Hi guys,
Technical question to those who know about cars and such.
Father in law is willing to give me a set of winter tires for free (yay) but I’m not sure if I can use them.
I drive a Hyundai elantra (GT) 2002/03 - tires on there right now are 195/60 R15.
The tires he’s offering are 205/60 R15s.
The question I have is can I use the wider snow tires on the existing rims I am currently using? (He’s just giving me the tires, no rims).
Thanks!
-squidy
You are wanting to put tires on that are 10 millimeters wider than your rims. Most likely would not work.
There is a bit of range that can be accommodated - tires are flexible rubber, after all.
My advice would be to call a tire shop and ask them if they’d be able to mount these tires on your rims.
This page at Tire Rack indicates that there may be as much as a 2" range in permitted rim width - the example they cite is 1/2" narrower to 1-1/2" wider. The 10mm difference you’ve got is well within this range.
195 to 205 is a minimal difference, but Discount Tires website does not show the 205/60-15 as being an optional fit for your car. It does show a 205/55-15 as a fit, so maybe the 60 series in the 205 interferes with a fender well or a suspension bit.
Check with a local tire expert, but I think you’ll that if the rims are designed for 195’s, then 205’s will fit okay. Note that the “60” figure in the size, the aspect ratio, is a ratio/percentage of the width rather than a linear measurement, and thus the 205’s will be (at least theoretically) a bit larger in diameter. This would have some effect on the speedometer reading.
They’ll fit the rims without a problem, although there is a chance they’ll rub on the wheelwell (or other parts) when turning to full lock.
The tires your father-in-law offered are only 0.5 inches bigger in diameter - not a big difference. Your speedometer will read 2% low as a result.
Generally, you want to go with a thinner tire as a snow tire, but in this case the tires are free. I say go for it - a slightly wider snow tire will still give you significantly better traction compared to all-seasons in the snow.
Double check with the shop when you go to get them mounted. They’ll offer some more insight.
For tire size reference: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
Those tires should go on the old rims just fine. The size difference is slight. Check you current tires for how close they come to fenders, wheel wells and STEERING geometry. sometimes a tire will be real close to a steering component when fully turned to one side. Any decent tire shop should be well able to tell you if it’s a go for sure. Personally, I prefer bigger tires when possible.
thanks guys. I’ll give it a go.
You might want to take a look at getting a set of rims dedicated to the snow tires. Steel rims are usually cheap(ish), whereas the annual cost (& time) of mounting & balancing your snow tires in December and your normal tires in March will add up pretty quick.
Once you have snow tires on separate rims, the changeover is a 20-minute DIY job.