Tire Rubbing + High Engine Temperature Problems - New Member

[egincivic97]

First of all, thanks a lot for making me a member here !!! I found this club / forum very entertaining and informative at the same time for Civic owners and enthusiasts.

I own a Honda Civic '97 (I think it's an EK, automatic transmission), Sorry for the incorrect terms i might put up here because the truth is I'm not well versed when it comes to cars ..I love being inside of it but the not the technicalities thats involved in it :-) just stating a fact !!!

Anyway, I installed previously a 17" rim (I think it's 7.5" wide ) offset is 35 with a wheel size of 205/55/R17, but it rubs the fender. It rubs when you hit a bump, go to a tight curb, or do a sudden steer specially when it has 4 passengers in it, I'm constantly afraid the tire might burst whenever it rubs specially when I'm on the highway !!!...In short, to get rid of this concern, i replaced the rim with 16" rim (7.5" wide also, same offset of 35) but this time the tire size is 195/50/R16 hoping that this problem will disappear...Alas, it's still there, and the funny thing is, the wheel has gone out further more !!! (As you can see from picture )

Note:
All this 2 rims i bought here in Dubai (my car though is in Philippines), unfortunately only 35mm offset is availale here that why i'm stuck to it..they said ideal is 42 to 46 for 97 Civics

My first question my dear sirs is this....What are the recommended offset / rim size / wheel size to avoid this problem ???...I really like the 17 & 16 inches rims though, i wont go anything smaller than that

Aside from this, i cannot get rid of this high temperature problem specially when the A/C is on (trips are short also like 30kms only)....i changed alreadythe radiator, but i used the aftermarket type only and this one is made of aluminum, because the original one keeps on clogging and had to be constantly cleaned.

My next question is...what are the normal causes of having a high engine temperature assuming it's not coming from the radiator ???

I really really apologize for the long message, hope you can enlighten me on this...Thanks in advance !!!

A close up view of my current situation :

Just hanging around

The previous set-up :

The old set of wheels.....Sold the whole set (rims+tires) for P16,500 or around $365...I'm sure the buyer was very happy with the deal

 

[conor97hx]

Are your shocks blown? try taking the fender lining out and rolling them.

Also, did you bleed the cooling system?

 

[egincivic97]

I think the shock absorbers are still fine..it's not an everyday car, seldomly used :-)
Apologies again for my innocence on technical terms..but what do you mean by bleeding the cooling system ???
The car is scheduled to be serviced on a Honda center for engine leaks, i think i should ask about this one (bleeding part) after the repair :-D
Thanks a lot though !!!

 

[HeX]

Judging from this picture, your car is at factory ride height. What brand shocks are installed? Civics just do not do well with 17" rims but you should be fine with 16" rims so long as you have solid quality shocks and springs. Due to the rims' width, you should also consider having the fenders rolled (the inside lip of the fenders get professionally bent into for added tire clearance).

As for your cooling system, did you flush out the entire cooling system and install a new thermostat when you installed the new radiator? If not, thats most likely the cause of your cooling issue and would explain the reoccurring clogging.

 

[conor97hx]

I think the shock absorbers are still fine..it's not an everyday car, seldomly used :-)
Apologies again for my innocence on technical terms..but what do you mean by bleeding the cooling system ???
The car is scheduled to be serviced on a Honda center for engine leaks, i think i should ask about this one (bleeding part) after the repair :-D
Thanks a lot though !!!

It means getting the air out of the lines, very simple to do. It could just be the extra weight.

 

[egincivic97]

I actually don't know what brand shock are installed, but we never changed it so i'm guessing it's the original one, actually we put "2 in. lifters" on the shock when we fixed the 17" rim to minimize the rubbing..and did not take it out when we changed it to 16"...I'm not sure if there are people doing this "fender rolling" in Philippines :-D

If i'll have extra money in the future, I'll change again the rims and stick to 16" but I've got to make it right on the 3rd time, alloy mags and tires don't come cheap huhuhu...

We just installed the new radiator and used ir right away unfortunately without doing the stuffs you mentioned :-(
I'll take note of it though, thanks a lot for the help !!!

 

[egincivic97]

No complains however on the sound system...Subs & seps are heaven sent :-)

 

[lethal6]

So you put a new radiator in and just ran it without bleeding or flushing the system? THAT is your problem right there. You still have all the crap that was causing the clogging of the old radiator AND now have introduced air bubbles into the mix. Depending on how long you have been driving it around, you could have ruined the new radiator with all the gunk. Flush the entire system at least once, refill with correct antifreeze, then bleed out the bubbles.

 

[HeX]

I actually don't know what brand shock are installed, but we never changed it so i'm guessing it's the original one, actually we put "2 in. lifters" on the shock when we fixed the 17" rim to minimize the rubbing..and did not take it out when we changed it to 16".

I've never been familiar with anyone putting suspension lifters on a Civic as there is no need for it if you just leave it at stock height. I must assume that, along with that, you likely also have cheap lowered shocks and/or springs so the overall combination leads to a crappy ride that causes the rubbing. Visually inspect the shocks. If theyre just black or have no brand label on them then they're likely stock replacements or cheap replacements. Either way, you may just need a new properly installed suspension.

I'm not sure if there are people doing this "fender rolling" in Philippines :-D

It shouldnt be difficult to figure it out. RESEARCH online and ask some local shops.

We just installed the new radiator and used ir right away unfortunately without doing the stuffs you mentioned :-( I'll take note of it though, thanks a lot for the help !!!

So you put a new radiator in and just ran it without bleeding or flushing the system? THAT is your problem right there. You still have all the crap that was causing the clogging of the old radiator AND now have introduced air bubbles into the mix. Depending on how long you have been driving it around, you could have ruined the new radiator with all the gunk. Flush the entire system at least once, refill with correct antifreeze, then bleed out the bubbles.

I agree 100%. You should've done some RESEARCH before blindly swapping out a radiator without having an idea of the proper protocol. You better RESEARCH how to properly flush out the cooling system and do it as soon as possible before you ruin your cooling system and potentially your engine as well. Change out the hoses and thermostat while you're at it. Do something right for once before you ruin your car.

 

[egincivic97]

Really appreciate all the effort you put guys (Conor97, Hex & Lethal6 on giving advices on my dilemma. I will take into account and seriously consider all the points and recommendations you mentioned...As they say, there's always a first time for everything, and in my case, this is the first time i'm digging deeper into the complex automotive world :-)