Wider Tyres
- Thread starter Micratec
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D
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I originally ordered larger tyres to fit my stock 15 inch alloys.
After ordering the tyre fitter told me they were wrong.
I was going for 185 over 175 I think it was.
My goal was get matching because there was mismatch in tyre wall height.
Also it was hard to get standard trolley jack under where the lower profile tyres fitted to front had been installed previously before getting them renewed.
They would have been much fatter being slightly over sized.
Had to review my order and select the correct size and at the same time look like I didn't have any knowledge of tyres even though I researched what the pros and cons of this would be.
Mostly the cons of what I wanted to do was going to be increased road noise lower fuel economy worse grip in the wet.
The pros would have been a higher stance better looking wheel IMO, better comfort and over all more meaty tyres.
And I intend to carry heavy loads I would have assumed that it would been a good change.
Not to mention more gap for my standard jack so not having to buy a low profile one making the new standard one I recently bought obsolete.
The tyres I got are nothing special but they are nicer than a mismatched pair over front and rear axle especially between driver and passenger side that kinda does handling no favors at all.
Your best bet is to ask tyre fitter to see what they recommend.
Sent from my ASUS_T00P using Micra Sports Club mobile app
After ordering the tyre fitter told me they were wrong.
I was going for 185 over 175 I think it was.
My goal was get matching because there was mismatch in tyre wall height.
Also it was hard to get standard trolley jack under where the lower profile tyres fitted to front had been installed previously before getting them renewed.
They would have been much fatter being slightly over sized.
Had to review my order and select the correct size and at the same time look like I didn't have any knowledge of tyres even though I researched what the pros and cons of this would be.
Mostly the cons of what I wanted to do was going to be increased road noise lower fuel economy worse grip in the wet.
The pros would have been a higher stance better looking wheel IMO, better comfort and over all more meaty tyres.
And I intend to carry heavy loads I would have assumed that it would been a good change.
Not to mention more gap for my standard jack so not having to buy a low profile one making the new standard one I recently bought obsolete.
The tyres I got are nothing special but they are nicer than a mismatched pair over front and rear axle especially between driver and passenger side that kinda does handling no favors at all.
Your best bet is to ask tyre fitter to see what they recommend.
Sent from my ASUS_T00P using Micra Sports Club mobile app
tyre and wheel upgrades can be a daunting job if you don't know the offset of the inner wheel dimensions failing that you can do a quick dimensional check from the stub axles inwards towards the first thing that the wider tyre will come into contact with either springs, shockabsorbers or wheel arches, from this you can work out what tyre sizes you can play with including spacers and also the rims you are using, try this web site to see the max and minimum tyres can be fitted to certain rims!:/www.tyresizecalculator.com/tyre-wheel-calculators/tyre-size-for-rim-size-width-calculator.
I am only increasing the width, the standard K12 alloys as we all know have 185/50/16 tyres so as per the diagram in my original post the 205/45/16 are a perfect replacement, no speedo difference no gearing difference no speed difference. Aesthetically I think the wider tyres especially when looking at the car from the rear will look better too especially combined with the lowering.
It sound superficial and shallow just wanting wider tyres for appearance sake, from the physics perspective I concur with most of this I read on the interweb: "Larger tyres improve handling and cornering, due to the wider tread face and stiffer sidewalls. Wider tyres may decrease braking distances and may also increase acceleration"
I love the shape and form of the K12 Micra, especially the swage line that starts on the front wings onto what I call the hips of the car the B to C pillars, that's how I also like my women The old Renault Megane advert which had I See You Baby (shaking that ass) by Groove Armada in it springs to mind.
From the rear view the 185/50/16 tyres look just a tiny bit skinny and not quite in proportion with the rest of car IMO, that will be accentuated when its lowered so the extra 20mm of width I think would look great, obviously there may well be a trade off with a tiny bit of comfort, not overly fussed about that.
I love the shape and form of the K12 Micra, especially the swage line that starts on the front wings onto what I call the hips of the car the B to C pillars, that's how I also like my women
The old Renault Megane advert which had I See You Baby (shaking that ass) by Groove Armada in it springs to mind.From the rear view the 185/50/16 tyres look just a tiny bit skinny and not quite in proportion with the rest of car IMO, that will be accentuated when its lowered so the extra 20mm of width I think would look great, obviously there may well be a trade off with a tiny bit of comfort, not overly fussed about that.
