Wheel dilemma

[turbo_tom]

I’m pretty much in the same exact scenario right now on stock wheels. I want to order wheels and tires this week (and probably a set of Eibach Pros) and narrowed my wheels down to a set of Titan 7 TS5 in 19x9.5 +45. Searching for the best tire size now. This is a lot of work but I really want to get it right the first time!

I know tone and intent doesn't come off well in text format but I don't know what other way to put this, but- this post doesn't have any weight behind it because you haven't gone through this yourself. I see in your sig you don't have an FL5.

For anyone seeking opinions, start by looking for real world testimonials by people who have actually experienced the things you're looking to assess/validate.

You can literally get a better response out of ChatGPT (but it still hallucinates...):


You’re asking the right question — not just “will it fit?” but “will it change the way the car feels?” That’s the seasoned-owner question

Since you’re almost certainly talking about a Honda Civic Type R (FL5) (or same geometry as the Acura Integra Type S (DE5)), here’s how I’d think about it.

First: What Actually Changes Between +60 and +45?
Let’s break this into objective geometry.

Moving from +60 mm to +45 mm offset:

• Pushes the wheel 15 mm outward
• Increases front track width by ~30 mm total
• Slightly changes scrub radius

Why Scrub Radius Matters
Honda engineered the FL5 with a very small (near-neutral) scrub radius.
That’s part of why torque steer is so well controlled compared to older CTRs.

Reducing offset (going to +45):

• Increases positive scrub radius
• Increases steering effort slightly
• Can increase kickback over bumps
• Can slightly increase torque steer under heavy throttle

This isn’t theoretical — it’s basic suspension geometry (SAE Vehicle Dynamics, Milliken & Milliken).

But here’s the important part:

15 mm is not drastic.
It’s noticeable to sensitive drivers, but it is not going to suddenly ruin the car’s front-end precision. Plenty of FL5 owners run +45 without destroying steering feel.

Now Let’s Talk Weight (This Matters More Than Offset)
You’re going from:

• OEM forged: ~21 lbs
• Titan 7 TS5: ~20 lbs
• Apex VS-5RS: ~19 lbs

That’s a 1–2 lb per wheel difference from OEM forged.

Unsprung + rotational mass reduction absolutely helps:

• Turn-in sharpness
• Ride quality over small bumps
• Acceleration response

There’s solid physics behind this:
Reducing rotational inertia has a larger effect than static mass reduction (Carroll Smith, Tune to Win).

BUT…

A 1–2 lb difference per wheel is modest. You will feel it, but it won’t transform the car.

What Actually Affects Turn-In More Than Offset
If your goal is:


These matter more:

1. Tire sidewall stiffness
2. Alignment (front toe + camber)
3. Wheel width
4. Tire construction

You’re going to 19x9.5 — good move.
A wider wheel properly supporting a 265 tire will sharpen response more than offset change will.

Real-World Anecdotal Evidence (FL5 Owners)
On forums and track groups:

• +45 9.5 setups are common
• Steering feel remains precise
• Some report slightly heavier steering at low speed
• No major degradation in “Honda sharpness”

Track guys typically report more improvement from:

• Lighter wheel
• Stickier tire
• Proper camber
  than from staying at +60.

The OEM 60mm Option
Your OEM forged option:

• Maintains engineered scrub radius
• Zero fitment guesswork
• Zero fender risk
• Slightly heavier
• Conservative aesthetic

It’s the safest geometry choice.

If your absolute top priority is preserving factory steering purity?
Stick to +60.

The Honest Answer
If you:

• Track occasionally
• Drive spiritedly
• Care about aesthetics
• Want noticeable sharpness gain

→ 19x9.5 +45 at ~19–20 lbs is completely reasonable

You will not suddenly lose the crisp Honda front end.

If you:

• Are extremely sensitive to steering nuance
• Want maximum OEM engineering intent
• Prefer zero compromise

→ OEM forged +60

My Opinion As a Long-Time Forum Guy
The difference between +60 and +45 is smaller than the difference between:

• Stock tire vs. a stiff 200TW tire
• 0 toe vs. slight toe-out
• -1.5° camber vs. -2.5°

Offset is the most over-feared variable in this discussion.

If it were my money and I preferred the Titan 7 or Apex aesthetically?
I’d run the +45 and not look back.

If you want, tell me:

• Daily or track focus?
• Tire size you’re planning?
• Any suspension mods?

That context changes the recommendation slightly.

Very insightful reply. I’ve been spending the last week researching a wheel and tire setup that I’m trying to order ASAP. I (think) that I narrowed wheels down to a 19x9.5 +45 but now I’m feverishly researching the best tire setup. My use is mostly a 3 season daily/spirited weekend mountain roads and I do not want to lose any of the OEM characteristics. I also plan on dropping a tad on Eibach Pro’s more than likely. Any insight would be appreciated!

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[optronix]

I’m pretty much in the same exact scenario right now on stock wheels. I want to order wheels and tires this week (and probably a set of Eibach Pros) and narrowed my wheels down to a set of Titan 7 TS5 in 19x9.5 +45. Searching for the best tire size now. This is a lot of work but I really want to get it right the first time!


Very insightful reply. I’ve been spending the last week researching a wheel and tire setup that I’m trying to order ASAP. I (think) that I narrowed wheels down to a 19x9.5 +45 but now I’m feverishly researching the best tire setup. My use is mostly a 3 season daily/spirited weekend mountain roads and I do not want to lose any of the OEM characteristics. I also plan on dropping a tad on Eibach Pro’s more than likely. Any insight would be appreciated!

