205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Wheel and tire information and upgrade discussions
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crashbandit
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 7:12 pm
Location: wisconsin

205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by crashbandit »

Anyone ever try this? It looks like they would fit. I think the 65's are 2 1/2 in. bigger in overall diameter than the 55's. I am looking for a smoother ride and more ground clearance. Might look kinda cool with the bigger tires. Will it really screw up my gas mileage and speedo?
crashbandit
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 7:12 pm
Location: wisconsin

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by crashbandit »

I am still looking to do this before winter. I discovered my spedo is currently off almost 4 mph with the stock tires. ( the gauge reads that I am going 4mph faster than I really am traveling). So I figure the bigger tires should bring the spedo into calibration with my actual speed I am driving ? Just wondering how much the bigger rubber will mess with the shifting of the transmission.??
jayoldschool
Posts: 294
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:04 pm

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by jayoldschool »

Go for it. I'm going taller on my next set of summer tires. Just double check your speedo and your odometer with GPS, and do your percentage calculations for mileage.
Mark
Posts: 640
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:26 am
Location: Cheyenne, WY

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by Mark »

I just put 205/60R16's on both Vibes and I think there would be plenty of room for 205/65's.
'08 Base Stealth, '05 Base Satellite
Raven
Posts: 2922
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 10:58 am
Location: Lac Ste. Marie, Quebec

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by Raven »

You'll notice the car feels like it is even more under powered. The larger diameter of the tires raises the final drive ratio. Braking distance may also be increased slightly as will brake wear.
As you probably know already, 205/65/16 is 6.49% larger than stock size. 3% is the recommended limit. :shock:

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Tire-Siz ... /205-65R16
vibolista
Posts: 1519
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:34 am
Location: "Glacial", Maine!

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by vibolista »

I've been running a slightly larger diameter tire than OE since 2009, and haven't had any problems with the car. The gearing is slightly taller, but not unmanageable. Imagine if you drove an area where steep uphill starts were the norm, it might have negative effects on the clutch in a manual version.

The 225/50 17s that are on my Vibe are fine at a Diameter of 25.9" and may go with a 225/55 17 when current tires wear out.

...
There was a Vibe owner in Churchill Falls, Labrador a few years ago that I think stuck a set of 235/60 16s on his steel wheels to get a little more clearance. Not much in the way of pavement up there... wish I had stored pictures of that car. That tire has a Diameter of 27.1" !!!

...
Another Canadian, in Ontario, Mad Bill, (some here may know him! :idea: ) ( definitely a hero of mine when Vibes come to mind), engineered a set of hubs to fit Corvette wheels on his Vibe. I do have pictures of that car. The rubber was fairly massive (275/40 17s if I recall correctly) and did peek out of the wheel arches the smallest tad up front. Diameter wasn't that far off at 25.7" compared to the OE RS-A 24.9" Diameter, but it was a great exercise and ended up with a great stance...

Image

Image

Image

Mad Bill's white Vibe is still a thing of beauty :!: I'm a fan.
Raven
Posts: 2922
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 10:58 am
Location: Lac Ste. Marie, Quebec

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by Raven »

MadBill is my brother. He's still running Monster Boots in the summer. He just turned 71 a few weeks ago.
vibolista
Posts: 1519
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:34 am
Location: "Glacial", Maine!

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by vibolista »

Raven wrote:MadBill is my brother. He's still running Monster Boots in the summer. He just turned 71 a few weeks ago.
I remember you posting that info the last time I showed off your Brother's Big Boots Vibe. Hope he's doing fine!

And tell him we need new pictures of his Vibe!!
'08 Manual, Sun&Sound, 17" Borbet Type CA wheels, 215/50 Summer Tires... 16" OE steel, 215/55 Snow Tires
Raven
Posts: 2922
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 10:58 am
Location: Lac Ste. Marie, Quebec

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by Raven »

vibolista wrote:
Raven wrote:MadBill is my brother. He's still running Monster Boots in the summer. He just turned 71 a few weeks ago.
I remember you posting that info the last time I showed off your Brother's Big Boots Vibe. Hope he's doing fine!

And tell him we need new pictures of his Vibe!!
Ya, he's my hero too. He's a genius with anything that has a motor, actually he's just plain genius.
crashbandit
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 7:12 pm
Location: wisconsin

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by crashbandit »

Tell me that doesn't look awesome! That's the look I want for my Vibe. Nobody has mentioned what the ride difference is with the bigger rubber though? Any improvement over small bumps that make my Vibe rattle my bones?
MadBill
Posts: 1513
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 9:39 am

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by MadBill »

Hi guys.
Have I missed anything? It's been ~ 10 years... :lol:

Still got the Vibe and the big boots but didn't get them on last summer as a repaint went terribly wrong. Turns out it''s hard to get paint to stick to bare used magnesium. Plan 'A' is hunting down some aircraft primer. Plan 'B' is to glass bead them and let them weather to mag's natural dark gray..

Since I retired some years back, I'm only averaging ~ 5,000 km/yr., so at 15-some years old, it has only 156,000 km. on the clock. Still looks pretty good, just a few little surface dots of rust and even though the paint seemed pretty marginal when new (soft and chip-prone) it's still all there, albeit lacking any trace of shine.

I did have an engine incident a few years back. Unexpectedly ran through a 2' deep flooded stretch of road (following too close to stop), slurpped up a snootful through the 'cold water' intake and hydrauliced the engine. Pulled the filter and the plugs and spun it a few hundred revs, changed the oil and all seemed well...until about 3 months later, when it put a rod out the side. :o My favorite wrecker put in a lower mileage replacement for $1,400 and it's been running great ever since.
Jbenrod
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:58 am

Re: 205 65 R16's on 2007 vibe?

Post by Jbenrod »

a repaint went terribly wrong. Turns out it''s hard to get paint to stick to bare used magnesium.
MadBill, consider picking up a quart of epoxy primer. I've had good luck with the highly rated SPI epoxy. You can thin it 10% or so for a sealant as well. I would spray it on but you could also brush it. It will not be coming off and you would need to apply your finish coat the next day (or no more than a few days later)

It would be more product (2 qrt total) than you need for the wheels so consider other applications. Once opened it would last about a year.
---------------------------
I am running 205/60/16 Toyo Versado Noir on my Vibe now. For those that may be searching, I can't tell much or any difference (improvement) in the ride. The Vibe fender liners tend to not last and I had to put on aftermarket. The aftermarket liners are not very good either and on one side it does not lay flat in the fender and tends to rub the tire on full turn. I've just left it but it would be best to add an extra fastener to that problem spot.
2005 Base - 220k
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