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Tyre Upsize Guide. Risks, Rules to know before Upsize else your Car Handling will be Impacted

Tyre Upsize Guide. Risks, Rules to know before Upsize else your Car Handling will be Impacted

Considering Tyre Upsize  Your Guide to most Important dos and donts before going for Tyre Upsize to know Differences in Handling, Mileage, Suspension of Car

 

Tyres Upsize : Worth or Waste

Tyres plays a key role in Car Drive-ability, Handling, Maneuverability. Remember your Car Contact Pitch on the road is done in form of Tyres and Correct Tyre Pressure plays a key role in the drive response and feedback.

Designed for Different Terrain Conditions, apart from Regular Use, Tyres also available in different classification for those having Specialized needs. For Instance

  • MT Tyres - Essentially means Mud Terrain tyres. For those looking for extreme Off roading or in profession like Wild Life Photography, Mountain Drives, Farms will have the best choice as Mud Terrain Tyres
  • AT Tyres: All Terrain Tyres. Care for driving on Off Roads along with Good Highways. All Terrain Tyres to be your choice
  • HT Tyres: Default Choice. Regular Tyres For City and Highway Drive

Tyre Tread varies a lot to determine the best basis drive, condition.

 

Similarly is Tyre Size. For those having drive

  • Maximum In City Drive: If you are buying Car for Local or within city Commute. Should prefer a Smaller Tyre with Higher Sidewall. For Instance a 14 Inch Wheel with R14 175/70 will be a better pick against R15 185/60 as Smaller Tyre will deliver Better Mileage and Sidewall is around 10% larger compared to 15 Inch wheel. This offers More Plush Ride
  • Mix of Highway Use: Choose Wider Tyre, Bigger Wheel as they offer Better Grip and improved Handling on Higher Speed

 

If you are looking to choose New Tyres, refer below on what to look for

  • R: implies Radial Tubeless Tyres and needless to mention are default choice in all modern age tyres.
  • RIM: Here R14, R15 Implies Wheel Size means 14 Inch Wheel, 15 Inch Wheel. Normally it is the most important factor
  • Size of Tyre - R14 165/65 - It implies that Tyre comes in 14 Inch Wheel having 165 mm Width and 65% as Sidewall Aspect Ratio.
  • Load Index: If you read Tyre Size completely, you will read it as R15 185/60 85 V - 85 Implies Load Index and in a car normally most of branded tyres have atleast 85 and above load index
  • Maximum Speed: V signifies Maximum Speed like V is for 240 km, H for 210 Km , W for 270 and Y for 300 Km. Tyres with Higher Speed Rating Generally are preferred in.

 

 

Important Consideration in Choosing Tyre

Now very Important on while Selecting Tyre is check on

Sidewall Aspect Ratio: It determines the Height of Tyre. Higher the Tyre Sidewall aspect ratio - plush the drive is in City Condition. Anything at 50% or below is Low Profile Tyres and such Low Profile Tyre fit in Wider Tyre which looks good for aesthetic reason and known for Better Braking, Better Stability as the Tyre width is on higher Side.

 

Change in Tyre Width: Wider Tyres aids better Grip and Handling on Cornering, Highway, Bad Roads, While Smaller Width Tyres offers better for In City Day Use

You can now Calculate Tyre Upsize in Seconds

Calculate Tyre Size

 

How is Tyre Upsize Done

There are generally 3 Ways in which upsize are done by Car Owners :-

  • Retain in Existing Wheels, Only Upsize Tyres of Higher Width - Upsize should not be beyond 2% Deviation in Circumference Wider Tyres
  • Upsize Both Wheels and Tyres - Generally under 2%, but to play Slight aggressive - upto 2.5% max Deviation
  • Upsize and Replace Steel Wheel with Alloy Wheels and Upsize Tyres too - This is the Most Expensive replacement and costs Significant sum Generally 2% Deviation, but to play Slight aggressive - upto 3% max Deviation

If you choose an aggressive Upsize of over 3% - your Car Handling will be Impacted along with drop in Car Mileage and impact to Car Suspension 

b2ap3_thumbnail_Scorpio-Alloys.jpg 

 

Key Difference - Smaller Tyres Vs Wider Tyres

Wider Tyres - Tyre Upsize Benefits Smaller Tyres Benefits
Increased Grip on Road due to More Surface Width Area of Tyres Low Friction - Ideal for Cars driven in Daily City Ride. Been Sidewall is thicker due to higher Aspect ratio - ride is particularly soft and comfortable
   
