[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by santhoshs

Hi friends

All these days was running my NHC 2007 on stock 175/65 R14.

After gaining some knowledge from TeamBHP, i have the following options to change / upgrade the tyres.

1. 185/55 R15
2. 195/60 R14
3. 195/50 R15
4. 205/50 R15

I have listed them in the order of my preference. My object is to

- increase the ground clearance (1, 2, 4 will do this job)
- with stock tyres riding on high-way feels a bit losing confidence in driving, so increase the with of the tyre.
- to have the steering as freely as stock, i understand that increasing width will have some effect on the steering.

Hi friends, i request your opinion for above options and if you have any other options pls let me know. I am also going for alloy wheels.

In the options suggested by you let me know available tyres (brand & model). Pls note i go for long tours (700-1000 Kms) twice in a year and rest city ride, Bengaluru.

Just upgraded a friend's NHC to 185/65R14 Yokohama C.Drives. This will fulfill your need to improve clearance (up by 6.5 mm), better ride (taller sidewall), Better width (185 instead of 175) and still reasonably free steering. I drove his car before and after the upgrade. Both of us felt very happy with the ride and grip on offer. Despite being a very marginally taller tire, It did not foul with the wheel well on full turn.

You can try the sizes that you have listed too but please note that all of them will offer stiff and stiffer rides compared to stock tires. You might not like the stiff ride and marginally higher noise that lower profile brings.

Finally, being lower profile, they will be more expensive to purchase.

[joshguy]

Hi All,

What is the best upgrade from OE swift VDI ? i guess stock is 165/80/R14

I am having 185/70/R 14 in mind as it is not too wide

[goandude]

Originally Posted by joshguy

Hi All,

What is the best upgrade from OE swift VDI ? i guess stock is 165/80/R14

I am having 185/70/R 14 in mind as it is not too wide

185/70 is the correct upsize and the max width for stock steel rims. in fact zdi zxi come with this size

[OHC VTEC]

I have bought an Ohc Vtec.I am thinking of upgrading the wheels from stock to 16 or 17 inchers.I am also planning performance upgrades with it.what is the best upsize which looks amazing and at the same time has a softer ride and retain vtecs agility (which i know will be sacrified a bit according to the upsize i have decided).Ive read a lot of posts but am still in a bit confused state of mind.Any contribution is welcomed.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by OHC VTEC

I have bought an Ohc Vtec.I am thinking of upgrading the wheels from stock to 16 or 17 inchers.I am also planning performance upgrades with it.what is the best upsize which looks amazing and at the same time has a softer ride and retain vtecs agility (which i know will be sacrified a bit according to the upsize i have decided).Ive read a lot of posts but am still in a bit confused state of mind.Any contribution is welcomed.

As someone who owned a Vtec with 205's on 16" wheels, I can tell you that 185 on the stock 14" wheels, or (max) 195 on either 14" / 15" wheels is ideal. If you want to have the most fun with your Vtec, get high-quality 185s and mount them on your stock wheels.

[OHC VTEC]

Originally Posted by GTO

As someone who owned a Vtec with 205's on 16" wheels, I can tell you that 185 on the stock 14" wheels, or (max) 195 on either 14" / 15" wheels is ideal. If you want to have the most fun with your Vtec, get high-quality 185s and mount them on your stock wheels.

Hi GTO.Thanx for your reply..I personally feel stock rims look good on stock color which originally came with the car..Ive changed the color to White so i am a bit hesitant on keeping the stock rims as it dosent go with the look of the car.So am planning to change the rims n if am doing that then might as well go for an upsize.What do u think?

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by OHC VTEC

Hi GTO.Thanx for your reply..I personally feel stock rims look good on stock color which originally came with the car..Ive changed the color to White so i am a bit hesitant on keeping the stock rims as it dosent go with the look of the car.So am planning to change the rims n if am doing that then might as well go for an upsize.What do u think?

I think GTO's advice is very sound. Don't go above 15" and 195 section. Personally, I was looking to upgrade my Lancer from 175/80R13 to 205/55R15, and only landed up with 195/60R15 as Michelin discontinued the fatter size in MXV8 when I bought 2.5 years back. Boy, am I glad I didn't get the 205 size, since there is such a thing as too fat, drag on engine etc.
Also, look at ride comfort vs handling for a good mix...
Probably for VTEC, 185 is just right...

[jprash75]

Originally Posted by GTO

Summary: Upsize, but don't overdo it. Large (heavier) wheels, super low profile tyres and an ultra-fat contact patch can actually kill performance. Choose a reasonable upsize instead.

Dear GTO & Others:

Many thanks! Lapped up every word on this thread with the eagerness of a virgin trying on his first condom!

I'm on the verge of trading in my 2005 Swift VXi for a new Fiesta. Sadly enough, my timing couldn't have been more pathetic, for the Fiesta S is not longer on the scene :-(

I just wasn't able to get myself around to the new Fiesta, for in an attempt to cater to a wider audience, Ford seems to have killed a bit of the essence of what made the Fiesta so special ...

If only they'd stuck with that lovely 1.6 Duratec motor, and not chosen to sunset that bristling, fast-becoming-extinct, hydraulic power steering ...
Which leaves me with the Fiesta Classic, which begs for a tyre/wheel upsize ... for it ships with stock 175/65/R14s ...

