly bad shape there are numerous alloy wheel refurbishing companies that will bring your wheels back to new.
Some will come out to you and refurbish on-site, within their specially adapted vans, or you can leave them with refurbishing specialists, who are normally cheaper. Prices vary from around £50 upwards dependent on number of wheels.

Checking Tyre Pressures:

Regular checking of tyre pressures is very important but too often overlooked. The correct tyre pressure will ensure your car has better handling, is more fuel efficient and your tyres have a longer life. You will find the correct tyre pressures by opening the driver's door and observing the sticker near the lock strike on the b-pillar.

A serious point to note: On the EP3 type-r with original specification Bridgestone tyres it can be very hard to detect a puncture on the rear wheels due to the low profile and hard side wall. The tyre can be totally deflated and yet not be obvious to the eye.

Aftermarket Wheels: [To be Updated]