2009 Vibe 2.4L 17R tire upgrade question

Wheel and tire information and upgrade discussions
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lplritter
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:29 am

2009 Vibe 2.4L 17R tire upgrade question

Post by lplritter »

Hey guys, I'm a new member to this forum and I've been all over it in the past hour looking for tire answers.
I have a 2009 Vibe 2.4L with stock 215/45 R17 wheels and I'd really like a more comfortable ride due to the terrible roads here in New Orleans.
I've seen a few people say they went to 225/45/17 with little to no rubbing, calc'd at a 1.4% diff
I've hear rumor of a 235/45/17, which has a 2.9% diff but didn't see if anyone had success with that size.
Also saw a 225/50/17 option mentioned somewhere, which is a 5% diff. A much higher side wall seems like a more cushy ride, but that 5% diff seems like it could lead to issues with brakes, odo, and possible rubbing.
I'd like to aim at the biggest tire possible without changing the 17 rim size.

Overall my goal is to just smooth out the ride here in the city, and I'm due for a tire change anyway so seems like good timing to try this.

Sorry if i'm beating a dead horse with yet another tire size post, but it seems like there's been a few years since the last ones I looked at.

Cheers
SeattleJeremy
Posts: 1170
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:02 pm
Location: Tacoma, WA

Re: 2009 Vibe 2.4L 17R tire upgrade question

Post by SeattleJeremy »

Welcome to GenVibe! What tires does the car have now?

Upgrading the width of the tire also increases the height (which helps the ride), but as you stated, rubbing can become an issue. On the Vibe I wouldn't go with anything larger than 10mm wider, unless you are willing to change other suspension bits.
It's easier to find a tire that is more comfy, than it is to change the tire size. Look on tirerack, and search for tires that are All season passenger \ Grand Touring.

Here is a quick comparison for Grant Touring tires.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyre ... alve+Stems

Edit: I have the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus (16") tires on my Vibe now, and they are more comfortable than the High performance All seasons I had on previously.
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lplritter
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:29 am

Re: 2009 Vibe 2.4L 17R tire upgrade question

Post by lplritter »

Thanks for the quick response!
The tires I have now are actually 215/45ZR17. Apparently the place I got them from when I got new tires years back gave me the ZR..
Does a ZR compared to an regular R change the comfort of the tire at all, or just the turning and speed performance?
So you're saying that I can safety go up in tire size 10mm, so to a 225/45/R17? That's the size I was more leaning towards, to get the least difference.

Looking at TireRack now
SeattleJeremy
Posts: 1170
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:02 pm
Location: Tacoma, WA

Re: 2009 Vibe 2.4L 17R tire upgrade question

Post by SeattleJeremy »

From tire rack's website https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/turk-t/what-does-zr-mean
Anything rated for more than 149 mph is considered a Z-speed rated tire and sometimes the manufacturer will stick the "Z" in the size right before the "R" to denote a Z-speed rated tire. Not all Z-speed rated tires have a Z listed on the sidewall in this manner because it is not mandatory.
So it's likely you have a performance tire installed on your car, go with something a little softer, and it should ride better.
*Sold* 06' Vibe Base - Mono Platinum - Manual
Turo'ing 15' BMW 328i Sport - Jet Black - Auto
Daily 19' Toyota Camry SE Hybrid - Galactic Aqua Mica - eCVT
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vibenvy
Posts: 7121
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:38 am
Location: Sandwich, IL

Re: 2009 Vibe 2.4L 17R tire upgrade question

Post by vibenvy »

FWIW, we have 235/40/18 on the OEM 18" wheels on both our 09 GTs. Little more cushion and width without any rubbing.
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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