D
Deleted member 31521
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Mine look like this you may not be interested to see but this is how it looks before I added the hubcentric spacers.
If you view my blog you can probably see a rear view with the spacer installed and there might also be a shot of the 185s on the steel rims of the corsa D
Was advised to put the same tyres on front and rear so I decided to use the 175 60 R 15 all round.
It was 65 I was wanting to put on.
My idea was the would make for a fatter tyre giving a wider look.
I also wanted 185 because the tyres on the cross we have those look really a lot bigger and its 15 inch wheel only steel rims.
Sent from my ASUS_T00P using Micra Sports Club mobile app
If you view my blog you can probably see a rear view with the spacer installed and there might also be a shot of the 185s on the steel rims of the corsa D
Was advised to put the same tyres on front and rear so I decided to use the 175 60 R 15 all round.
It was 65 I was wanting to put on.
My idea was the would make for a fatter tyre giving a wider look.
I also wanted 185 because the tyres on the cross we have those look really a lot bigger and its 15 inch wheel only steel rims.
Sent from my ASUS_T00P using Micra Sports Club mobile app
D
Deleted member 31521
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Its not yet been lowered and could benefit from this being done as the struts are tired looking.
Not sure if I'm going to lower it yet but we didn't get speed pillows installed yet.
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Not sure if I'm going to lower it yet but we didn't get speed pillows installed yet.
Sent from my ASUS_T00P using Micra Sports Club mobile app
D
Deleted member 31521
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The road is beautifully smooth and flat now not sure why they have not put the speed humps this is also what we call them here.
And I can pretty much confirm that speed pillows break suspension.
As my fathers corsa had broken springs at the front after taking a turn off and when we got to one had to straddle over with one side cause of cars parked in between them.
The car almost flipped over onto its roof and we were at best doing 20 mph.
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And I can pretty much confirm that speed pillows break suspension.
As my fathers corsa had broken springs at the front after taking a turn off and when we got to one had to straddle over with one side cause of cars parked in between them.
The car almost flipped over onto its roof and we were at best doing 20 mph.
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Used this to calc new wheels and tyres. Went with a 5.5 width wheel, and 185 tyre. With standard 6 width sr wheel, 195 would be perfect. As offset with new wheels was less, wheels and tyres poke out an extra 7mm, even though narrower wheel. The standard sr wheels are bloody heavy.
Used this to calc new wheels and tyres. Went with a 5.5 width wheel, and 185 tyre. With standard 6 width sr wheel, 195 would be perfect. As offset with new wheels was less, wheels and tyres poke out an extra 7mm, even though narrower wheel. The standard sr wheels are bloody heavy.
If I'd kept my sr wheels, i would have fitted good 5mm wheel spacers, which would give you look you are after, with no issues.
Having said what I just wrote, 195/50/16 tyres would increase ride height by 5mm, which you probably don't want, with your lowering sport springs. May give you a clearance issue as well, with slightly larger circumferance. Stick with 185's.
I was already aware of that website, very handy indeed, from that I found out that 205/45/16 are the same circumference so no speedo errors, would look great (I think) with lowered springs however have a look at what I said here yesterday
Alright. You could try soaking them in vinegar, or in a rust eater solution, see what they come out like. You could use a tooth brush dipped in something like autosol to buff them?
You had it lowered yet, dying to find out what it looks/drives like.
@Lovemy160srtobits yeah mate, posted it here
Still not entirely happy with the height, it's only been 3 days so hoping it'll settle in/down/lower in another few days.
I am liking the feel of it more day by day, I forget what those negative effects of acceleration and braking are called (any ideas) they've essentially been eliminated, it goes faster quicker and stops more sure-footedly, that can only improve further with the new tyres.
I am liking the feel of it more day by day, I forget what those negative effects of acceleration and braking are called (any ideas) they've essentially been eliminated, it goes faster quicker and stops more sure-footedly, that can only improve further with the new tyres.
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Doesn't indicate that to get the same diameter of tyre for different widths on the same rims the aspect ratio must change . The 185 wide tyre may be 55 aspect ratio but the 205 tyre would probably have to be 45 aspect ratio to achieve the same overall diameter...
