I'm looking for some guidance on selecting alloys for my Grande Punto (2008, 1.4). It's got steel wheels on it right but I don't know anything about selecting the correct spec for alloys. The tyres on the car are 175/65 R15 84T.

I've seen someone local selling MAK Volare 195/55 R15. Would that be a suitable size? Anything to watch for when buying second-hand?

I'm not interested in lowering the car or getting bigger wheels, so I'd just go for 15" wheels right? any other specs to be aware of? I see that different cars have different nut spacings.

The other big, big question... is changing from steels to alloys likely to affect the car insurance?

Fitting - I assume I couldn't just fit them myself and they'd need aligned/balanced at a garage?

Tyre sizes - assume I'd need to stick with the tyre sizes on the alloys?

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

Take a look here: http://www.wheel-size.com/size/fiat/grande-punto/2008/
You should find all the info you need for the correct tyre/wheel combination that fits on your car.

stuckinstandby said:

I'm looking for some guidance on selecting alloys for my Grande Punto (2008, 1.4). It's got steel wheels on it right but I don't know anything about selecting the correct spec for alloys. The tyres on the car are 175/65 R15 84T.

I've seen someone local selling MAK Volare 195/55 R15. Would that be a suitable size? Anything to watch for when buying second-hand?

I'm not interested in lowering the car or getting bigger wheels, so I'd just go for 15" wheels right? any other specs to be aware of? I see that different cars have different nut spacings.

The other big, big question... is changing from steels to alloys likely to affect the car insurance?

Fitting - I assume I couldn't just fit them myself and they'd need aligned/balanced at a garage?

Tyre sizes - assume I'd need to stick with the tyre sizes on the alloys?

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

Click to expand...

Hi,
the wheels are hold on by bolts, the holes for these bolts are at a certain spacing
Pitch Circle Diameter(PCD) the grande is 100mm - same as the CorsaD

you also have an "offset" - the way the tyre is set out away from the line of the brake disc.

there have been 101 threads over the years..I'll use SEARCH to link some,

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/351526-need-help-alloy-wheel-size-asap-2.html

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/333325-aftermarket-alloys-grande-punto.html
Charlie 2012 Punto - Oxford

Thanks for the info. I did search but I didn't find what I was looking for. Most people seem to already know what they're talking about.

It sounds like buying second hand alloys is possibly not for a novice. If the seller can't provide me with all the specs, I can't be sure they'll fit.

PCD is an obvious one but the others less so. I see mention of spacers, I can imagine what they are but I'll need to research and work out if they'd be required, and how you fit them.

On my other questions:
- 15" steel -> 15" alloy - sounds ok
- insurance impact - will need to search
- what tyre size on the 15" alloy - will need to search
- self-fit or at a garage - will need to search, but probably garage

Thanks

The tyre size for the 15" wheel, alloy or steel, is 185/65/R15, it's one of the most common sizes.

Fitting aftermarket wheels is a harder thing than most people expect, but with a little patience you'll find what you want. As others have intimated, and as you've found there are a few things to bear in mind:

• Diameter - You've settled on 15"
• Width - Your steels will probably be 6" wide, so look for alloys of the same width (usually expressed as 15x6J)
• PCD - Pitch Circle Diameter, or bolt spacing. Most FIATs are 4x98, but the Grande was built on the same platform as the Corsa, and so has a 4x100 PCD
• Centre Bore - The diameter of the hole in the middle of the wheel, so that it sits tightly on the hub (and can't wobble around). Again, most FIATs are 58.1mm, but the Grande is 56.6mm because of the GM connection.
• Offset (ET) - This is where I'm not 100% sure, but I think the standard offset for the Grande is ET35. It is possible to correct this with spacers if the offset of the wheel you're looking at is further away. For example, ET45 would place the mating face of the wheel 10mm further away from the centre, so a 10mm spacer would correct this.

As far as tyres go, sticking with the same width of wheel will make your tyre choice easy, as it'll be the same. If you want to have slightly wider alloys (ie. 6.5J or 7J) you'll need to fit wider tyres to accomodate for this. Tyre sizes can be decoded like this:
For a 186/65r15
185 = Width in mm
65 = Profile ie the height of the tyre, expressed as a percentage of the width
r = radial
15 = For a 15" wheel


When considering tyres for wider wheels, you need to consider the rolling radius, and you need to keep this as close to standard as possible in order to not throw your gearing/speedometer out of whack. Use a calculator like this to work out that difference - http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyre-size-calculator/


Depending on where you decide to buy the wheels and tyres, you may not need to go to a garage. If you buy them as a package, with the tyres already fitted, then it's likely that they'll have already been balanced and you'll be able to just put them on. Obviously though, if you buy the tyres separately, then you'll need a garage to fit them and they'll do the balancing at that point (and fitting, if you ask them to).


Phew, that was a long post!

The easiest, simplest option that will give fewer insurance issues is to keep the same tyre size that you have now, and find an official Fiat 15" 6J alloy. You will probably find plenty of aftermarket equivalents in the "Vauxhall" format, but remember that the offset changes when they make the wheel wider, it is not a fixed quantity you should look for rigidly.

If you change the tyre size look in your handbook for official options listed that give the same diameter and therefore gearing (say 185/60 x 15).

Insurance companies generally like it better when you only upgrade to something that was factory approved and available. It will also suit the style and handling of the car.

The easiest, simplest option that will give fewer insurance issues is to keep the same tyre size that you have now, and find an official Fiat 15" 6J alloy. You will probably find plenty of aftermarket equivalents in the "Vauxhall" format, but remember that the offset changes when they make the wheel wider, it is not a fixed quantity you should look for rigidly.

If you change the tyre size look in your handbook for official options listed that give the same diameter and therefore gearing (say 185/60 x 15 or maybe 195/55 as you said).

Insurance companies generally like it better when you only upgrade to something that was factory approved and available. It will also suit the style and handling of the car.

Thanks for the replies folks. I was too slow off the mark to to get the ones I was interested in. I think I'd have needed more info off the seller anyway. I'll keep an eye out for FIAT 6J ones.

Hi,
If you do need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.

Hi guys 'n' gals,

I'm thinking about buying a set of Wolfrace Turismo 4X100 | 17X7.5" | ET40 fitted with 205/45/17 tyres.

I have a 2006 GP 1.3 Mjet, with stock 15" alloys.

Could you help me out and tell me if these Wolfrace wheels will fit ok, and if they will poke, or advise of any issues I might have putting these on, like rubbing arches anything at all. It will really help with deciding whether to get them or not.

Thanks in advance for any help, it's much appreciated peeps.