Different Tire Sizes on Standard Rims

[tiredman]

Anyone running different tire sizes on standard rims?

For example:

155/60R15 front 175/55R15 rear (32psi front/36psi rear)

165/60R15 front 185/55R15 rear (29psi front/32psi rear)

155/65R15 front 175/60R15 rear (29psi front/32psi rear)

165/65R15 front 185/60R15 rear (26psi front/29psi rear)

165/65R15 front 195/55R15 rear (26psi front/29psi rear)

All these tire sizes will fit the standard 4" front rims and 5" rear rims. Possible tire pressures given if the standard tire pressures are 2.3 Bar (33psi) front and 2.5 Bar (36psi) rear.

 

[Don]

Welcome to the forum - Glad you're here!

There are several tire threads here on the forum where people have tried different tire sizes with differing results - You probably need to read through those as you research this, because if you try combinations which don't work, buying new tires can get expensive. LRR tires in some of the sizes you mention will be pretty hard, if not impossible to find and we pretty much know that using non LRR tires will shorten the range of the car by as much as 10%. Maybe that's not important for you, but it's something to keep in mind so you won't be surprised when you experience it

First, the overall circumference of the tires is VERY important. The car 'counts' tire revolutions to determine if all 4 wheels are in good contact with the pavement and that determines how ASC, regenerative braking and ABS to control anti-skid are implemented. The ratio of the overall circumference of the front tires vs the rear tires must be maintained very close to the ratio of the stock tires, or things just don't work correctly - A number of us have seen that firsthand. Even a change as small as 2% can disable all regenerative braking

Second, nearly every tire pressure on your list will throw a low tire pressure code with the TPMS and you'll have a red light on the dash. We had one of our cars worked on at a body shop and they set all 4 tires to 32 psi and I had a red light all the way home. Not sure where the exact cut-off for low tire pressure warning is, but I think it's around 34 or 35 psi. Anything less than that and you have an alarm

There are also threads here where a few have used larger tires on larger wheels with some success. Lots to read here and doing so will keep you from making some of the same mistakes that others have already experienced!

Don

 

[rmay635703]

I would run Insight space saver rims just because 14” treads including the re92’s are cheaper than odd 15” sizes

 

[Don]

I would run Insight space saver rims just because 14” treads including the re92’s are cheaper than odd 15” sizes

But no 14" wheel that I'm aware of will fit on the front, so you will probably have problems finding a 14" tire size for the rear which will work with the stock front 15" tire

Don

 

[rmay635703]

The narrow aluminum pizza rim spare from an Insight should fit fine up front

 

[Don]

The narrow aluminum pizza rim spare from an Insight should fit fine up front

Please verify that before you advise it here - A 14 inch diameter wheel will not clear the brake rotor. I think Joe still has an Insight . . . . maybe he can verify fitment?

Don

 

[JoeS]

Gen1 Honda Insight spare wheels with spacesaver tires. I now always carry two of these with a small jack and lugwrench in a Rubbermaid container in my i-MiEV and recently found out that the OEM Insight ultra-LRR Bridgestone Potenza R92 tires would fit these rims, but I haven't tried that myself. Our i-MiEV is significantly heavier than the Insight.

Edit: the standard Gen1Honda Insight wheels did not fit the front of the i-MiEV.

From this thread -

http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2622&start=10#p17530

 

[rmay635703]

I’m confused ?
I get the standard rims wouldn’t fit but mathematically the offset and design of the pizza pan (yellow) spare Insight rim should as it’s a very very different rim

So do the Insight spares hit the “lip” that Mitsubishi put there to prevent rotating tires or what is the true issue?

Would a simple 1/4” plate fix this issue?

Just curious and I have run Insight tires on my Cobalt and others on the Gen I Prius which are both heavier cars, just need to keep the tires fully inflated and watch for any sidewall cracks on the front tires. (Which seems to be the same issue on my Insight)