Fiat Punto : Tyre & wheel upgrade thread

furioussphinx · 14th July 2009, 20:15

Hello folks, I am looking for an upgrade for my Punto's footware. It came with 160section JKs shod on 14inch rims. I have a few options like going in for better rubber on the stock rims, or upgrade to 15inch alloys with Yoko S-drives.

Ok, am letting the cat out of the bag. Naveen was kind enough to lend me his tires and alloys to see how the Punto ride feels with them and how compatible 15inchers are. The spec of the current setup on my car are 15inch OZ alloys shod with 205/50/15 Yoko S-drives. And no problems whatsoever.

Now the problem is, I want a set of alloys for my car. Did visit Ashoka wheels and a few other shops. The only options that I could find was Konig or Enkei and both cost about 25k+ (Keeping 98pcd in mind). If the add the tires cost, it will shoot up even more which is way above my budget. Am looking if I can find a decent set of alloys for about 15-20k.

Many are trying to brainwash me into altering 100pcd alloys and fitting them onto the car. I read about high speed wobbling issues and stayed away. First thing, since the stupid Fiat people still did not give me the manual, am not 100% sure if the pcd for the Punto is 100 or 98. Online, in some forums, they mentioned that it is 100. Can someone confirm this?

First, is 100-98pcd conversion suggestable? Do you get wobbly conversion bolts in India? If a solution for this exists, Ill be one lucky guy.

Secondly, does Lenso have 98pcd alloys? And please dont suggest me to go for Aura or Neo or Linea alloys.

Sagar.

Zappo · 14th July 2009, 20:39

You know what? If I were you I won't go for a conversion at all. This PCD conversion is an extremely dicey proposition and IMHO its only another one of those jugaad things that we Indians are so inclined towards.

About upsizing, again, if I were you I would rather go for fat tyres keeping the radius the same. For that (fatter section width) I will compensate with a little less profile height.

Also, I am not sure your car tyre specs are very correct. None of the Puntos come with a 160 width tyre. The base version also sports 165 width (165/80). For the Emotion variant it is 175/70. If you have the Active variant then jumping straight to the 205/50 with R15 may turn out to be a real big jump and you will have too big an error in the speedo.

However, if you have the 175/70 variant (Emotion) which I think you have, then your best option could be in going for a 205/60 R14 tyres. The errors will be minimal and they will also look superb. This is the size you should look at IMHO. And if at all you are keen on oversizing I think the right size for you should be 205/55 R15.

Lastly, if you decide not to oversize but just go for fatter rubbers check whether your current rims can support the extra width directly. If so you can make the upgrade a two step process. Upgrade to a good rubber for now. You can always get a nice set of alloys tomorrow when you have some moolah.

ms001 · 14th July 2009, 20:48

call up FIAT helpline to check the correct PCD , and decide what to do next .

furioussphinx · 14th July 2009, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappo

You know what? If I were you I won't go for a conversion at all. This PCD conversion is an extremely dicey proposition and IMHO its only another one of those jugaad things that we Indians are so inclined towards.

About upsizing, again, if I were you I would rather go for fat tyres keeping the radius the same. For that (fatter section width) I will compensate with a little less profile height.

Also, I am not sure your car tyre specs are very correct. None of the Puntos come with a 160 width tyre. The base version also sports 165 width (165/80). For the Emotion variant it is 175/70. If you have the Active variant then jumping straight to the 205/50 with R15 may turn out to be a real big jump and you will have too big an error in the speedo.

However, if you have the 175/70 variant (Emotion) which I think you have, then your best option could be in going for a 205/60 R14 tyres. The errors will be minimal and they will also look superb. This is the size you should look at IMHO. And if at all you are keen on oversizing I think the right size for you should be 205/55 R15.

Lastly, if you decide not to oversize but just go for fatter rubbers check whether your current rims can support the extra width directly. If so you can make the upgrade a two step process. Upgrade to a good rubber for now. You can always get a nice set of alloys tomorrow when you have some moolah.

Hey Zappo, I have the active variant and I thought it was 160section tire. Ok, so it might be 165. My bad. The car took the 205s with ease, no scrapping issues either with full load. Made 6 people sit in the car (totally packed) and went over bumps and potholes to check the tires. It was a perfect fit. No touching or scrapping. Procuring alloys is the whole issue

hillram · 14th July 2009, 21:12

I think you should not spoil the oirginality of the car.If you had it correct,you should have gone with the Emotion pack which comes with lovely alloys.

theMAG · 14th July 2009, 22:31

Do not get PCD conversion done under any circumstance. You're going to wreck the stability dynamics of a car.

akbaree · 14th July 2009, 23:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by furioussphinx

Now the problem is, I want a set of alloys for my car. Did visit Ashoka wheels and a few other shops. The only options that I could find was Konig or Enkei and both cost about 25k+ (Keeping 98pcd in mind).

