99CivicSiR

This winter will be the first time I drive my civic in the winter.
I have a 99 Civic SiR, which is lowered 2.25".

Will I be able to drive this in the winter? Last year we had tons of snow, I highly doubt my car can take that.

Any advice? Im not putting my car back to stock, so are winter tires my only option?

Jay P

if you can avoid driving on unplowed roads.. you'll be fine.

Gallagher

your screwed, sell the car.

Redeyelove

I live in the High Park/Bloor area in Toronto. Every year I talk myself out of lowering my car because I constantly see lowered cars snowplowing. I wouldn't be able to pull it off in this neighborhood. There are also a ton of one way streets downtown that don't get plowed at all. Even the main streets in the morning are pretty brutal. Unless you don't need to work in the morning... different story.

cibs

I'm lowered 2.25 all around (06 TSX) and I haven't had a problem... when I had my civic I drove around lowered 2.75 in the front 2.5 in the back and didn't have a prob either.. I had lips too..

Mind you I had winter tires all this time, I would NEVER drive around in the winter without winter tires... even when it's not plowed if your underbody touches snow it's not the worst thing to happen to your car...

only problem I could forsee is when one road is plowed and another isn't and you're the first car to come up to the pile of snow left by the plow... then you need to use your momentum to get over that rift.. oh that and hope your lip is attached tightly if you have one!! lol

99CivicSiR

I just dont want to be getting stuck all the time, and holding up traffic.
I also dont want to buy just a winter beater.

efsedan

youll be fine.. just have good snow tires on it.. my buddy drove his ef around with coilover sleeves, no sleeve in the rear, just spring, and fronts down all the way..... never got stuck once. my ef was 2" dropped and lower than your em1 prolly, and it was fine with just 2 snows....

the biggest issue will be if you hit a big deep pocket of snow itll push on the floor and feel like youre drifting lol.

ol Dusty

iTrader: (2)

I know you say you don't wanna do it but I usually find a POS for under a grand. drive it for the winter and sell it for roughly what I payed. the last two winters I actually made money on selling my winter beater. If you buy a four door you'll even save on insurance. I've drivin lowered on the snow and it's not the end of the world but I buy winter beaters for three reasons. 1 is obvious to keep my lowered civic outta the harsh winter elements. 2 is cuz beating a beater is fun as all H E double hockey sticks! (winter pun intended) and 3 because people in Toronto can't drive for beans even on a nice sunny summer day. protect your car from the other r-tards on the road. I still even see the odd car out there for sale good enough to make it through a winter and yet old enough that e-tests are not a factor and all for less then 1G. I say between that and you should be able to find a place to park your car for $40/ month or less. then sell it off for whatever you can get. properly budget for this every year and the sale of it in the spring just treat like a bonus on your income tax return and you'll have a couple of bucks to throw into the car you saved from getting ruined over the winter!

dt01

Anyone has experiance with coilovers in the winter? I have tein ss and am a little worried about putting them through winter.

Double B

My car is lowered, I drove all winter, no problems. Get yourself some good snow tires and you will be fine.

rayray1

I would be worried about salt and dirt building up in the threads and possibly corroding them..... I would spray some light oil on the entire coilover to make things easier to clean off when they do get dirty

DumbasSi

Snow tires FTW! My 98 with snows was a tank in the snow even dropped.

99CivicSiR

yea, I think I'll definately get some snow tires, and take off my front and rear lip.

What size snow tires should I get. Right now I have 205/50/15 all seasons.
Should I get a higher profile tire for the winter, to raise the car just a bit.
Maybe like 205/60/15 for the winter?

DumbasSi

Thinner is better. Find a set of 14" steelies and snows on them. They wil be cheaper the smaller you go too. 185/65/14 I think is the correct size.

99CivicSiR

thanks for the advice, had no clue thinner was better.

szuberi

^^ the size mike posted (185-65-14) is the correct one. thinnner is better cuz there is less mass to travel through the snow

DumbasSi

They cut through the snow instead of going over top of it. Think of trying to ice skate wearing snow shoes.

SlammedEm2

i drove around with my 2.25 in the rear and 2.5 in the front last winter which was my first winter driving. Stupidly I drove with my spoon lip and that got torn off but other then that i never got stuck, had fresh winter tires tho. This year im gonna raise it so its like a monster truck

spike

I've driven my cars in winter time with them lowered and it's not fun. Your always getting stuck, even with winter tires, it's not worth it. I'm glad a got a truck now to drive for winter.

T-MacK

My old ED winter beater was slammed on H&R race springs and drove fine in the winter.