What would be better to do first?

Hi guys

I have a 96 civic coupe with stock suspension, some 14 inch american racing wheels and some michelin all seasons in the front and bridgestones in the back, and I am looking into increasing the handeling capabilities of my car for a daily driver, maybe autocross sometimes. What would give me a better handeling out of the two? I will do both eventually, but want as most performance as I can get now. I would either spend my money on a good set of rims and tires, or on a good set of springs and shocks. So what would be better for handeling to do right now? Thanks a lot.

THis may help you decide...

List of modifications in order of most to least important regarding handling.

1. Driver.
2. Tires
3. alignment
4. Dampers
5. Springs & anti-roll bars
6. Chassis reinforcements


So I would go tires 1st, and then tune the rest of the suspension around them.

Thanks a lot man.

P']Thanks a lot man.

No prob, Its often looked over, but tires are the only thing (hopefully) thats touching the asphalt.... so ultimatly they are allways going to be the one part that determins the amount of grip your car can produce in any situation. every other part on the cars suspension is simply trying to maximize the use of those tires. :)

Can you reccommend me some good tires for both dry and wet performance?

P']Can you reccommend me some good tires for both dry and wet performance?


How long do you need/want them to last?

if its a daily driver, i like toyo. if you want more auto-x style i like Faulkin.

Hmm, i dont want something with fast threadwear, but also not something crappy with a long threadwear

my toyos lasted over a year with constant beating... in fact still on ther now.

my toyos lasted over a year with constant beating... in fact still on ther now.

Toyo makes several different tires... each with different specifications. So saying that your "toyos lasted over a year" isnt helping because you didnt tell us which model Toyo you use.


any ways, I personally have had pretty good success with several tires, problem is I run a different set of tires for street then I do for compitition, so my requirements may be completely different (I tend to prefer all season tires on the street).

But!, I know of several people who have be Very happy with Falken FK-452 as a street tire that gives good grip, Dry and wet. (Not as grippy as the RT-615 in the dry, which is what I use for compitition). I personally have use the ZE-512, but its an all season tire so it would be the least grippy yet longest lasting of the three (The RT-615 being the grippiest and shortest lived, followed by the FK-452 and finally the ZE-512) If Falken isnt your prefered brand, Kumho makes several good tires, starting with the MX, which would be compairable to the RT-615 in grip, and I understand the MX has better wet grip then the RT-615. then theres the ECSTA SPT or the ECSTA ASX (the ASX being the allseason tire).

There are lots of choices out there, the more you narrow down your needs the better choice you'll make.

aight, i use the proxies (i think rx-4?) or something