I have a 97 DX with the OEM wheels and no power steering. Im interested in getting some ls mesh or gsr blades but I have some questions about picking whats right for me. I also know someone selling the wide 5s or whatever their called but they dont appeal to me as much visually as the other two.
1) Weight How much do they weigh and how does the weight compare to average weight of aftermarket 15s? I would prefer not to go with aftermarkets but if its going to be much better I may do so.
2) Width How wide are these and how does width effect driving? I would assume more width would give better traction but since there is more making contact with the ground would that adversely effect acceleration? Also since I dont have power steering would I risk making it a lot harder to turn if I get wider or heavier rims or should the difference be minimal??

 

They're referred to as "Fat 5's".

Don't worry about the wheel weight. All of the wheel weights of oem 15" honda wheels are approximately close and designed to be matched with that vehicle. You might like the style of the SI wheels as well.

As far as not having any power-steering, don't worry. I had a 1997 honda civic dx coupe with no power-steering and aftermarket 25 lb. 17x7" wheels with 205/40/R17's and it was still tolerable. A good comfort sized wheel is the 15" wheel with either a 195/55/R15 or 205/50/R15. With a stock suspension, you shouldn't feel any difference in comfort.

 

Excellent. Thanks for the info. I think im going to go for mesh or blades, whichever come my way first. I didnt like the mesh so much at first but I saw a pic of one painted chrome & black with metallic blue lugs and it looked awesome. I wish I could find the pic again. I probably couldnt paint it as good myself but it would be worth finding someone who could duplicate it.

 

i like black ls mesh a lot myself but blades are even better good luck on the purchase

 

Warning! Stay away from 15-inch wheels and tires. Most tire manufacturers are cutting way back on their 15-inch sizes, so your choices would be severely limited. I'd go with some 16-lb 16-inch wheels with 205/45/16 tires. Your steering response and effort will be MUCH improved. (I know, because that's what I did). My OEM 14-inch steelies and tires were the same weight as my Black Racing Pro wheels and Falken tires, so my acceleration and braking didn't suffer at all. Handling, though is light-years better that what it was and I have a huge selection of tire brands to choose from.

 

lol, they're not getting rid of the most common tire sizes for 15 inch wheels (i.e. 195 and 205's). Maybe the 70 and greater series, lol. Besides, we're talking about a civic, not one of the greatest feets of engineering in the suspension department.

 

if ya get a heavier wheel id sugest upgrading the brakes with a EX front brakes.
when i slapped on my 17s on my dx it really killed the braking performance. i hate my dx brakes! tho since my dx has abs its hard to find a EX with abs also to match
tho you cant run your 13s in the front with ex brakes so if you have to rock winter steelies youll need some 14steelies also.

 

You might want to look at any tirerack advertisement and see for yourself. I'm running into the same problem with my MX6 GT's tires (195/60/15). There are only a couple of fairly good tires in that size, but take a look at 16 inchers - many more choices. In fact, a Discount tire guy told me the same thing - try to move to 16s, because many tire companies are phasing out the 15s.

 

I know what you're saying, my family has been in the tire business for 30+ years. I'm just saying that the well respected companies will not phase out of the common tire sizes. Many companies are indeed phasing out some of their tire lines, but it's because of several different things, mainly because of heavy competition, and as well as a lack of sales. It's hard to stand out in the tire business these days because people just don't care and go for whatever is cheapest. This doesn't mean you have to get rid of all of your 15" wheels, I mean think about it, it just sounds stupid to begin with. Besides, it you're in an ek, you should go for 195/55/R15's, not 60 series. Only use 60 series or higher for 14" wheels.

 

It's not just tire size, it's also the selection of high-performance tire sizes. For example,
let's look at the BF Goodrich g-Force Sport tires - a great all-around tire. While they ARE available in 195/55/R15s, those tires are not speed-rated. On the other hand, the 205/45/16s are actually 205/45ZR-16s. Z-rated tires are superior to the dorky non-rated ones due to a stiffer sidewall and much faster steering response.

Hankook doesn't even offer a 195/55/15, but they DO offer a Z-rated 205/45/16.

The General Exclaim UHP - a very low-priced but great-performing tire offers a 195/55/15 but again, it is unrated for speed. They DO offer a 205/45/ZR-16, a much better tire.

As you can see, your choices are much better when you want a high-performance tire vs an unspeed-rated tire.

Certainly, you may not want to get rid of your 15s for that reason, but if you were thinking about changing wheels or replacing damaged ones, it makes sense to go to a good lightweight 16 inch wheel.