Smaller wheels?

pkt1213 · Post by **pkt1213** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:25 am

My dad has a first gen Vibe AWD. He wants to get rid of his 16" wheels and get 15's maybe. He wants a cheaper tire plus more side wall cause he says it rides too rough. Is there a 15" steelie that would fit? I don't know what the backspace is or if it will fit over the brakes.

RIT · Post by **RIT** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:28 am

I'm pretty sure the base model Matrix in '03 came with 15" wheels/ You can pick them up from a Corolla pretty cheap from a junk yard.

northvibe · Post by **northvibe** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:32 am

Yes I am also pretty sure 15"'s fit. I thought my vibes winter steelies were 15"s. Then with a 15" you can get larger sidewall tires. I found my steelies on craigslist for $75 for all 4

pkt1213 · Post by **pkt1213** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:36 am

Thanks. When I used the search function I wasn't coming up with much but just went looking and found some info about subaru wheels. I thought the base model may come with 15's but I wasn't sure. Is it a 4x100 bolt pattern?

bull77 · Post by **bull77** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:42 am

5x100 -- pretty sure all base models came with 16's

BlueCrush · Post by **BlueCrush** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:51 am

Yeah, the Base Vibe came with 16"x7" 5x100 steelies w/ 205/55/16 tires. I believe the Base Matrix came with 15x6.5" 5x100 steelies. Not sure on the tire size though. They might be 195/60/15.

brbo · Post by **brbo** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:54 am

My Dad was running 195/??R 15s on his '06 AWD no problem other than looking tiny in the wheel well...he got his steelies from a VW since most of the newer ones run 5/100 also... Cheers

HighMileVibe · Post by **HighMileVibe** » Mon May 25, 2009 5:51 am

With the advent of larger tires being common place, there is no real discount to go with a smaller tire. 205/55R16 are a very competitive size and usually pretty cheap. To save some dough, just go with a 205/60R16 tire that is designed for quiet ride. You can also run the tires SOFTER than normal - say 25 psi. you will lose some mpg though. This is how the hot rodders with their virtually non-existant suspension get a more compliant ride by running tires at 15-25 psi.my 2 cents: the ride depends MUCH more on the brand and model of tire than the wheel size/sidewall height.Strike that on the cost - 195/60 is an even more common size and dirt cheap at $48 for the Fuzion HRi. 205/55R16 for the same tire is $72.

HighMileVibe · Post by **HighMileVibe** » Mon May 25, 2009 5:56 am

Just checked 205/60R16 at Tirerack - Fuzion HRi is only $59 for that size.

18stars · Post by **18stars** » Mon May 25, 2009 8:51 pm

Tirerack's recommended winter wheel/tire set for 2004 was 15 inches and they had a slew of acceptable 15 inch alloy wheels that fit the Vibe. I think 15 inch wheels look fine and there's no doubt that on average your're going to get a better ride. I bet your dad knows too the advantages of regular tires vs lower profile in regard to hitting potholes and curbs!

Smaller wheels?

Smaller wheels?

Re: Smaller wheels? (pkt1213)

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Re: Smaller wheels? (bull77)

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