"P5guy now GTIguy" (p5guy)
10/17/2015 at 20:50 • Filed to: None
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"P5guy now GTIguy" (p5guy)
10/17/2015 at 20:50 • Filed to: None | 0
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My dad purchased a set of Blizzak ws80’s for his 2007 Camry hybrid last winter but didn’t get a set of wheels for his tires (his old all seasons were worn and the Blizzaks were his first set of winter tires). Last Friday he bought a 2016 Mazda 6 GT. Tire rack recommends a 225/60/R16 winter wheel and tire package for the 6. The tires he has are 215/60/R16. I asked tire rack if they thought it’d be a good idea to put the 215’s on the 6 and they said they might blow out and they really recommend 225’s or 215/65’s.
My question is why is there such a difference in just 10mm of width? How much merit does the tire rack recommendation have?
Not my dad’s 6 but the same color.
Nisman
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 20:53 |
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Honestly, the narrower tires will be better in the snow. It’s a known fact that narrower tires have more traction on snowy surfaces. A 10mm stretch should be completely safe for the tire. Think about ricers who run crazy stretch on their tires. 10mm will be nothing. Confirm with your favorite mechanic.
LongbowMkII
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 20:59 |
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they just want him to buy new tires/wheels. 10mm is nothing and quite possibly the same size (all manufacturers have different definitions of what exactly the treadwidth is)
you’ll be going
slightly
slower (1-2mph@60) than the speedometer is reading since the tires will be a bit smaller in diameter. double check with an online tire calculator.
Arben72
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:05 |
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They're fine, if not better. Speedo might be a mile or two off though.
jariten1781
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:07 |
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I’m sure tire rack is just commenting on the sidewall difference rather than the width. 215/60s are going to chop off about half an inch in total in diameter so your Speedo will be a bit off and there’s a very very slightly larger chance of a pinch.
Since you already own the tires I’d run ‘em, don’t think it’s a consequential increase to your risk posture.
shop-teacher
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:18 |
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They’ll be totally fine. That’s a very small size difference.
PotbellyJoe and 42 others
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:24 |
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You’re fine. Especially considering it’s snow tires, it’s not a huge ordeal to be on the slow side.
deekster_caddy
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:32 |
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Depends how wide the rims are. In general I don’t see a problem with it at all and would be more in favor of having a narrower tire in the snow. If the rims are really wide putting a too-narrow tire on there could be a problem, but on a Camry I doubt it.
Busslayer
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:34 |
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I would also say is fine. I actually also used a 215/60/16 in place of a 225/60/16. I had the 215s for my Mustang winter tires and later used them on a Crown Vic in place of the factory 225/60/16s. To make your Dad feel better check the load ratings for each. Likely either should satisfy the vehicles weight limits.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:35 |
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The only way those tires would be any more inclined to blow out is if the loss rating were significantly lower, say more than a 5 point difference.
Spasoje
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:40 |
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I guess I’m the devil’s advocate this time...
I tend to stick with OEM sizes, because if nothing else, you won’t be on the hook if isht hits the fan (warranty and all that). Plus, you know the car will behave as it was designed to.
Personally, I’d Craigslist the winter set you have now (considering how many Camrys are out there, it’s not gonna be hard to get most of your investment back) and buy a new set for the Mazda in the OEM size.
M54B30
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 21:49 |
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Should be fine. Narrower tires are better for snow anyways. TireRack is being extra cautious because everybody’s lawsuit happy
boxrocket
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/17/2015 at 22:16 |
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Summary: your dad can use the tires, and Tire Rack isn’t quite wrong on their recommendation to use the factory size.
*pedantic hat on*
Passenger tire sizes are broken up into four main sections: width in millimeters (195, 215, 225, 305, etc.), the height of the sidewall in relation to the width a.k.a. aspect ratio (35, 60, 65, 85, etc.), diameter of the bead of the tire in inches which is also the wheel diameter (15, 16, 17, 22, etc.), and speed and/or load rating (though load rating is usually for truck tires), indicated in letters in ascending level of capability, e.g. a W- or Y-speed-rated tire has a higher top speed than an H- or V-speed rated one, and a, E-rated truck tire is rated to support more weight than a C- or D-rated tire.
Therefore, a 215/60R16 V has a tread section that’s 215mm wide, the sidewall height is 60% of the width, with a 16” bead for a 16” wheel, and has a top speed rating more than sufficient for legal highway use. The R in the middle stands for Radial, in contrast to its predecessor, the Bias-Ply.