I'd traded in the stock 168/80/R14s of the Swift VXi for the 185/70/R14s + OE alloys of the ZXi, at the time of taking delivery in 2005.

Though I've borne my wife's constant nagging of the bumpy rear-seat ride of the Swift, I'm determined to do the same with the Fiesta Classic too ...

To put things in perspective, my wife belongs to the breed whose interpretation of a "Driver's car" is a car meant to be driven by a "Driver" ... the gutka-chewing, groin-scratching stereotype ...

To get to the point, given that the stock Classic comes with 175/65/R14s, can I look at upgrading the wheels to 15" alloys with ...

a) the 195/55/R15s (+2.13% error) that the Fiesta S used to come shod with; or
b) the 195/60/R15s (+5.47% error) that the new Fiesta comes shod with;

... without making the ride unduly stiff or harsh ... and without running the risk of damaging the tyres and/or the suspension in the long run?

I'm aware that the 15-inchers in the 'S' were accompanied with a complimenting shorter/stiffer suspension/spring set-up. I'm also aware that a rim-size change nulls the warranty on the suspension ... but that's something I'm willing to live with.

Or should I stick to 14" alloys?

If it's the latter, would 195/60/R14s (+1.11% error) be a good choice ... given that I need to woo my wife back too?

And finally, will the Ford OE alloys on the Classic's SXi variant take the 195/60/R14s without problems, or will I need to look at after-market ones?
PS: I'm a sucker for the OE-branded alloys, for I prefer that 'no-modifications' image for my set of wheels.

My driving is largely restricted to Mumbai's legendary cratered roads, with a 750-1,000 km highway jaunt thrown in twice or thrice an year.

Needless to say, looking forward to hearing from you!

Cheers!!!

[lurker]

I have a query. Is it alright to upsize a Versa with 195/60/r14 for rear and 185/60/r14 for front ? Stock size is 155/r13 LT. The owner is a bit wary of upsizing the front wheels to 195 because he feels the sidewall may have contact with the rim on sharp turns.

[parishrut786]

Originally Posted by GTO

On the other hand, a Chevrolet Beat is horribly under-tyred (155 patch) and requires atleast a 175 / 185 width contact patch.

Has anyone upsized wheels of Chevrolet Beat?
The standard practice for beat for upgrading tires is > 174/65/R14/4.5J and 5.5J

Since I am upgrading both wheels & tires at the same time, and I have frequented atleast 4 shops and websites for purchasing alloys, I really think 14inch limits the options of buying an alloy. Also,I am really inspired by some mods shared in this thread where they have 17inch alloys too (not that I want to do that). But upgrading wheels is more important.. There are lot of options for tires anyway.

Can I upgrade wheels to 15 inch with 5.5J or 6J?
Is it doable? Are there any implications which I may be missing on?

Any lead would be of great help. Many thanks in advance.

PS: I like wider base and a leaner low profile look. It may not be always suitable for Indian roads, but still...

[jinojohnt]

Is there any reason for low profile tires other than 'good looks'?
Isn't it possible to achieve the same effect by providing an 'over hang' for the alloy wheels (during manufacturing)?

[parishrut786]

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

Is there any reason for low profile tires other than 'good looks'?
Isn't it possible to achieve the same effect by providing an 'over hang' for the alloy wheels (during manufacturing)?

No reason other than lean mean looks. Besides if you upsize from 14 to 15 it means bigger circumference..The fat ones are gonna look like a baggage

[Fullrevs]

Guys I am considering 19X10 CV3 Vossen wheels for my CRV. The stock rim size is 17inch and the tyres are 225/65 R17. Tyres have worn out quite a bit so looking for an overall upgrade of rims and tyres. Would like some technical feedback and opinions. Am also considering switching to BC Racing V1 series coilover suspension. Has anyone installed them in their car?

I am desperate to change my shocks as my car has done quite a few kms (86,000) almost and every small pebble on the road is felt in the cabin. The feeling that things have come a bit loose and is worn out. Shock absorber refurbishing was done in the last service but the cushioning lasted only a couple weeks. I guess its a sign to change the shocks also. No issues on speed breakers or pot holes if taken with care but the rough road (gravel roads or roads with pebbles) dampening is quite poor.

[sooraj.naik]

I searched for a general thread to post the query and couldn't find one. Mods, please move this post to the appropriate thread.

I'm in the market to replace my current set of Pirelli P Zero. The tire size is 255/35 R 20.

I've had short listed Dunlop DZ102 for the cost and the reported thread life. While the current tire is quite noisy, I'm just wondering if anyone could help me finding a right set of summer performance tires which is quieter and better thread life.

I'm okay with W rated tire, as I don't have any intention of breaking the legal speed limit.

[Youcanburn]

Guys I have a query and I thank you in advance for going through my post and your advice

I have a 2010 F10 BMW 530d. The car has been running on Yokohama 225/55 R17.
My previous tyres are wearing out and I was looking to replace them with 225/65 R17 since I am using this car for my daily commute (110kms) and some of the roads are very bad where a bigger sidewall I feel will give me a comfortable ride.

Does any one have any experience with this or any advice wether I should go ahead with this or not?
All your comments are greatly appreciated.