I'm planning to plus size my tire and wheel. My stock specs. is 185/60/15, any advise on what to replace?

Question

Please indicate the pros and cons on your suggested specs.

Answer 1

Neon, Escort ZX2 or Scion?

This is a tough OE size to plus size from.  The classic choice though would be a +2 upgrade from P185/60R15 84T to 205/40R17 XL 84H (or any higher speed rating) on a 17x7 wheel. This is a very common small sport compact car upgrade with lots of tire choices available. Overall diameter of this package is almost identical to the OE tires which means there should be little to no change in speedometer and odometer accuracy.  If you chose wheel offset correctly they should fit without interference as well.  The one caveat is that due to the smaller air chamber of the 17-inch tire you will need to increase inflation pressure by 9 psi over what is recommended for the 15-inch tires in order to maintain proper load carrying capacity.  Ride quality will of course suffer because of that, the heavier wheel and the reduced sidewall.  There's no free lunch.  

Appearance wise this setup should be exactly what you are after.

Answer 2

Pros:  

* None

Cons:  

* Speedometer will be wrong

* Safety - your braking distances will be worse due to more leverage from larger diameter tire.  

* In panic stops your brakes will be prone fade

* On mountain roads your brakes will overheat and you will experience a lot of brake fade

* Larger diameter tire will make for worse acceleration

If you're only going up to 195's or 205's it probably won't make much of a difference.....  but "super sizing" with a much taller tire will cause a lot of problems.

If you're going to go to much larger tires, you should change the rearend ratio to compensate for the larger diameter tires.

Upgrade to larger brakes to help you stop due the the extra leverage of the larger tires.

Answer 3

Go to tirerack and see what they recommend for a tire size (they also have a mileage converter to aid in selection).

Benefits are limited to handling, the lower side wall means the tread will flex less resulting in better adhesion.

Detractors are a harsher ride and expense.

Unless you are already cornering at the limits of the tires, I would suggest that you settle for the more bland stock rims and tires.

Answer 4

well if you really want to know leave it a lone.. is best way to keep your car in the right shape.... if you dont like your wheels you can get new ones but dont change the size.... that just puts a strain on your motor brakes transmission.. and changes the spec's of your front end put a strain on ball joints and tie rods upper and lower bushing.... costing you more in the long run just to have bigger tires.... your car if you want it to last a year or two change to big wheels want it to last 20 years leave it like it was made