@Sagar: Can yo share the details where this 98 PCD Konigs are available. I had spoken with one of the Konig dealer in B'lore and they have none. You can PM me the details.

aadix · 14th July 2009, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillram

I think you should not spoil the oirginality of the car.If you had it correct,you should have gone with the Emotion pack which comes with lovely alloys.

Whats the connection between searching for alloys and "having it correct and going in for the emotion pack" esp when the active variant has suited his needs. rather the fiat dealers should stock the alloys and other stuff such as the antenna,central locking as additional accesories.

anyways sagar, refrain from the conversion, search for alloys in 98pcd range only, pm the tyre and alloy gurus on the forum. also any leads on enkei or konig websites?

Quote:

Sagar: Can yo share the details where this 98 PCD Konigs are available. I had spoken with one of the Konig dealer in B'lore and they have none. You can PM me the details.

hey hi, konigs are available in 98 pcd upon order, the place stocking konigs in hyd is a store called chequered flag on minister road. check out the website for the pattern you like and i guess all that the banglore dealer has to do is place the order with the importer. afaik, sagar was suggested the same by the hyd dealer.

AbhiJ · 14th July 2009, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillram

I think you should not spoil the oirginality of the car.If you had it correct,you should have gone with the Emotion pack which comes with lovely alloys.

Dude... Even I personally find the original alloys of the Punto hideous. Its all about personal choice .... see?

furioussphinx · 15th July 2009, 08:42

So 98pcd it is. Can someone confirm if Lenso has any range in 98pcd?

CliffHanger · 15th July 2009, 12:55

Even I want to change the tyres of my punto active, right now I don't have the comfort of changing to alloys.But since I travel a lot I feel it's imperative to change the tyres at least.
Also,I would like to know whether changing tyres to current set of rims would prevent the possibilty of changing to higher sized alloys in future?

I need some expert advice from fellow tbhpians on this..

GTO & other Gurus pls help..

furioussphinx · 15th July 2009, 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Even I want to change the tyres of my punto active, right now I don't have the comfort of changing to alloys.But since I travel a lot I feel it's imperative to change the tyres at least.
Also,I would like to know whether changing tyres to current set of rims would prevent the possibilty of changing to higher sized alloys in future?

I need some expert advice from fellow tbhpians on this..

GTO & other Gurus pls help..

Hi, if you are ok with 14" stock rims, then you can happily go for better tires. Do check the palio threads, you can opt upto a max of 195 easily.

But incase you are looking to upsize to bigger alloys, say 15", then those tires will be rendered useless. So its your call finally, better tires on stock rims or wait for some time and go for bigger alloys with tires.

Hope this helps.

GTO · 15th July 2009, 16:09

A 195 patch tyre is generous for the kind of power that the Punto churns out. I'd say go for better quality rubber (Michelin / Yokohama) instead of upsizing to a 205.

Considering the PCD limitations of Fiat, it'll be tough to find a good set of after market alloys. Retain the original and, if it suits your cars colour, paint them a matte black for individuality.

aadix · 15th July 2009, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

A 195 patch tyre is generous for the kind of power that the Punto churns out. I'd say go for better quality rubber (Michelin / Yokohama) instead of upsizing to a 205.

Considering the PCD limitations of Fiat, it'll be tough to find a good set of after market alloys. Retain the original and, if it suits your cars colour, paint them a matte black for individuality.

hey gto

am guessing in the second para, you are reffering to the oem alloys. the thing is sagar's car doesnt have any oem alloys on it as its the base variant. we tried but nor do any of the dealers in hyd have the stock of the oem linea or punto alloys even upon order.

his current tyre size is 165 and i doubt it the steel rim can accomidate a 195 without balooning.

so there is where the issue is stuck at present.

CliffHanger · 15th July 2009, 18:36

GTO,as Aadix said, there is no alloys in my car and it comes up with just wheel caps...I envisage some nice set of alloys for my car but all this PCD issues had made me wonder 'What exactly suits this car?'.

Can you be elobrate on your suggestions??

