Tyre size options

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi All,

I require a set of new tyres, if I am not mistaken my current tyres read 165 45 r14, 

I noticed that there aren't many options out there in that size strangely.

My question is, what other tyre size options can I go with? And any recommendations re brand?

Cheers guys

Sammy

[Guest]

The OE size tyre is 155/65x14 there are plenty of options in that size, but I would avoid the eco tyres as while their hard compound gives longer life it also gives less grip.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

8 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

The OE size tyre is 155/65x14 there are plenty of options in that size, but I would avoid the eco tyres as while their hard compound gives longer life it also gives less grip.

Cheers PetrolDave...

 

Are there any other size options I could safely go with?

I'm thinking that larger wider look! If possible 

[Yugguy1970]

If you change width remember to change the sidewall height.  If you go too far out it will affect your speedo.

This is a handy calculator:

https://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

You want to stay within I think 1% difference in rolling radius

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards the effects of tyre changes on the speedometer, the speedometer regulations for the UK (which differ from the EU regs) are:

"The speedometer must never show an indicated speed less than the actual speed. The speedometer should not over-read by more than 10% - although for all actual speeds between 25 mph and 70 mph (or the vehicles' maximum speed if it is lower than this), the indicated speed must not exceed 110% of the actual speed, plus 6.25 mph.

For example, if the vehicle is actually travelling at 50 mph, the speedometer must not show more than 61.25 mph or less than 50 mph."

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Cheers guys, so I should be looking for

155 45 r14,

Wonder why I was last sold Maxxis tyres at 165...hmmm. I would have thought they'd sell me the manufacturer recommendation. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

37 minutes ago, SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS said:

Wonder why I was last sold Maxxis tyres at 165

Presume that this size may have been on the car already, and they just supplied the same size.

[flash22]

45 is the percentage of the tyre width, the wider you go you have to reduce the side wall to correct for the rolling resistance and diameter

155/65R14 is correct for the Aygo around £35 a corner for avon's, toyo, hanhook and kumho

155/45R14 will make the speedo read low by 11%

165/45R14 will make the speedo read low by 9.6%

 

Going back to the factory size will make the car more comfortable on the road, especially for those in the back

As your car has been apart so much, get the alignment done

Edit. Always do tires as an axle pair. You will need to do all 4 when changing size

[Catlover]

Sam, stick to Toyotas original size, that’s my advice.

[Stivino]

23 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Sam, stick to Toyotas original size, that’s my advice.

+1

[Cyker]

I use this when considering tyre size changes:

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

But before you do anything check your manual to confirm the original tyre sizes!

My Mk4 came with ridiculous 205/45R17s which just look stupid on a car with a Yaris Badge (Maybe if it said "T-Sport" or "GRrrr" you could get away with it, but not "Hybrid"!).

It also made the ride cripplingly rough on the pothole hellscape that are my work roads, so I changed the rims to 15's and used the calculator to find the nearest compatible tyre fitment by plugging in numbers until I got a close match (Turned out to be 185/65R15... which luckily are also significantly cheaper than the 205/45R17s! It also turned out this was listed in the manual as an alternative size... )

In your case, if you stick with 14's, and the OEM size is 155/65R14, you're probably looking at 165/60R14 or 175/55R14 as your next closest compatible sizes.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Cheers guys, hmmm, I think ill be sticking to the recommendation on this one then...155 65 14...

However Cykers pointer of 165 60 14 and 175 55 14 are tempting because of that larger look, but at the expense of a more uncomfortable ride for the rear kids and I assume more rattles....aghhhhhh!

[Cyker]

Well with those, because you're sticking with 14" rims, the sidewall height won't be that much different (Still roughly 4 inches) - I know it's weird, but the way tyre sizes work is really stupid and whoever came up with it must have been pretty high on something or really liked making people do maths!

But for the sake of clarity:

155*65%=100.75mm high

165*60%=99mm

175*55%=96.25mm

So they get slightly lower profile to bigger you go, but only a little.

Personally, I'd only change if one of those alternative tyre sizes was a chunk cheaper, but TBH if you don't want more hassle, stick to OEM, as when you change the tyres away from standard you need to tell insurance who will no doubt try to jack up the price!

It also seems that 65-profile tyres are usually the cheapest - The further you get away from that the more expensive they seem to get!

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

5 hours ago, Cyker said:

Well with those, because you're sticking with 14" rims, the sidewall height won't be that much different (Still roughly 4 inches) - I know it's weird, but the way tyre sizes work is really stupid and whoever came up with it must have been pretty high on something or really liked making people do maths!

But for the sake of clarity:

155*65%=100.75mm high

165*60%=99mm

175*55%=96.25mm

So they get slightly lower profile to bigger you go, but only a little.

Personally, I'd only change if one of those alternative tyre sizes was a chunk cheaper, but TBH if you don't want more hassle, stick to OEM, as when you change the tyres away from standard you need to tell insurance who will no doubt try to jack up the price!

