GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

hi is there any safety issue with my OEM "alloy" rims paint blistering bubbling peeling, coming off?

Yes, you will begin to see bead leaks, a slow leak that will result in underinflated tires. I finally got tired of finding low tires in the morning and bought a set of Dorman steel wheels and some plastic wheel covers on Amazon. My tire guy had the alloys ground as smooth as he could get them and they still sprouted leaks.

Mark did the tires from the alloys fit perfectly on the steel wheels ?

jamesmetairie wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 9:58 am Mark did the tires from the alloys fit perfectly on the steel wheels ?

Yes, they fit fine and have been trouble free. I bought a second set and have my winter tires mounted as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ID ... UTF8&psc=1

Did you need to buy a different type of lug nut? I believe the alloy wheels used a conical type of lug nut Maybe steel wheels for the vibe uses flat type. BTW= I noticed the tires on a stock vibe with steel wheels are not as wide as tires on a stock vibe with alloys. Does that matter?

Did you need to buy a different type of lug nut? I believe the alloy wheels used a conical type of lug nut Maybe steel wheels for the vibe uses flat type. BTW= I noticed the tires on a stock vibe with steel wheels are not as wide as tires on a stock vibe with alloys. Does that matter?

sorry about the double post by me.

jamesmetairie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 10:21 pm sorry about the double post by me.

off topic, but if it comes up again, you can delete one of your own posts by clicking on the X
The X is only there if:
- you are logged in
- it is one of your posts (not anyone else's)
- nobody has replied to it. Has to be the last post in the thread, if its not, the X won't be there

Tires were P205/55R16 on alloy and steel 16" wheels from the factory.
I see nothing in documentation that states differently.
Owners may have installed different sized tires later on.
Lug nuts ARE different on steelies vs. alloy.
For steel wheels, the nut is plated, is lug centric (angled on the wheel end), and the outside edge has threads for the hubcaps.
For alloy wheels, the nut is chrome, is hub centric (Flat shoulder with a washer) and also has the lug centric angle to fit the steel spare.

I think I got that all correct....

jamesmetairie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 10:20 pm Did you need to buy a different type of lug nut? I believe the alloy wheels used a conical type of lug nut Maybe steel wheels for the vibe uses flat type. BTW= I noticed the tires on a stock vibe with steel wheels are not as wide as tires on a stock vibe with alloys. Does that matter?

Sorry I missed this. Actually it's the opposite. Alloy wheels use a flat lug nut, steel use a conical (60º) nut.

The steel wheels I bought are the same width as the alloys. 16 x 6.5 in.

Alloy nut: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NOE6414281

Steel nut (w/Vibe wheel cover): https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NOE6414352