I have the base 2007 fit, with 14's put 15's (gsr hammers) felt like crap switched back to 14's and the difference is tremendous. the 15's fit flush didn't rub. Do all 15's or "low profile" tire feel like that on a Fit. I was thinking about lowering my profile ex. 175/65-14 to 185/55(60)-14. Will this produce that harsh ride?

thanks

 

There is a way to make the Fit Sport ride more smoothly without changing wheels or messing up the tire ratio. Yokohama makes a YK520 in a 195/55-15. I just bought a set to throw on my ride because my wife was so angry at the bumpiness she almost made be trade it in for a Prius (gasp!). I've only had them for a few days, but the difference is huge. It's like buying a new pair of running shoes and walking around in squishy, cushioned comfort, while realizing your old shoes are crap. The tires don't turn the ride into a Lexus or floating old man Caddy. The bumps are just more controlled and not so jarring. Tire noise almost disappears, which is kind of eery after being used to the constant hum of the Dunlops. Well worth the price of admission.

 

This is the same thing I have been thinking about.

I have a '08 sport 5spd for new job that has me driving 1,000 per week, mostly on New Jersey's wonderful highways, but with enough city driving on awful roads to make me want comfort over performance. Pricey, sporty tires on the NJTurnpike going 35 mph is silly.

I imagine that I will be buying tires every year or so.

My idea was to pick up a set of 14" steelies from a salvage yard and get tires for them. Am I correct in assuming that 14" touring/comfy tires are going to be cheaper than 15" sporty tires?

 

[quote=dajonga;652889]

I have a '08 sport 5spd for new job that has me driving 1,000 per week, ...

I imagine that I will be buying tires every year or so.

[quote]


On the OEM Dunlops, I was really stretching the tires' life when I made 'em last 35K miles. I am not an aggressive driver, either. You could end up buying tires more than once per year! I have gotten much better life (and quieter ride) out of BF Goodrich Traction T/A's. Everyone has their personal favorites, but these have been great for me.

 

Ignoring for a moment the fact that this thread has been dredged up from 2006...

...Yes 14's will provide a more comfortable ride, generally speaking. Yes 14's will cost less than 15's, assuming you are comparing apples to apples tire-wise.

That having been said, if I had your commute I still think I would spring for new or used 14" alloys rather than scrapyard steel rims. They should be lighter and stronger than steelies and provide you with some peace of mind over all those miles.

 

Matching Tires and Wheels: Handling vs. Ride Comfort as a Function of Wheel Width
The question often arises as to the maximum width tire that can be mounted on a wheel of a given width. Most of you are aware that there is a recommended range of wheel widths on which a given-sized tire can be mounted. Since tires have flexible sidewalls, a single tire size can be mounted on a variety of wheel widths, within reason. Basically, both the width of the tire and its aspect ratio determine its appropriate wheel width range. This leads to two further questions: Why should the recommended wheel width range be followed and what effect does wheel width have on a tire's road characteristics.

References:
www.yokohamatire.com
www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tirespecskey.jsp

Most of the following matrial is taken from these two sites. The Yokohama site also contains a tire/wheel width chart. In the US, the Tire and Rim Association (TRA), www.us-tra.org/traMain.htm composed of representatives from all the major and most of the minor tire companies, has developed technical specifications in this area based on engineering principles and empirical testing. These studies have demonstrated that wheel widths outside these ranges, either under or over, will stress the tire in a manner that may result in poor service and potential tire failure. The Euro Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO), www.etrto.org serves a similar research function as does The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) www.jatma.or.jp/index.html

The wheel width recommendations are completely independent of the tire or wheel manufacturer. A tire actually has three width measurements: nominal size (the size molded on the tire), section width (distance from sidewall to sidewall-the widest part of the tire) and tread width (see illustration at bottom of page). Furthermore, two different brands of the same nominal width tire can have different section and tread widths. For example, in the case of a 195/55-15 tire, the Yokohama AVS ES 100 has a section width of 7.8" and a tread width of 7.1", whereas the Bridgestone Potenza RE92 has a section width of 7.7" and a tread width of 6.9", http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tires...assproductid=8 . In both cases however, the wheel width range is specified as 5.5"-7.0". A given wheel range can be further subdivided into wide, midrange and narrow. In the above example, a 5.5" width would be considered narrow, 6" or 6.5" would be mid and 7" would be wide. According to Yokohama, adopting a wider wheel increases vehicle stability, steering response and cornering ability. Choosing a narrow wheel results in an improvement in ride quality but sacrifices the tire's ultimate performance capabilities. On the other hand, a midrange wheel provides a balance between handling capabilities and ride quality.

Note that the width of the wheel will influence the width of the tire. A tire mounted on a narrow rim is 'narrower' than the same tire mounted on a wide rim. Since wheels are made in .5" widths, the industry rule of thumb is that for every .5" change in wheel width there will be a corresponding .2" change in section width of the tire. In connection with this, the TRA has established a measuring rim width that enables all tire manufacturers to measure their tires on the same width wheel. For aspect ratios of 50 or higher, the measuring rim width is 70% of the tire's section width rounded off to the nearest .5". For aspect ratios lower than 50, the measuring rim width is 85% of the tire's section width. Returning to the above example of the 195/55-15 Yoko tire, the 7.8" section width was obtained from a measuring rim width of 6". The same tire mounted on awheel with a 6.5" width would have a section width of 8" and if mounted on a 7" wide wheel would have a section width of 8.2".

Yokohama, as well as other industry sources, goes on to say that a good rule of thumb is to use a wheel width 90% as wide as the tread width (not the section width), of a performance tire for street applications, to provide a good balance between performance and ride quality. Let's see how this would work out for a couple of popular upgrade sizes again using the Yoko AVS ES 100 tire:

205/45-16, width range = 6.5"-7.5", tread width = 7.9", 90% tread width = 7.11", correct wheel width size = 7"

215/40-17, width range = 7.0"-8.5", tread width = 8.4", 90% tread width = 7.56", correct wheel width size = 7.5"

Obviously, where the highest performance is desired and ride comfort is not a factor, use the 7.5" and 8.5" wheel widths, respectively.
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I bought a 09 Can Lx for the same reason. I drive on secondary highways and I knew the lower profile 16 " would be rougher. Lower profile tires make a big differene. My Father-in-law had a Mazda 3 sport with low profile tires and it was very rough where as my daughter's 3 (non-sport) is much smoother, the difference the tires.

 

I agree on the "lighter" comment, but not stronger. The steel rims are stronger than the alloy's. I have a truck I off-road, and I see people busting up their alloy rims. Haven't seen a cracked steel rim yet (except for those cheap $50 rims). I would feel MUCH better having steel rims than alloys if I'm worried about wheel failure. Now, I realize that none of us will be rock crawling anytime soon, so none of us will see busted up wheels unless there is an accident or an unintended off-road session.

And to vote on this 3 year old thread, I say get 14" rims and touring tires for the comfort.