Has anyone switched to 205/55s or 195/60s (not winter tires) on 15" wheels? Stock wheels or aftermarket? Any comments?

I've run 205 Kuhmo V700 on a 5.5" rim (min reccomended) and they had a cartoonish appearance but did fine for auto-x. 205s are a good fit on a 7" rim but have a measured rim width of 6.5".

Along similar lines, I've been curious if anyone knows just how wide the OEM 15" rims are? (Specifically, I'm curious about the 8-spokes - R82s.) I've look through most of the old threads and didn't see this dimension listed for any of the wheels (but I might have missed it). For that matter, I'm also curious about the width of the OEM 16" 5-spokes (R83s) if someone knows that.

BTW, does it make a difference if the tires are winter vs. performance if they are listed as the same size?

Mini2go, the specs are:
15" 7-hole and 8-spoke - 5.5Jx15
16" 5-Star and V-spoke - 6.5Jx16
17" S-Lite - 7Jx17

Winter or summer tires, same size, no difference - the difference will be in tread design, rubber compound, possibly internal structure, but it will not affect size or choice of wheels.

There are several threads about winter tires, but I was more interested in the wider sizes for everyday summer tires. I'm not too fond of the look, or weight, or vulnerability to road hazards of big wheels.

Thanks silky! And, BTW, Welcome to MCO! (Love the username - that's how I refer to all the silk greens!)

I've been looking for winter tires for next winter to fit onto my 15"ers and there seems to be NOTHING in 175/65-15. So, I've been exploring with all sorts of variations (185/60-15, 185/65-15, 195/60-15, etc.) but I would like to stay as narrow as possible... This info helps me make sure I get an appropriate tire for the rim.

I'm also looking for my next set of summer (performance) tires to put on the 16"ers, but I probably won't need them until next year....

Sorry I don't have any helpful information to give you about your question. :sad:

>>I've been looking for winter tires for next winter to fit onto my 15"ers and there seems to be NOTHING in 175/65-15.

I have been on that same search, a Jason and the Golden Fleece sort of a thing. :lol:

I did find 175/65-15 winter tires by Vredestein. They were priced about the same as the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Q but would have to go wider for the Qs.

edlfrey Care to share where you saw the Vredesteins? Just curious. I would do the same thing as you and get the Nokians. :wink:

>>edlfrey Care to share where you saw the Vredesteins? Just curious. I would do the same thing as you and get the Nokians. :wink:

I saw then at http://www.vredestein.com and then contacted the North American rep a Mr. Edward Smoke at vredusa@optonline.net about getting them here in Reno.

He gave me 1-800-525-3031 for Premier Tires in Denver, but I sent them an e-mail. Got a reply from Marcel at No1tire@aol.com with a price of $80.73 plus shipping to Reno.