So wife's car needs 4 new tyres but the alloys are knackered and leaking air so thinking on getting a set of steel rims. Would there be any issues going from its current 185/55 r16 to 185/65 r15? I can get 15"rims and tyres for the same price as the 16" tyres alone.
Gearing wrong, speedo wrong, might not fit over brake disks or caliper, insurance not happy..
Were any other versions of that car fitted with the 15 inch wheel option?
where you might get the biggest issue is clearance for the brakes - if they're large as the smaller rim will of course be smaller in the inside. Varriances in speedo readings and notifying insurers of modifications are things you can choose to live with - but only if you can actually get the wheel on the car.
Have a thumb through the owners manual though - theres usually a few wheel /tyre options supplied as standard with each model so see if the wheel /tyre combo is listed - or rather any tyre combo with a 15in rim
And the handling will be gash - I once upgraded from steel rims to alloys and the handling difference was night and day.
If you think you could detect the difference in weight between same-size steel and alloy wheels thats on thing - its pretty subtle. But a 15in steel will weigh about the same as a 16in alloy. The difference you'll really notice is the steel won't leak.
I'm considering buying a spare set of steel wheels and fitting some knobbly-bobbly winter tyres for when it's freezy pops outside.
The steel option is, as you say, smaller wheels with bigger tyres - 16 in steel - v - 18 in alloys.
The 16 inchers are a factory fit option on the commercial version of my car according to the manual
Refurb the alloys an option? Or are they knackered knackered?
From my googling, the car (Nissan note 1.4 petrol) came with 16" alloys or 15" steel rims so thats why I was hoping I could do this.
The alloys would all need refurbishing and the car is only a 2007 run about (school run/shops, second car) so not worth investing massively in. I was just looking at the cheapest option of replacing the 4 tyres for its MOT, which turned out to be the 15" steel rim/tyre option....if it's a goer. Never thought about brake clearance, would this be an issue if the care came with 15 or 16 inch rims new? I could just get the 16" tyres but dont want to put them on leaky alloys or spend another £200 refurbing them.
A car like that I would expect that both sizes of wheel will fit over the same brakes. I can't see that they would offered a different set of brakes on that model.
The gearing, speed issue will probably not a thing as although you are going for a smaller wheel the tyres are a higher profile which will help equalise the difference in size. No I've looked up to see what the exact differences are !
Might be worth having a word with a local scrappy to see if he has any wheels you can test if you are worried about the size aspect of it.
Be closer with a 185/60 according to this https://tiresize.com/comparison/
1% under rather than 2% over. Unless it is some performance car where the discs are so big they only just squeeze in the wheels then brakes won't be an issue and as other have said there is a chance the smaller steel wheel will be lighter. A lot of standard alloys are quite heavy as they are for cosmetics rather than weight.
If they were an option from Nissan, then you'll be fine, unless your variant has bigger diameter brakes. Possible but unlikely.
More importantly, you'll need to ensure the Offset, or ET, value is the same as your existing wheels, or whatever Nissan quote in their specifications. The unit of measure for Offset is millimetres.
An incorrect ET would affect the handling more than any weight differential.
If that's all in order, fill your boots and save some money 😃
Ex tyre engineer here. Look on the tyre label. It will tell you what the manufacturer homologated for your car. Any other information is irrelevant and probably wrong. The tyre label is a legal requirement. Generally several tyre and wheel sizes are homologated including sometimes a specific winter m+s tyre. If your selection is on the label its homologated and therefore could have left the factory like that and is fully legal. Steels is a good idea for someone fond of curbing alloys.
The tyre label refers to the sizes of tyres recommended by the manufacturer is correct.
However, the tyre label refers specifically to the tyres and does not specify the required ET, check the required Offset.
And here's me thinking a tyre engineer could spell kerb.... 😊
I have checked the offset and all is good so looks like a goer. One last question...will the bolts on the alloys be ok to use on the steel rims?
Good question, I would have thought so, so long as they're not too long or the shoulder profile is different. Perhaps check part numbers with your local dealer.
Someone's confused between handling and looks shite I think.
Mean while I use 15s for winter with the recommended size 15inch tires on the sticker for winters -which are taller and narrower-less chance of damaging a rim on winter potholes and more chance of gripping
Insurance didn't care once I told them it was for winter tires.
As above be sure they fit over the brakes-my old winter's off an older model of the same vehicle didn't fit as 14s wouldn't go over the brakes.
Tyre size I was 240 for 4 x15 rather than 450for 4*16
Faketaxi ftw.
Need to check the bolts carefully.
Mines are dual with a taper for steel rim holes and a flat with washer behind for the alloys . When it's steelies the washer is not contacting the rim and people comment on my wheel nuts being loose. They are not . It's all as discussed on the manual specifically for that purpose.