GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I bought this blue vibe after the orange one was totalled and it needs dressing up a bit. It came with new oem size tires so I'm stuck with those for awhile. The wheels are steelies and I'd like to bump them outward a bit. I realize that spacers are never a good idea but is 1/2" too much to consider. I drive mostly freeway with little side to side stress. Eventually I plan to go 215/60/16 (5% up) in front and maybe a tad bigger in back. No antilock. I ran 205/60/16 on the orange one and currently run 215/60/16 on the 09 2.4.

Finally decided to get rid of the pinstripe.

215/50/16 is a better match at 1.66 smaller in diameter. 225/50/16 is only .08% smaller. A wider but lower tire will handle much better than a slightly wider and much higher tire like the 215/60/16 is.

A taller tire effectively raises the gear ratio which will make the car accelerate more slowly. I think Vibes are slow enough as is.

I run 225/45/17 on my '06 5 speed.

3% is the recommended max for plus sizing.

A 1/2 inch or 12.7 mm spacer won't kill the bearings instantly but I would not do it. Freeway or not having the wheels pushed out further from the hubs puts additional stress on things.

im on 215-55-16's for the winter and run 25mm (1" for 'muricans) on the rear all year 'round

I know 3% is the recomended limit and will probably have to stick to the 205/60/16's on the front, which the orange car did fine with. But my main goal is to fill up the wheelwells as best as possible. The 09 looks so much better at 215/60/16. That is a 5.2% raise from stock base but only 2.2% from the GT.
2.4 motor is fine with that. Wishing the 1.8 could be as happy.

What does the 1" in the rear wheels mean? Spacers at 1" ?

Thanks for posting me back, Lee

The cheap spacers are generally not good because they put stress on the wheel studs that they were not designed for, or they do not leave enough threads to securely bolt the wheels on. The 1" spacers usually bolt onto the stock studs and have their own bolts that the wheels bolt to. Those are the better spacers to use. Maximum Motorsports, a Mustang suspension and handling parts company, sells the bolt on spacers. They would never sell them if they were not safe to use, as many of their cars are heavily autocrossed and raced.