Better Stability on High Speed. Ideal if drive Often on Highway Light Weight - Improved Low Speed Acceleration
   
Improved Balancing & Handling even on Bad Patch Roads. With Sidewall been thinner - it adds a firmness to Ride Cost Effective been Smaller Tyres costs Significant lesser
   
Macho Feel and Drive-ability. Cars Looks Well Planted with Wider Tyres Relative Easy Steering Response with Smaller Tyres
   
Net All Benefit: Thus Ride Quality Improves Net All Benefit: Able to Deliver Better Mileage

In terms of Tyre Upsize - Make a tradeoff basis requirement and Benefits Mentioned

 

Below are the Downside Risks of Upsizing Tyres and Retaining Existing Smaller Tyre

Upsizing to Wider Tyres - Downside Risks Smaller Tyres - DownSide Risks
If Upsize Tyres with Agressive Upsize > 3% - Suspension (Link Rod, Lower Arm, Bushes, Shockers etc) are suspectible to even much faster Quicker Wear & Tear Grip and Handling Feel is always missed in Puny / Small Tyres
   
Mileage would tend to be Impacted. Extent depends on Upsize, Profile. But can dip by anywhere from 5% to 10% Can Potentially be Risky in Smaller 12 Inch, 13 Inch Wheels with Smaller Tyres - if lacks ABS and applied force brake on high Speed
   
If you care for Light Most Steering Response and drive primarily on City Roads - then should not go in for Upsizing Wheels & Tyres - as a slight weight may take away that super lightness in Steering response. Lacks Highway Dynamics. Not Ideal for Upcountry Bad Patch Roads or High Speed Drive.
   
Been the Width increases in Upsize - Ride turns out slight Firm due to Lower Sidewall Aspect Ride Lacks Firmness due to Thicker Sidewall if Driven on High Speed, Upcountry Roads

 

 

Prominent Tyre Brands / Companies 

We Love Michelin, MRF, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Yokohoma Tyres . Go Always with the Brand.

 

What are Low Profile Tyres ? Is it Recommended

Although Globally Accepted Practice is when Tyre Sidewall Ratio is 50% or less than Tyre Width then it can be called as Low Profile Tyre. For Instance R17 225/50. It means Sidewall is 50% of Tyre Width means 112.5 mm

But for Indian Road Conditions where roads are not in best shape in many areas - we feel that anything under 55% Sidewall Aspect Ratio falls under Low Profile One

The higher the Sidewall aspect ratio, Sidewall is longer and it turns in Plush Ride Experience in City Condition. Lower the sidewall aspect ratios lead to slight Stiff ride. On Bad roads - if a Car with say 50% Aspect Ratio or lower drives on speed then driving on Pothole on such a speed can damage the wheel / tyre because of lower Aspect Ratio

Even the Vehicle Suspension System should be checked in as many customer even go in with Aggressive Upsize in Sedan, Hatchback Cars where suspension tuned for comfort but reducing Tyre Sidewall Profile Ratio to 55% in Sedan, Hatch cars can end up making ride Stiff and Rough.

Low Profile Tyres are what on demand of Enthusiastic Driver who love better Cornering, Better Higher Speed stability and most important are recommended only in SUV Range where Performance Orientation is best seek for. However - one should also know that Suspension of Car should support in to get in the Best from Low Profile Tyres, else the ride can turn out more on Firm side impacting drive aspect of Car.


If Buying New Tyres - its important to buy in Tyres with Latest Manufacturing. Know -  how to decode :-

Find Tyre Manufacturing Date


Note - if you choose bigger Inch Tyres - you will be required to change Wheels too. Though - its best to choose Tyres in Same Size having More Width - if tyre size is smaller, but 13 Inch Tyres Specs is relatively smaller to our view - its best to Upgrade to 14 Inch

 

Tyre Prices

Indicative Range of Tyres basis Common Size is listed below - Each Tyre Cost

Wheel Size Price Range Wheel Size Price Range
12 Inch Tyres Rs 2200 - 2600 16 Inch Tyres Rs 4500 - 10000
13 Inch Tyres Rs 2600 - 3200 17 Inch Tyres Rs 8000 - 15000
14 Inch Tyres Rs 3000 - 4000 18 Inch Tyres Rs 15000 - 25000
15 Inch Tyres Rs 3800 - 6000 19 Inch Tyres Rs 18000 - 30000
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Comments 62

Guest - Sandeep on Thursday, 08 June 2023 15:02

Sir can i change front tyres 205/65r15 (stock) of toyota corolla with 205/60r15?