Yes exactly right, the new wider tyres are indeed 205/45/16 as opposed to the standard 185/50/16 so because the width is apparently a percentage of the height (I read that somewhere) they're essentially the same size tyre in two dimensions just wider in the third dimension.
There is a rule of thumb on max. and min. width tyres on a specific rim width, see here:-
Equivalency table
| Rim width | Minimum tyre width | Ideal tyre width | Maximum tyre width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,0 Inches | 155 mm | 165 or 175 mm | 185 mm |
| 5,5 Inches | 165 mm | 175 or 185 mm | 195 mm |
| 6,0 Inches | 175 mm | 185 or 195 mm | 205 mm |
| 6,5 Inches | 185 mm | 195 or 205 mm | 215 mm |
| 7,0 Inches | 195 mm | 205 or 215 mm | 225 mm |
| 7,5 Inches | 205 mm | 215 or 225 mm | 235 mm |
| 8,0 Inches | 215 mm | 225 or 235 mm | 245 mm |
| 8,5 Inches | 225 mm | 235 or 245 mm | 255 mm |
| 9,0 Inches | 235 mm | 245 or 255 mm | 265 mm |
| 9,5 Inches | 245 mm | 255 or 265 mm | 275 mm |
| 10,0 Inches | 255 mm | 265 or 275 mm | 285 mm |
| 10,5 Inches | 265 mm | 275 or 285 mm | 295 mm |
| 11,0 Inches | 275 mm | 285 or 295 mm | 305 mm |
| 11,5 Inches | 285 mm | 295 or 305 mm | 315 mm |
Thanks @John_D yes the chart confirms the 205's are the widest I can go on the 6 inch wide standard alloys.
Mika The Finn
Site Supporter
Micra of mine has 205-50-16 tires with 7.5" wide wheels, 205-45-16 would have been right choice.
205 width tyres on 7.5" rims are the minimum width advisable Mika .........215 or 225 would have been a better choice.....
Mika The Finn
Site Supporter
Yes, I know.
Wider the tire/wheel, usually more €uros or £ goes basically to altar of appearance.
As being retired, have to try put €uro boundaries to some where...
-Mika-
Wider the tire/wheel, usually more €uros or £ goes basically to altar of appearance.
As being retired, have to try put €uro boundaries to some where...
-Mika-
185 to 205 is a mere 20mm wider, not a drastic change, I have chosen some Continentals, they are not available in 185/50/16, tyres that size are limited in choice in the medium to premium areas. I like Kumho Ecsta HS51 in 185/50/16 size and would be buying those were I not going wider, they've gone up in price and aren't significantly less expensive than the Conti's so for me a no brainer. I've always been of the opinion that you should always get the best tyres possible because they are your only contact with the road.
Mika The Finn
Site Supporter
Try these bolts they may look the part with the colour of your Chic:www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-x-Neo-Chrome-Wheel-Bolts-M12x1-5-fits-BMW-MINI-R53/114058868878?hash=item1a8e70388e:g:ZpgAAOSwU7JeF2SM;)
Just taken delivery of my Continental 'winter' tyres, (all 185-50-16 on the 'standard' 6J alloys).
These Full winters for the front:-
And these Continental M+S Pro Contact TX all season ones for the back :-
Total outlay £142 + fitting charges... Pictures of actual tyres....Bit of a bargain?
These Full winters for the front:-
And these Continental M+S Pro Contact TX all season ones for the back :-
Total outlay £142 + fitting charges...
Pictures of actual tyres....Bit of a bargain?Uber happy with the sexy new wheels and wider tyres, as you can see not a massive OTT aesthetic difference just about enough, the feel of the car on the Continental Premium 6 tyres feels good, it is dry here today and haven't been able to do any enthusiastic driving so will reserve proper opinion till after a few hundred miles and some wet driving. I normally like to run my tyres a few Psi higher for additional fuel economy, will see how they go for a week and decide how to proceed from there. The new tyres have reduced the harshness of the ride noticeably since the new suspension was fitted, the old tyres were fire trucked anyway and were a mish mash of 3 different brands, all rubbish! I purposely drove a route I know well in terms of road feel and the new tyres (as one would expect for the cost) feel so much more compliant and forgiving whilst magically also making me instantly more attractive to the opposite sex no no no I meant also feeling very grippy...bonus
Attachments
Just taken delivery of my Continental 'winter' tyres, (all 185-50-16 on the 'standard' 6J alloys).