It also seems that 65-profile tyres are usually the cheapest - The further you get away from that the more expensive they seem to get!

Cheers Cyker, you've been really helpful, really appreciate your input.

Any recommendations re tyre sites that include local fitting all in?

My local is a company called Speedys here in Leicestershire, they usually recommend Maxxis tyres, never had a problem with that brand, only 3 years ago I paid 135.00 all in, recently quoted 200.00 although its a newer Ap2 model. Wondering if I should venture out. I usually opt for the XL version thinking they'll last longer but also dua to my heavy loads with my business etc.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS said:

However Cykers pointer of 165 60 14 and 175 55 14 are tempting because of that larger look, but at the expense of a more uncomfortable ride for the rear kids and I assume more rattles....aghhhhhh!

You need to also think whether wider tyres can be fitted onto the OE rims which IIRC are 4.5" wide.

Most tyre width calculators don't go as low as 4.5" (!) but I'm pretty sure that 175 tyres will be too wide for most fitters to be willing to fit them to the OE rims as they would be over-stretched to the extent that any rim protection would be useless.

[Catlover]

Black Circle tyres, Juat tyres, My tyres  are some good suppliers. Shop around.  I got a good deal from my Toyota dealer, better then the tyre comparision sites.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

7 hours ago, Catlover said:

Black Circle tyres, Juat tyres, My tyres  are some good suppliers. Shop around.  I got a good deal from my Toyota dealer, better then the tyre comparision sites.

Cheers catlover.

 

Dealership buy hey...surprised. what brand were those?

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

7 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

You need to also think whether wider tyres can be fitted onto the OE rims which IIRC are 4.5" wide.

Most tyre width calculators don't go as low as 4.5" (!) but I'm pretty sure that 175 tyres will be too wide for most fitters to be willing to fit them to the OE rims as they would be over-stretched to the extent that any rim protection would be useless.

Cheers, I'd never go 175...even i know that's pushing the boundaries!

[Catlover]

5 minutes ago, SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS said:

Dealership buy hey...surprised. what brand were those?

Same as originally fitted…. Toyo Nanoenergy. I find Toyo on my Prius are ok, some owners don’t like them. 
There is a standard that most tyre dealers quote, shows how quiet they are, how fuel efficient they are, and wet weather performance.

I still saying, Sam, stick to manufacturers recommended size, you know you are a worrier.  Every squeak, pop, rattle, bang…you be thinking is it the tyres rubbing or catching.

[flash22]

Be wary of stealerships they may fob you off with some Chinese ditch finders

your current tire is too wide for the rims, min spec in that size is 5J

 

XL - Extra Load this means the sidewalls are thicker and reinforced

 

As for life expectancy, the more you pay for a tire the softer the compound the quicker they wear, a mid-range tire will give you a good compromise

 

some of these no name Chinese tires are rock hard, it's like driving on ice

 

Remember, the difference between stopping and having an accident is that small contact patch between the tire and the road - Buy the best tire, that you can afford

[Catlover]

34 minutes ago, flash22 said:

Be wary of stealerships they may fob you off with some Chinese ditch finders

and, Sam, be wary of independent tyre dealerships, they too may fob you off with some Chinese ditch finders.

Its always the case…… buyer be aware, no matter what you buying.

[flash22]

There is nothing like the word of mouth for recommendations, at least with an independent you know what you are getting I have 2 local places I trust - sadly the only 2 dealerships around here at best are a 2.5 out of ten

[Cyker]

I tend to only fit premium tyres because I'm on the road a lot and am paranoid about cheaper tyres. The good thing about 65-profile tyres is they're still often cheaper than a budget make at lower profiles is!

My favourite tyres at the moment are:

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 (Really nice tyres! Very grippy, good wear. Might not be available for 14s tho')

Hankook Kinergy Eco 2 K435 (Supposedly a bit more Eco; Am fitted to my Mk4 and so far doing pretty well! Very quiet, dry and wet handling quite balanced.)

Continental Premium Contact 2E (No longer made, but Eco Contacts are supposed to be good too)

Goodyear Efficientgrip Compact/Dunlop Street Response 2 (Basically the same tyres - Very good dry grip, a bit less good in the wet, take ages to wear out, noisy AF)

 

When I'm hunting around for good prices I've been finding my local F1 Autocentre tend to undercut most people by a fair amount if you order them on-line (In-store prices are much higher!), but I only use them for tyres as they are pretty dodgy and the service you get is wildly variable - On guy was super careful, used sticky weights on the alloys, used a torque wrench with the alloy wheel nut etc. Another guy just didn't care - I actually had to stop him using an impact wrench on the alloy wheel nut and also found he'd just use clip-on weights and not even bothered to remove the old stick-ons!

 

[152bobby]

My Toyota Dealer in Reading always matches any local tyre price (and sometimes beats them), albeit they don't really stock or can get hold of any tyre, but they can get hold of decent well know tyres.

I always get the Aygo and Rav4 tyres done by the main dealer.