Technical Tyre sizes.

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Technical Tyre sizes.

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Jan 13, 2014
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My current tyres are 185 55 15 on my 2005 punto. I want to remove them for the winter (white alloys!) and found a set of punto alloys from a 2001 punto but the tyre sizes on them are 195 55 15, is that something Id be able to get away with?
 
My current tyres are 185 55 15 on my 2005 punto. I want to remove them for the winter (white alloys!) and found a set of punto alloys from a 2001 punto but the tyre sizes on them are 195 55 15, is that something Id be able to get away with?


You can get away with it yes
However, since they 55% of the 195 vs the 185 to make the sidewall height, it means the size is a little bigger, so the speedo will under-read

So for example it says 30 on the dash, you might actually doing 32 / 33

I run winter rubber on steel wheels instead, because steel wheels are **** easy to get hold of :)
So i have the 165/70/14 for winter (helps get better weight on the tyres
and the 185/55/15 for summer :)

So in winter im not affraid to use kerbs to avoid stuck cars and been impatient :)

Ziggy
 
Should be OK. It's true narrower will be better on snow, but that'll be negated if the tread on the wider set is better or the compound more suited to lower temperatures. We is not, after all, competing in the Monte Carlo Rally, init?

Speedo will tend to under-read, but as they're set to be grossly optimistic on stock tyres, it's not going to make a huge difference.
 
if he puts winter rubber on matched axles he'll get the benifit once they have worn out

I found narrower winter rubber was better vs wider summers - but thats due to the nature of how winters work - plus more weight on the tyres - and the tyres' softer compound

Ziggy
 
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