These Full winters for the front:-
View attachment 72832
And these Continental M+S Pro Contact TX all season ones for the back :-
View attachment 72831
Total outlay £142 + fitting charges...
I am considering a set of winter tyres for the rims I just removed so please let us know how they feel on the car.
Great thanks, they look great, I will have a go with the rotary tool first to see what I can achieve with the current bolts, have saved those to my watch list on eBay.
Just taken delivery of my Continental 'winter' tyres, (all 185-50-16 on the 'standard' 6J alloys).
These Full winters for the front:-
View attachment 72832
And these Continental M+S Pro Contact TX all season ones for the back :-
View attachment 72831
Total outlay £142 + fitting charges...
£142 for four tyres? Surely not?
I had full winter tyres (Nokian) on the car that the Micra replaced, a Citroen ZX, 185-55-14's on VTR rims.
And I currently have full winter Nokians on the front of my Saab estate car and handling feels no different to the previous summer tyres.
Very soon after I got my Micra in 2016 I replaced all four tyres with a set of Vredestein Quatrac 5 all season tyres,
which felt fantastic for handling in summer and winter, though compared to the full winters that i had been used to they were a bit disappointing in snow, not having the traction of the winter tyres on the Citroen. Two of the Vredesteins are still on the rear of the Micra having now covered about 35K miles and while still legal and displaying great road holding in both wet and dry conditions. However the opportunity of getting the pair of Continental all season tyres at such a cheap price means they will be replaced in a few weeks. I replaced the front tyres about 18 months ago after a couple of non repairable punctures on the Vredesteins and the only 'decent' tyres that I could get in a hurry (I had to import the Vredesteins from Germany) were a pair of Continental Eco Contact 5's, which while having good wet and dry road holding, have a really flexible side wall that makes for body roll when cornering and causes excess wear on the outer shoulders, such that they will not be missed, despite only covering about 15K miles, when I get the full winters on the front.
I got the two full winters on eBay from someone fairly local who had previously had them on the front of a Smartcar for a few hundred miles last winter, for £52 the pair, as no one else bid on them£142 for four tyres? Surely not?
and the other pair were from a tyre company in Devon who were clearing stock, and cost me £90 for the pair. The set of Vredesteins that I got 3/4 years ago were £240 at the time (now £320!) for the set of 4, so yes I got something of a bargain this time!Wow they certainly were bargains.
The thing with tyres is that there are so many combinations such as wheel and tyre sizes and different people feel different things. The Micra Sport which I just sold had Kumho Ecsta HS51's on it when I got it, not a brand I'd have considered however they were superb, sadly not available in the wider size. I said before it's a shame there isn't a try before you buy with tyres, you could go buy new tyres, your choice based on reviews and recommendations but on your own car they ain't so great and you'd be stuck with them so I think mostly we go with what we know/like.
The thing with tyres is that there are so many combinations such as wheel and tyre sizes and different people feel different things. The Micra Sport which I just sold had Kumho Ecsta HS51's on it when I got it, not a brand I'd have considered however they were superb, sadly not available in the wider size. I said before it's a shame there isn't a try before you buy with tyres, you could go buy new tyres, your choice based on reviews and recommendations but on your own car they ain't so great and you'd be stuck with them so I think mostly we go with what we know/like.
All this talk of winter tyres prompted me to visit my garage.....
I appear to still have some Citroen VTR wheels (sadly 4 x 108mm, not 4 x 100mm), two of them here:-...
And more importantly some almost unworn 14" winter tyres...
and a couple of worn but legal Nokian winter tyres......
Anyone on here running 14" alloys that want a cheap pair of winter tyres?
I appear to still have some Citroen VTR wheels (sadly 4 x 108mm, not 4 x 100mm), two of them here:-...
And more importantly some almost unworn 14" winter tyres...
and a couple of worn but legal Nokian winter tyres......
Anyone on here running 14" alloys that want a cheap pair of winter tyres?
All four for £40?
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