Winter Tire Sizes

M

mattinx

New Member
#1
#1
Bit of an oddball first post, but we've been given a set of 2yr old winter tires (cause they don't fit our inlaws' new car) and I'm pondering if they'll fit our 09 Corolla CE.

We've currently got the stock 15" steel rims (with P185/65R15 tires) - only issue is that these winter tires a tad narrower - they're P175/65R15, so I was wondering if they'll work or whether we should just cut our losses and toss em up on craigslist.

I did a quick search on the forums and didn't see anyone else asking about it - figured someone here might know :)
 
Scott O'Kashan

Scott O'Kashan

Super Moderator
#3
#3
Hi Mattinx and welcome aboard! :)

Yes, they are not the right size for your car. A P175/65R-15 is not only narrower than a P185/65R-15, but it is also shorter, which will make the speedometer and odometer read inaccurately. It can also adversely affect the safe operation of ABS brakes as that system is operated by wheel speed and shorter tires will change the wheel speed. Also, smaller tires will also not have adequate load carrying capacity for the vehicle which means they can blow out. :eek:

Lastly, with winter tires and front wheel drive vehicles like the Corolla, it is very, very important to use a set of four winter tires so all four tires are doing the same thing, providing equal traction. Some people mistakenly think they only need to put winter tires on the two front drive wheels and this leads to a situation where the front of the car is holding the road better than the rear, which is dangerous. When going around a slippery turn, or down a hill, or applying the brakes, the two winter tires on the front are gripping the road better than the rear and this causes the rear of the car to get loose, causing the car to fishtail and crash. Not good of course, so always use winter tires in sets of four. :yes:

So it's not just about if the tires will fit, but if they are the correct size for the car.

I hope this helps answer your question. :thumbsup:

-- B.F.Goodrich T/A Certified Tire Specialist
 
M

mattinx

New Member
#4
#4
Thanks - that's pretty much what I expected, but you can always hope :)

Would've been nice if they'd fit, the all-season tires that are on there need replacing and of course that coincides with front pads needing replacing, and a whole bunch of other regular maintenance. Being able to defer buying a fresh set of tires till the spring would've been nice. Of course they don't fit our Yaris either (it's an '06 hatch with 14" rims).

I'd briefly thought about the aspect ratio affecting wheel circumference - my rough reckoning comes up with them rotating about 4% faster for a given velocity (engineering background - just not automotive :)

Pretty sure I'll be hitting up the forum for some more advice moving forward - next task is going to be a front brake job.
 
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