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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 7

What is the Limit in Changing Car's Tire

06/10/2012 8:13 AM

the size of my car's tire is ( 205/.65/R15 ) to what limit can i change the width only without any side effect .

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#1

Re: what is the limit in changing car's tire

06/10/2012 8:47 AM

That depends on what one considers a side effect. It also depends on the fender.

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#2

Re: what is the limit in changing car's tire

06/10/2012 9:22 AM

Width is a func,tion of aspect ratio to height. You won't have many choices if width, only changes.

Look at a size chart.

As redfred said cleanance may be the limiting factor.

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#3

Re: What is the Limit in Changing Car's Tire

06/10/2012 10:19 AM

Maybe an inch....at some point you may have to change the offset of your wheels, at some point these will hit the fender or worse...You might find an online performance/enthusiast forum for your car type that will have tried and true methods...here are some online guides...

http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse.com/Wheel_Fitment_Guide.cfm

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#4

Re: What is the Limit in Changing Car's Tire

06/10/2012 11:26 AM

The best advice is probably going to be with a tech at Tire Rack or some other tire wholesaler. They can help you select the best combination for your vehicle. They are experts in this.

The key is the center number in the numeric string 205/.65/R15. That number is the aspect ratio of tire width to tire height. As long as the aspect ratio is the same, then the tire circumference will be very close to the original (and your speedometer will read true).

However, consider a few factors before changing to wider tires.

First, will the wider tires fit under the fenders?

Second, while you may get better grip on dry roads, wet road traction may very well go down. As the contact area of a wider tire increases, the force downward per square inch goes down. In rainy conditions this may increase your chance for hydroplaning.

Third, changing tire size may require a four-wheel alignment to optimize the tire/road contact. If you do not, the tire may not sit squarely on the road and result in premature tire wear. You do not want to wear out those new expensive tires.

Fourth, there may be a slight chance you may experience some undesired effects such as tram-lining, where the tires are more prone to try to follow grooves and slight ruts in the road surface. You may find yourself having to apply constant corrections to the steering wheel as the car wants to follows these slight depressions in the surface. Further tuning of the suspension may be required.

Lastly, wider tires will increase rolling resistance (particularly if they are performance tires) and it will negatively impact your fuel mileage.

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#5

Re: What is the Limit in Changing Car's Tire

06/11/2012 11:10 AM

Remember also to advise the insurance company that covers the vehicle and its drivers. If the vehicle has been modified away from its original specifications and the insurance company hasn't been told, all likelihood is that the cover is void.

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: What is the Limit in Changing Car's Tire

06/11/2012 12:43 PM

Thankfully, I do not have to deal with insurance nanny police here when I select a new set of tires for my car, but I suspect that it will catch on here in time.

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