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bigger tires change gearing?
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:00 am
by macman
what tire diameter can the vibe handle? I am wondering if a bigger tire will increase the gearing and provide lower revs on the highway yielding better MPG?any thoughts?
Re: bigger tires change gearing? (macman)
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:04 am
by Raven
Most tire websites recommend staying within 3% in tire diameter. Of course your speedometer reading would be off also.
Re: bigger tires change gearing? (Sunny)
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:44 am
by Mavrik
it can also throw off your abs if your Vibe is equipted with it.
Re: bigger tires change gearing? (Mavrik)
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 1:14 pm
by joatmon
I would think tire size would only affect ABS if you had different sizes on the car at the same time, but I don;t see how it would affect ABS if they tires were all the same size. ABS works on differences between wheel speeds, not absolute wheel speeds.
Re: bigger tires change gearing? (joatmon)
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:38 am
by Mavrik
the system also monitors vehicle speed and if that reading is thrown off... so can the ABS. I've never seen it on a Vibe but I have on other vehicles. I'd imagine it works the same.
Re: bigger tires change gearing? (Mavrik)
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:52 am
by joatmon
well for me the issue would be the speedometer calibration. It seems like when power is first applied to the instrument cluster, the speedometer and tach go through a calibration sweep. I don't know how to recalibrate the speedometer for different gearing/tires. I rely on my speedometer being accurate to keep John Law from inviting me to participate in the judical branch of government.