Sir can i change front tyres 205/65r15 (stock) of toyota corolla with 205/60r15?
Guest - Omer on Saturday, 24 December 2022 21:25

I found the gap between the front tire and fender(wheel well) are different.The driver side had a smaller gap compare to the passenger
side. The difference is around 5 to 6 mm base on my measurement.

I found the gap between the front tire and fender(wheel well) are different.The driver side had a smaller gap compare to the passenger side. The difference is around 5 to 6 mm base on my measurement.
Guest - Vibhanshu agnihotri on Saturday, 19 November 2022 12:42

Hi Amit,

I have a tata harrier vehicle and feel i should my car tyres to AT from yokohama without change in any of tyre size ratios, i drive in city most but feel the regular tyres slips in offroading. Pl. suggest

Hi Amit, I have a tata harrier vehicle and feel i should my car tyres to AT from yokohama without change in any of tyre size ratios, i drive in city most but feel the regular tyres slips in offroading. Pl. suggest
Guest - Chris on Saturday, 04 September 2021 23:19

What would be the increase in ground clearance if we upgrade from 185/60 R16 to 215/55 R16?

What would be the increase in ground clearance if we upgrade from 185/60 R16 to 215/55 R16?
Guest - Rishi on Sunday, 21 February 2021 10:58

Can I use 165/70 tyre instead of 175/65(recommended) , is it risky to go for lower size tyre. Is it ok to have 3 tyres size 165/70 and fourth tyre of size 175/65

Can I use 165/70 tyre instead of 175/65(recommended) , is it risky to go for lower size tyre. Is it ok to have 3 tyres size 165/70 and fourth tyre of size 175/65
Guest - Ashif on Sunday, 31 January 2021 13:01

My car is indica. Size of the car Tyre is 165/65 R13, which other size can I change.

My car is indica. Size of the car Tyre is 165/65 R13, which other size can I change.
Guest - Manoranjan Meher on Wednesday, 28 October 2020 12:13

Can I replace 205 60 R16 steel wheels with 225 50 R17 alloy wheels in my creta 2020?

Can I replace 205 60 R16 steel wheels with 225 50 R17 alloy wheels in my creta 2020?
Guest - Tarun on Monday, 21 September 2020 20:47

What should be alternate to 205 50 r17 ecosport to avoid tyre burst?

What should be alternate to 205 50 r17 ecosport to avoid tyre burst?
Guest - Tomm Abdul on Sunday, 20 September 2020 19:36

Hello
Please guide me choice of Tyre replacement as an expert.

I have a 205/55R/16

Can I them replace with 215/65R/16

Hello Please guide me choice of Tyre replacement as an expert. I have a 205/55R/16 Can I them replace with 215/65R/16
Guest - Pankaj M on Friday, 11 September 2020 18:03

I have Ecosports Trend 1.5 2017 and have Good Year assurance 195/65 R15 , can i upgrade it to 205/55 R16. I have run it for 45K km now and want to go for AT. I have read about Yoko Earth 1 tyre but please advise the best tyre to upgrade it to. Thanks.

I have Ecosports Trend 1.5 2017 and have Good Year assurance 195/65 R15 , can i upgrade it to 205/55 R16. I have run it for 45K km now and want to go for AT. I have read about Yoko Earth 1 tyre but please advise the best tyre to upgrade it to. Thanks.
Guest - Tilak on Sunday, 30 August 2020 11:39

Hi,
I have been following your channel, Great stuff! I have booked Hyundai Venue S Plus 1.2 Ltr engine. which is coming with all features which i required expect alloys. Since my budget is not allowing me to go further. So my question to you is can i buy 195/65HR15 allows for the existing 195/65HR15 tyre (which are coming with company fitted). ? please suggest me.

Hi, I have been following your channel, Great stuff! I have booked Hyundai Venue S Plus 1.2 Ltr engine. which is coming with all features which i required expect alloys. Since my budget is not allowing me to go further. So my question to you is can i buy 195/65HR15 allows for the existing 195/65HR15 tyre (which are coming with company fitted). ? please suggest me.
Guest - Sidney on Monday, 17 August 2020 01:46

Please advise, what kind of tyres will I use to make my Mecez to be low profile because I’m using 225/50/17 —- to make it low profile what sizes will o go for .

