recently bought a 2006 punto grande 1.3 diesel and on the rear theres 185 tyres but on the front theres 175's it's the 1st time i've hed a car with different size's,i've been searching google like crazy but all i seem to find is 3 different sizes i.e. 175 185 & 195 so can anyone tell me if i already have 2 correct sizes on or has the previous owner 'bodged' it thanks in advance because this is doing my head in.

thanks but does that mean it has got the correct size tyres on or does that mean it's either 175's or 185's

As long as the tyres are the same size on an axle, you can have different sizes on the rear from the front.

sarbobron said:

recently bought a 2006 punto grande 1.3 diesel and on the rear theres 185 tyres but on the front theres 175's it's the 1st time i've hed a car with different size's,i've been searching google like crazy but all i seem to find is 3 different sizes i.e. 175 185 & 195 so can anyone tell me if i already have 2 correct sizes on or has the previous owner 'bodged' it thanks in advance because this is doing my head in.

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For sure this car will not have come with two different size tyres fitted - some do like the Smart car and some high performance cars, but not a bog standard Punto.

Jim is quite correct that as long as the tyres across the axle are the same size - so both front tyres or both rear tyres - are the same size (without being something ridiculously inappropriate of course) then you are legal and probably having the larger width tyres on the rear makes a lot of sense even if not required by law. The speedo senses from front wheel speed so a wrong size tyre on the front will affect speedo accuracy but I doubt if your size difference will have much effect.

The 185 is a very common size so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they should be all round. Do you have a full size spare? that might give you a clue? I think any FIAT main dealer should be able to tell you from the Registration number what your size should be or you could try inputting your reg No to any of the tyre supplier sites (Black Circles and the like) They are pretty good, but not always infallible, at identifying the correct spec tyre. Also the big tyre stores, National, Kwik Fit, ATS Halfords, etc are pretty good at knowing what you should have on it - Be prepared for the "hard sell" though if you contact one of them.

Finally, and I don't want to alarm you, but, depending on your actual insurance provider, you might find different size tyres could cause you some grief if you were involved in an accident and needed to make a claim. Probably you'ld be Ok because it's not illegal, however insurance companies are always looking for a way to reduce liability in my experience.

I did this on my GP. I replaced one set of 175's with 185's (the others were in good condition). I was told larger ones had to go on the back. When the others were worn I replaced them with 185's as well. Was a definite improvement by having 185's on my 2006 - in my opinion

DGPunto said:

I did this on my GP. I replaced one set of 175's with 185's (the others were in good condition). I was told larger ones had to go on the back. When the others were worn I replaced them with 185's as well. Was a definite improvement by having 185's on my 2006 - in my opinion

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thats exactly what i've done and i could tell a difference in the quietness and general road holding and it just feels a hell of alot smoother so why 2 different sizes i dont know , and thankyou for the replys