Note that over 90% of that response was from ChatGPT lol. But it is insightful and I don't disagree with any of it. Although now I vastly prefer Anthropic but that's neither here nor there.

To your point, 19x9.5 +45 is a "tried and true" fitment option on this platform that does not change the OEM characteristics in a meaningful way- but aesthetically looks WAY better than OEM. That said, subjectively you may find you disagree. Unfortunately you won't know until you experience it if it bothers you or not; similar to seats in that regard, some claim they notice the differences to steering and torque steer more than others. But honestly I don't think anyone is genuinely "bothered" enough to swap back to OEM, at least I haven't encountered that yet.

As for lowering, you might not notice without genuinely pushing the car truly hard in a competitive setting i.e., HPDE, autocross, etc.- but when lowering the car the dynamics of the suspension results in having more negative camber in the rear than the front after the springs are installed. On a front-drive platform this results in significantly increased understeer. You can correct this by adding more front camber; again, subjectively some people claim they don't notice it at all but personally it nearly ruined the car for me completely because I immediately noticed it pushing way more during my first autocross event post-springs install. I've complained about this phenomenon ad nauseum on these forums (and the Integra forums lol). I added lower ball joints and went really aggressive with -3.5 degrees up front, but there are plenty other testimonials where all they did was remove the front strut tower pins and push the struts inboard and squeezed out another .5 degree or so of negative camber that way, and it worked for them. A reasonable workaround if you don't want to go buying new parts- but I'd still recommend an alignment after this maneuver if you decide to give it a shot.

Also, lowering introduces other geometry changes that honestly, are net negative. Roll center, bump steer, anti-lift correction are all considerations that are only partially addressed by the aftermarket (at this moment). So far I've done nothing besides camber and I like the way my car is set up, but I also know it could be further optimized.

All this to say, if you're not absolutely dead set on lowering, skip it. Honestly.

 

[CTR]

I had a terrible experience going 18x9.5 +45 (Volk Racing TE-37) and what many argue are similar tires to the stock (Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02). The car felt numb and the steering response was noticeably worse. I ran the wheels for about a month before going back to stock.

It sucks spending that much money for a downgrade. Now I'm planning 18x10 +50 with 200TW tires to hopefully not lose the stiff sidewall of 30 series 19" tires.

IMO offset definitely makes a big difference on this car. Some people value the aesthetic improvement and can live with everything else being worse. That's okay but it should be made clear to everyone considering the change from stock.

 

[AspecR]

I had a terrible experience going 18x9.5 +45 (Volk Racing TE-37) and what many argue are similar tires to the stock (Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02). The car felt numb and the steering response was noticeably worse. I ran the wheels for about a month before going back to stock.

It sucks spending that much money for a downgrade. Now I'm planning 18x10 +50 with 200TW tires to hopefully not lose the stiff sidewall of 30 series 19" tires.

IMO offset definitely makes a big difference on this car. Some people value the aesthetic improvement and can live with everything else being worse. That's okay but it should be made clear to everyone considering the change from stock.

Since you're concerned about steering feel and you preferred the 19s, why not go with a 19x10 wheel instead?

 

[optronix]

I had a terrible experience going 18x9.5 +45 (Volk Racing TE-37) and what many argue are similar tires to the stock (Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02). The car felt numb and the steering response was noticeably worse. I ran the wheels for about a month before going back to stock.

It sucks spending that much money for a downgrade. Now I'm planning 18x10 +50 with 200TW tires to hopefully not lose the stiff sidewall of 30 series 19" tires.

IMO offset definitely makes a big difference on this car. Some people value the aesthetic improvement and can live with everything else being worse. That's okay but it should be made clear to everyone considering the change from stock.

It's important to get context like this on subjective topics because you don't know what side of the fence you'd fall on. Unfortunately though, you generally find out after you've bought and installed the thing. Unless you're fortunate enough to find a representative sample before that.

BUT, that said... the steering perspective is more likely related to the tire compound and sidewall differences vs offset. For me, steering is only impacted by offset in the sense of it feels slightly "off" vs OEM; barely noticeable to me but noticeable. I have the OEM Michelins on the 19" Apex VS-5RS that were +45 offset so maybe that's the key. But it definitely doesn't feel numb... and at least with the 200TW super stiff sidewall Bridgestones I'm running on my 18s it's actually BETTER steering feel due to the added grip.

ALL of this is up to interpretation though. Just offering data points.

 

[scottjua]

I had a terrible experience going 18x9.5 +45 (Volk Racing TE-37) and what many argue are similar tires to the stock (Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02). The car felt numb and the steering response was noticeably worse. I ran the wheels for about a month before going back to stock.

It sucks spending that much money for a downgrade. Now I'm planning 18x10 +50 with 200TW tires to hopefully not lose the stiff sidewall of 30 series 19" tires.

IMO offset definitely makes a big difference on this car. Some people value the aesthetic improvement and can live with everything else being worse. That's okay but it should be made clear to everyone considering the change from stock.

I think you’d be better off with a 19” wheel vs the 18

 

[CTR]

Since you're concerned about steering feel and you preferred the 19s, why not go with a 19x10 wheel instead?

Went with the 18x10 +50 SW388. I don't really like the way they look in 19" sizes as they look a bit too much like a wagon wheel. Just my opinion.

I think between the 200TW Bridgestone RE-71RZ sidewall and the more favorable offset I'll be happy with these.

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