Please advise, what kind of tyres will I use to make my Mecez to be low profile because I’m using 225/50/17 —- to make it low profile what sizes will o go for .
Guest - Amit Gupta on Sunday, 05 July 2020 13:09

I have hyundai verna. My tyre size is 185/65/R15. I want to upgrade it to 205/55/R17. Will it be a good option???

I have hyundai verna. My tyre size is 185/65/R15. I want to upgrade it to 205/55/R17. Will it be a good option???
Guest - Anshul Singh on Sunday, 02 August 2020 12:06

Hey Amit,

You should not upsize the car tire up to that much extent. Whole driving dynamics will get compromised. Stability and control will get ruined as well!
To get this done you have to get the entire set up done starting from suspension, mounts, disc calipers and disc brakes, alloys, and everything related to the wheels and aerodynamics of the vehicle.

Plus, you can only upsize the current tyre profile only by a margin of 2%. If it goes beyond that, the safety of your car will be on stakes.

Thanks & regards,
Anshul Singh

Hey Amit, You should not upsize the car tire up to that much extent. Whole driving dynamics will get compromised. Stability and control will get ruined as well! To get this done you have to get the entire set up done starting from suspension, mounts, disc calipers and disc brakes, alloys, and everything related to the wheels and aerodynamics of the vehicle. Plus, you can only upsize the current tyre profile only by a margin of 2%. If it goes beyond that, the safety of your car will be on stakes. Thanks & regards, Anshul Singh
Guest - Anonymous on Saturday, 09 May 2020 12:41

Hi, Can I substitute 175/70/R14 for 175/65/R14? For a VW polo trendline.

Hi, Can I substitute 175/70/R14 for 175/65/R14? For a VW polo trendline.
Guest - bars on Thursday, 28 May 2020 19:11

I drive a car with stock tires 175/65 R14 and replaced it with 175/70 R14, for a specific purpose of more ground clearance and more comfort. I usually drive alone so I don't think the 3% increment in tire diameter affected the acceleration.

Now, I'm contemplating on using 185/65 R14 in my next replacement. It will still satisfy the purpose I've stated above, but at the same time it may offer better grip or maybe some handling improvement since the tire is now wider.

I drive a car with stock tires 175/65 R14 and replaced it with 175/70 R14, for a specific purpose of more ground clearance and more comfort. I usually drive alone so I don't think the 3% increment in tire diameter affected the acceleration. Now, I'm contemplating on using 185/65 R14 in my next replacement. It will still satisfy the purpose I've stated above, but at the same time it may offer better grip or maybe some handling improvement since the tire is now wider. :D
Guest - Manni on Thursday, 09 April 2020 23:21

Can I upgrade the wheel and tyre R15 185/65 of XL 6 to R16 205/60 or any other.....What will the cost of replacement

Can I upgrade the wheel and tyre R15 185/65 of XL 6 to R16 205/60 or any other.....What will the cost of replacement
Guest - Biswajit Halder on Saturday, 23 May 2020 12:48

No, its better to change to R15 205/60. R16 205/60 is having a Difference in circumference of 4.97%. With R15 205/60, it is 0.89%. In general, 2% is only permissible. If you want to go to R16, then go for R16 205/55, it is 1.67%.

No, its better to change to R15 205/60. R16 205/60 is having a Difference in circumference of 4.97%. With R15 205/60, it is 0.89%. In general, 2% is only permissible. If you want to go to R16, then go for R16 205/55, it is 1.67%.
Guest - Sanjeev Hariharan on Tuesday, 02 June 2020 11:35

Can i upgrade R15 185/65 to R16 195/55 or any other....What will be the cost of replacement? Also will it affect insurance? What about performance and effect on suspension?

Can i upgrade R15 185/65 to R16 195/55 or any other....What will be the cost of replacement? Also will it affect insurance? What about performance and effect on suspension?
Guest - RAD on Monday, 24 February 2020 12:29

i have a honda city zx with 16"wheels . looking for 17" wheels . can you guide me as to what pcd is and the accurate specs for tyres

i have a honda city zx with 16"wheels . looking for 17" wheels . can you guide me as to what pcd is and the accurate specs for tyres
Wednesday, 27 September 2023

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