Dropping tire rim size for winter - is it worth it ?

[kentb]

I have a 2006 Pontiac Vibe with 205/55R16 with alloy rimsI was wondering if it's worth it to drop the rim size to 195/65R15 for winter tireI would use steel rims (which will probably look bad, but who cares )(I was told by a tire rep that dropping one size would not make that much of a differenceCan I go from a R16 to R14 safely ? )From a performance standpoint, would I see a difference in traction in snow and ice ?Cost wise, does this make sense ? Shelling out about $250 for rims, but buying winter tires with more rubber.I have about 2 years of payment left (out of 5) to make and I am not certain at this point if I am going to keep the car beyond 1 or 2 after I have finished paying itAny advice would be welcomed....

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by kentb »I have a 2006 Pontiac Vibe with 205/55R16 with alloy rimsI was wondering if it's worth it to drop the rim size to 195/65R15 for winter tireI would use steel rims (which will probably look bad, but who cares )(I was told by a tire rep that dropping one size would not make that much of a differenceCan I go from a R16 to R14 safely ? )From a performance standpoint, would I see a difference in traction in snow and ice ?Cost wise, does this make sense ? Shelling out about $250 for rims, but buying winter tires with more rubber.I have about 2 years of payment left (out of 5) to make and I am not certain at this point if I am going to keep the car beyond 1 or 2 after I have finished paying itAny advice would be welcomed....you won't be able to run a 14" rim unless yo ment to type 15rsmallest you can go is 15" Other than cheaper tires for the 15" rims you will spend more swapping out your summer tires from your alloys to winter tires each year than the total cost of the 15" tire and rimthe benifits of using a 15" over a 16" isn't it's only about 10mm i'm going to be running 16" snows

[vibolista]

You can put those 15 inch wheels on for your winter tires and they will work ok, but, every time you look at your car, I hope you'll be able to take it. Go to tirerack.com and mount a set of small wheels on your Vibe and see what they might look like. If you don't immediately wretch, then it might be ok. Winters can be pretty long somtimes!

[foam-n-fibre]

OK, Here's a related question. I went to Costco to see about 15" rims and the guy there said that some Vibes might have brake lines interfere with 15 inch rims, He said he's seen that before, so won't sell 15" for vibes. He said call the dealer to find out which brake parts I have, based on the VIN, to see if the 15's will fit. I called the dealer he knew nothing about this. He said they only have 16 and 17 OEM rims.Sounds like lots of people are running 15's in winter. Has ANYONE encountered a problem fitting 15's? Mine is an 07 Vibe, pretty much base with 16" steel wheels currently. And yes, I can handle how it will look with 15's Also, other than the Vibe/Matrix/Corolla, are any other models going to have the 5x100 bolt pattern with the correct offset and ideally, the same 54.1mm center bore?Thanks,Peter

[sagittarius]

Generally yes, 15" tires will be cheaper than 16" tires. I could not find 15" steel rims at a acceptable price, so ended up buying a set of 16" steels on Craigs List for $120. Then had Blizzak WS60's in 195/60R16's mounted, balanced, stems, tax ... $391 out the door.These will go on the car end of November.

[Pauldog]

Most or all Camry wheels won't work; they have a different bolt pattern. Some VW and Audi wheels should be pretty close, but I think your best bet is to salvage 5-lug wheels from smaller Toyotas - Corolla, Matrix, Celica. Some Scions too, most likely, and maybe the smaller Lexus models.For well under $200, I found a decent set of 15" alloy rims from an early 1990's Celica, and all the parameters were either exactly the same or extremely close to stock. I think they look at least as nice as the original black steel rims with the silver Pontiac wheel covers. Surprisingly, the center caps don't have any logo at all. And the wheels are directional, which I had never heard of before.The main trick was finding the right lug nuts without spending a fortune. (They're long, and contact the wheel flat-on, with a washer.) The dealer price for one was over $10. I found a $25 used set on eBay that came from an FJ Cruiser. They were a little shorter than the originals (still fairly long), but with plenty of threads and length to still give a margin of safety.I'm using 195/65R15 all season tires, and this will be the first winter I drive it. I don't expect it to be much different from a Corolla, which does OK in the snow with the right all season tires.

[jkm311]

I have 15" rims with no problems. I will admit, I'd rather have 16", based on looks only. But when it comes to performance, the Blizzaks I have mounted get me through a lot. Plus, it's easier to clear the snow and junk out of the wheel wells with that extra bit of clearance.I did hear somewhere that having a slightly smaller rim actually improved a snow tire's ability to throw snow, but I have nothing to back that up.

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by Pauldog » which does OK in the snow with the right all season tires."OK" isn't good enough....

[Kincaid]

Quote, originally posted by jkm311 »I did hear somewhere that having a slightly smaller rim actually improved a snow tire's ability to throw snow, but I have nothing to back that up.I do not think the rim matters, but a narrower tire will bite down into the snow better than will a wider tire, which tends to float, or plow, more on the top.

[Pauldog]

All other things being equal, not only should a 195/65R15 tire have better snow traction than a 205/55R16, but it will cost about $25 less.In the 1980's, it was common for small cars to have 155/80R13 tires, and I remember switching to 175/70R13 tires on the same rims. That was supposed to improve dry traction without making much difference in wet/snow traction. Another possibility was to use 185/60R14 tires, but that meant new rims and possibly hurting the snow traction. These days, we have much lower tire profiles with larger diameter wheels, and it seems like a fashion statement that hurts bad weather traction, and will probably go out of style eventually. I personally don't understand why seeing a bunch of black tire above the rim is suddenly considered to be ugly.

[star_deceiver]

You may be cutting through the snow easier BUT you're still driving on compacted snow so whether you spin the tires or not you'll have less surface area to grasp at what little traction is available. Besides cost I don't see much difference, especially considering the technology in todays winter tires!

[Pauldog]

The area of the tire's contact patch won't change much at all, if the tire pressure is the same. It will be narrower for the 195 tire, but it will be longer in the other direction.

[sagittarius]

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »You may be cutting through the snow easier BUT you're still driving on compacted snow so whether you spin the tires or not you'll have less surface area to grasp at what little traction is available. Less surface area means more pounds per square inch in the contact area. In the winter, weight gives you traction when it is slippery. On dry pavement you want wider tires for more gripping area. I am entering my third winter on 195/60R16 Blizzaks, mounted on stock 16x6.5" steels. These raise the car only about 0.1", and are 10mm thinner. The vibe is so light, it feels alot better driving a winter type tire, that is also narrower. JMHO