14th July 2009, 20:15	#1
furioussphinx BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 536 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Fiat Punto : Tyre & wheel upgrade thread Hello folks, I am looking for an upgrade for my Punto's footware. It came with 160section JKs shod on 14inch rims. I have a few options like going in for better rubber on the stock rims, or upgrade to 15inch alloys with Yoko S-drives. Ok, am letting the cat out of the bag. Naveen was kind enough to lend me his tires and alloys to see how the Punto ride feels with them and how compatible 15inchers are. The spec of the current setup on my car are 15inch OZ alloys shod with 205/50/15 Yoko S-drives. And no problems whatsoever. Now the problem is, I want a set of alloys for my car. Did visit Ashoka wheels and a few other shops. The only options that I could find was Konig or Enkei and both cost about 25k+ (Keeping 98pcd in mind). If the add the tires cost, it will shoot up even more which is way above my budget. Am looking if I can find a decent set of alloys for about 15-20k. Many are trying to brainwash me into altering 100pcd alloys and fitting them onto the car. I read about high speed wobbling issues and stayed away. First thing, since the stupid Fiat people still did not give me the manual, am not 100% sure if the pcd for the Punto is 100 or 98. Online, in some forums, they mentioned that it is 100. Can someone confirm this? First, is 100-98pcd conversion suggestable? Do you get wobbly conversion bolts in India? If a solution for this exists, Ill be one lucky guy. Secondly, does Lenso have 98pcd alloys? And please dont suggest me to go for Aura or Neo or Linea alloys. Sagar.
	() Thanks

14th July 2009, 20:39	#2
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,922 Thanked: 2,699 Times	You know what? If I were you I won't go for a conversion at all. This PCD conversion is an extremely dicey proposition and IMHO its only another one of those jugaad things that we Indians are so inclined towards. About upsizing, again, if I were you I would rather go for fat tyres keeping the radius the same. For that (fatter section width) I will compensate with a little less profile height. Also, I am not sure your car tyre specs are very correct. None of the Puntos come with a 160 width tyre. The base version also sports 165 width (165/80). For the Emotion variant it is 175/70. If you have the Active variant then jumping straight to the 205/50 with R15 may turn out to be a real big jump and you will have too big an error in the speedo. However, if you have the 175/70 variant (Emotion) which I think you have, then your best option could be in going for a 205/60 R14 tyres. The errors will be minimal and they will also look superb. This is the size you should look at IMHO. And if at all you are keen on oversizing I think the right size for you should be 205/55 R15. Lastly, if you decide not to oversize but just go for fatter rubbers check whether your current rims can support the extra width directly. If so you can make the upgrade a two step process. Upgrade to a good rubber for now. You can always get a nice set of alloys tomorrow when you have some moolah. Last edited by Zappo : 14th July 2009 at 20:41.
	() Thanks

14th July 2009, 20:48	#3
ms001 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: bangalore Posts: 1,003 Thanked: 162 Times	call up FIAT helpline to check the correct PCD , and decide what to do next .
	() Thanks

14th July 2009, 21:12	#5
hillram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 2,942 Thanked: 1,326 Times View My Garage	I think you should not spoil the oirginality of the car.If you had it correct,you should have gone with the Emotion pack which comes with lovely alloys. Last edited by Rehaan : 15th July 2009 at 02:16. Reason: Please avoid making comments without any justification, or ones that are of a personal nature.
	() Thanks

14th July 2009, 22:31	#6
theMAG Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Avon, CT Posts: 7,217 Thanked: 1,807 Times View My Garage	Do not get PCD conversion done under any circumstance. You're going to wreck the stability dynamics of a car.
	() Thanks

15th July 2009, 08:42	#10
furioussphinx BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 536 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	So 98pcd it is. Can someone confirm if Lenso has any range in 98pcd?
	() Thanks

15th July 2009, 12:55	#11
CliffHanger BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 756 Thanked: 1,597 Times	Even I want to change the tyres of my punto active, right now I don't have the comfort of changing to alloys.But since I travel a lot I feel it's imperative to change the tyres at least. Also,I would like to know whether changing tyres to current set of rims would prevent the possibilty of changing to higher sized alloys in future? I need some expert advice from fellow tbhpians on this.. GTO & other Gurus pls help..
	() Thanks

15th July 2009, 16:09	#13
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,546 Thanked: 300,788 Times View My Garage	A 195 patch tyre is generous for the kind of power that the Punto churns out. I'd say go for better quality rubber (Michelin / Yokohama) instead of upsizing to a 205. Considering the PCD limitations of Fiat, it'll be tough to find a good set of after market alloys. Retain the original and, if it suits your cars colour, paint them a matte black for individuality.
	(1) Thanks

15th July 2009, 18:36	#15
CliffHanger BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 756 Thanked: 1,597 Times	GTO,as Aadix said, there is no alloys in my car and it comes up with just wheel caps...I envisage some nice set of alloys for my car but all this PCD issues had made me wonder 'What exactly suits this car?'. Can you be elobrate on your suggestions??
	() Thanks