This then tells us that a 225/60R16 is slightly wider, and will be marginally taller, but less than 2% so, meaning the speedometer will be slightly off, which can interfere with ABS and traction control functions, as well as having the speedometer read incorrectly, but not so much that recalibration is necessary.
http://www.sizemytires.com/calculators/compare
*pedantic hat off*
TL;DR: Once the Blizzaks wear out, have him get the correct size, but he should be fine. Blizzaks are a good winter tire, so make good use of them.
Kudos to him for the Mazda6, its a great choice. Easily the best car in the segment.
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P5guy now GTIguy
> boxrocket
10/17/2015 at 23:35 |
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That’s a good idea but when the Blizzaks wear out, we’d have to buy a new set of tires in the “wrong” size because because the 6 has no wheels for the tires but that’s not the end of the world. The 6 is the best car in the segment imo.
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P5guy now GTIguy
> Spasoje
10/17/2015 at 23:38 |
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I am a big fan of OEM everything, but 225/45/R19 snow tires are expensive and hard to come by. If all else fails my car has the same size tires as the Camry, so I could take them.
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P5guy now GTIguy
> PotbellyJoe and 42 others
10/17/2015 at 23:38 |
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Thanks for the chart!
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P5guy now GTIguy
> deekster_caddy
10/17/2015 at 23:39 |
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There are no rims for the tires and the OEM wheels are 19’s, the wheels bought would fit the 215’s unless they could also fit 225’s ?
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P5guy now GTIguy
> Busslayer
10/17/2015 at 23:40 |
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Checking the load ratings is a good idea. Is that on the tire?
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P5guy now GTIguy
> LongbowMkII
10/17/2015 at 23:42 |
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The spedo reading is my biggest concern even with the recommended 225/60/R16 tires. But those are probably the same diameter as 225’/45/R19.
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boxrocket
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/18/2015 at 00:02 |
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Most tire shops will swap tire sets for under $100, so you could store the warm-weather set during the winter and vice-versa for the winter tires during the warm-weather months. But it is certainly easier to have a spare set, though generic wheel sets can be had for very little, even discounted when purchased with a set of tires.
coqui70
> boxrocket
10/18/2015 at 00:22 |
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The other considration is protecting the factory wheels. Depending on where you live the local DOT may use salt/magnesium chloride and or gravel to improve grip on icy roads. That stuff is murder on alloy wheel finishes.
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Busslayer
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/18/2015 at 00:31 |
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Yes. The load rating is after the tire size. Something like 215/60/16 95h. The 95 is the load index. That number corresponds with a maximum weight allowable. You can google “tire load index” to find the exact weights.
Also, the difference in height between the two sizes is about 1/2 incj in diameter. That means the side wall will only be about 1/4” shorter (1/4” on the bottom and 1/4” top for 1/2” total diameter change). For comparison, a new car tire typically has 12/32” of tread new. They should be replaced when they get to around 4/32”. That means a loss of 8/32 (or 1/4”) of tread. So old vs. new the tire diameter shrinks a 1/2”. So the snowtire is about the same diameter as a worn stock tire.
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Busslayer
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/18/2015 at 00:43 |
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Well. That changes things a bit. If the stock tire is 225/45/19, that is a 27” tire. The 215/60/16 is about 26” - a full inch different. While I would still not be too concerned, but it is pushing it a bit. Are there other stock tire options on the 6?
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/18/2015 at 09:42 |
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putting a smaller narrower tire should be fine as explained below. If you want a solid opinion just ask your local tire shop. If its dangerous they wont mount them .
Tire Rack probably wont let you select anything stock to prevent this
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P5guy now GTIguy
> coqui70
10/18/2015 at 10:37 |
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The factory size is 19 so they would definitely be put away because 16 inch tires are a lot cheaper.
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P5guy now GTIguy
> Busslayer
10/18/2015 at 10:51 |
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The smallest stock size is 225/55/R17
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deekster_caddy
> P5guy now GTIguy
10/18/2015 at 20:23 |
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I see what is happening. What they say makes no sense. If you already have the 215/60 they will not “blow out” unless you try to mount them on the 19” rims... but I’m assuming you know you’ll need 16” rims for them... and no reason not to use the ones you have.