185/55/r15 - 185/60/r14

[Deleted User]

What is the difference? Apart from the R14/15 bit.

Pricing up some tyres for a Punto Sporting MK2 with standard alloys that currently has 185/55/R15 tyres on. All the online tyre sites say the car takes 185/60/R14 according to the Reg number.

Confused.

jbainbridge

Best thing you can do is read off the current tyres and start from there.

Trebor16

it's not that confusing really.

185 is the width of the tyre in millimetres.

55 and 60 relate to the height of the tyre sidewall and are expressed as a percentage of the width of the tyre. It is known as the aspect ratio and also referred to as the profile of the tyre.

a 185 tyre with a 55 sidewall will have a sidewall height of 101.75mm. With the 60 tyre it will be a height of 111mm.

You now need to look at the wheel diameter as this will have an impact. If the wheel is a 14 inch diameter it will have a smaller rolling radius than a 15 inch wheel. But this can be affected by the tyre profile.

http://www.club80-90syncro.co.uk/Syncro_website/TechnicalPages/TRC%20calculator.htm

You can use this calculator to show the difference between tyres of different rim diameters and profiles and it will also show the effect it will have on the speedo reading.

MX5huggy

The R14 won't fit on your current wheels.

But the difference is 1.2%.

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

atrixblue.-MFR-.

because the punto is suppose to have 14in alloys not 15in youll run into problems online, someone when purchasing it had purchased an upgrade pack when new or bought a set of fleabay for a stilo or bravo.

youll have to hunt round locals for prices as ones returning from online retailers will come back as supposed to have 14inchers on there.

my BIL had a problem when buying his old focus st170, he had 16in wheels with some other minor alterations turned out it was a spanish import registered from new here in the uk basically ford dealership bought in a spanish orientated car converted it and registered here was my BIL peeved yes he was. was supposed to have 15inch wheels on it with HID lamps but instead had 16in with black backed normal lamps instead.

Road_Hog

Deleted_User wrote: »

What is the difference? Apart from the R14/15 bit.

Pricing up some tyres for a Punto Sporting MK2 with standard alloys that currently has 185/55/R15 tyres on. All the online tyre sites say the car takes 185/60/R14 according to the Reg number.

Confused.

Right, in answer to the question that you actually asked. The first will give you a firmer sportier ride, the latter will give you a more comfortable but less sporty ride. The figure in the middle of your tyre spec 55 & 65 is the thickness of the rubber between the rim (metal part of you wheel) and the tarmac (road surface).

The more rubber you have, the more insulated/cushioned your are from bumps and potholes, but the more rubber the more it can move under pressure when turning the car (especially at speed or tightly). The less rubber (lower profile) you have, the less it can move and the more responsive the handling will be, however you feel all the bumps and potholes more.

I won't go into the dynamics of tyre sizes for your particular car, but you can't just pick any tyre that fits on your rim (wheel), there are set sizes that you can use, you need to check with the manufacturer, or it is probably on line somewhere - post on a fiat forum and they should be able to help you.

thefishdude

mk2 puntos had 14inch steelies and 15 inch alloys mainly its possible that the alloys were purchased after the car was registered withs teel wheels so now it has the alloys on it. allways choose iour tyres by the size that is on the side of the tyre wall. incidently many mk2 punto owners found that that size of tyres 185,55,15 to be quiet expensie realy for size of tyre and so some fit 195,50,15 and they fit fine. how ever if you want more adive go to www.fiatforum.co.uk its and amazong site full of fiat friendly experts

Notmyrealname

Deleted_User wrote: »

What is the difference? Apart from the R14/15 bit.

Pricing up some tyres for a Punto Sporting MK2 with standard alloys that currently has 185/55/R15 tyres on. All the online tyre sites say the car takes 185/60/R14 according to the Reg number.

Confused.

One is a 15" rim -R15, one is a 14" rim - R14. If you have 15" rims you can't use the R14 and vice versa.

Read what it says off the side of the tyre.

Road_Hog

Notmyrealname wrote: »

If you have 15" rims you can't use the R14 and vice versa.

Of course you can, you just need to adjust the tyre size (in particular the profile) to keep the same size diameter of the wheel.

The wheel is made up of the rim (the metal bit - what most people refer to as a wheel) and the tyre. If the wheel gets bigger then the tyre has to get thinner (lower profile) to keep the wheel the same size.

Of course there is the limitation of the wheel arch and also the steering characteristics.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Online tyre sites are notorious for mistakes, my daughters car is on the correct original wheels but are completely different to what is listed on a tyre site.

Parts catalogues are similarly useless, hence if you don't take an old part in for pattern, fully expect to be sold the wrong parts.

mikey72

Road_Hog wrote: »

Of course you can, you just need to adjust the tyre size (in particular the profile) to keep the same size diameter of the wheel.

The wheel is made up of the rim (the metal bit - what most people refer to as a wheel) and the tyre. If the wheel gets bigger then the tyre has to get thinner (lower profile) to keep the wheel the same size.

Of course there is the limitation of the wheel arch and also the steering characteristics.

How do you get a 14" tyre on a 15" alloy?