GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I see that some of you have 18's,What do you think of them? What is the ride difference felt between stock and 18's?What suspension mods were required? How far off did it throw your speedometer?Are 17's better?Search turned up some of this info, I am looking to consolidate it all into one readable thread.

I had 19" Falken Torque 5's and they just had a hair left in the fender walls - otherwise they wouldn't be turning my Vibe anywhere - I have thought of moving down to 18" --- The ride with the 19"s was unbelievably smooth considering how low pro the rubber had to be.

19's fit? Hmm...the plot thickens. And I was balking on 18's.Did you have any problems with your speedometer being off?

Quote, originally posted by 4azdmunky »19's fit? Hmm...the plot thickens. And I was balking on 18's.Did you have any problems with your speedometer being off?Not as long as you get tires that match the same overall diameter of the stock rims and tires. I just have thin tires, and others have put 20"s all the way around, so it can be done as well! You just have to make sure you get a workable offset.

Never paid much attention - only had them on for the short summer... I usually just use the speedometer on the AVIC-N1 to be honest with u - I know I'm always going over the limit so I don't even bother to see how much I am breaking the law. Can't imagine it being off too much.

Do they rub the inside of the wheel well much? 17's on my saturn rubbed like....some rubbing round tire too big for its...well it rubbed alot.

Quote, originally posted by 4azdmunky »Do they rub the inside of the wheel well much? 17's on my saturn rubbed like....some rubbing round tire too big for its...well it rubbed alot.Nope, no rubbing. If you loosen your wheel-well liners and don't hook them back up right, though, they will rub the tires like mine did, especially at high speeds!

right on, well it looks like it is off to tirerack to spend xmas bonus.tehehhehhehehehheee

Tire track - Is there a good place to order from that you are hiding from me?

nope, just fat fingered..sorry

Quote, originally posted by viberationz »Tire track - Is there a good place to order from that you are hiding from me? http://www.tirerack.com You can see them on your car there, and they have a prety good selection, there are many places to order them from. Just look around! Make sure you are looking for 5x100mm.

I usually go to discounttire.com and use their vehicle simulator to try out different rims.They are probably all the same company, just different store fronts.

Ok they are asking questions I don't know answers to - I know I need the 5x100mm bold pattern but what about the tire size when it says example: 205/45 16 - help?

Quote, originally posted by viberationz »Ok they are asking questions I don't know answers to - I know I need the 5x100mm bold pattern but what about the tire size when it says example: 205/45 16 - help?That depends on what size rims you're getting. There was a site posted once where you could put your stock tire amd wheel size and the size of rim you were going to and it would calculate what size tire you needed on the new rim to keep the same overall diameter. Don't know it off-hand, but search around and you should find it.Here it is! http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1066

It took me forever to figure it all out. Sad, i can reverse engineer any piece of software, but tire sizes pawned me for several yearsI am not sure if i can post this link, but it explains it all:http://auto.howstuffworks.com/...2.htm

Ive used the first link before, good links, helpful.

Quote, originally posted by 4azdmunky »I see that some of you have 18's,What do you think of them? What is the ride difference felt between stock and 18's?What suspension mods were required? How far off did it throw your speedometer?Are 17's better?I have 18s, 225-40-18 tires. I love them. They are stiffer than stock and if the roads you drive on are in bad condition, it can be very uncomfortable and also would be more susceptible to damaging the wheels. The roads I drive on are in very good shape and the ride is generally pretty smooth. Bumps are more solid, but the benefit is better grip, looks, and steering. Now, I also installed my Tein S-tech springs the same time I put the wheels on, so this also makes quite a difference. I would definitely lower your car if you put larger wheels on; it looks and handles much better! As others said, your odometer/speedometer will not be off much if you keep the outer diameter within the stock range. 17s can be a good choice, I had a hard time deciding on whether to get 17s or 18s, but ultimately decided on 18s. 17s are cheaper, often lighter, but our cars are tall and make 17s look like 16s. You'll see some cars with 17s and they look more like 18s when compared to a Vibe with 17s. 18s I think are perfect. They fill the wheel well perfectly, the side wall isn't too thin, and they look great! Tirerack is an excellent choice . I bought mine from them. They have excellent service and warehouses spread around the country, so I got mine delivered over night with standard delivery. Their prices might be more than some of the shady other sellers out there such as wheelmax, but you know you're getting a quality product and they'll take care of you. Good luck with your decision and post pictures when you install them!

205/ 45 16205= width of tire in mm45= thickness of tire in mm i.e. the profile of the tire16 the inch size of the rim

Quote, originally posted by joholste »205/ 45 16205= width of tire in mm45= thickness of tire in mm i.e. the profile of the tire16 the inch size of the rimActually 205=width in mm 45=45% of the width is the height or profile (92.25mm) 16= size of rim in inchesThink about it, a 45mm high tire would be 1.77 inches from the rim to the road.

You got it right sunny

Well now that my 19's are out of the picture I invest in Platinum XCess 18" rims and Federal SS 595 Rubber - I am a little disapointed I never went with a deep dish rim - Looking on here everyone seems to have them now on their Vibe. Haven't yet to try out the 18"s - Will be 2 months before I take the Vibe out of the garage anyways... Did you end up buying some 18"s?

i put some 18x8's on my vibe wrapped in a 225/40 kumho ectsta asx. i have had so many compliments on the wheel choice and i love the tire tread. i lowered mine though with tein-s springs. so my ride did change. i and many others thought it was the perfect combo (wheel size and heigth adjustment.)