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09-29-2010, 05:07 PM | #1 | |
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downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
For anyone out there with an impala who has a winter climate as bad as ours in Newfoundland and you would like to go to a smaller tire for better braking and traction then your 16 inch rims and tires here is what I did,the 15 inch rims will fit the rear of the impalas but will not fit over the caliper in the front,you have to find a set of caliper brackets off of a 1998 & up montana or venture van and buy a set of new rotors to fit the same van to use for your impala,just take the original caliper brackets off put on the montana or venture van caliper brackets on with the new rotors that fit the montana or venture van & you don't change the caliper you use the same caliper,now you can get 15 inch rims to fit you car,you can also put the 16 inch back on using the same set up with out putting the original brackets and rotors on, I opted to keep the montana rotors and brackets on my impala since the summer and brakes work fine.Rotors are about $10-$20 cheaper for the vans then they are for the original impala rotors,same goes for tires from a 16 inch tire to a 15 inch you can save up to $50 a tire depending on the brand you buy.to get the same ride height and keep the speedometer reading right the tire size you will need for the 15 inch tires are 215/65/15
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09-29-2010, 05:45 PM | #2 | |
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
dont you also end up with smaller front brakes when you do a swap like that?
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09-29-2010, 05:50 PM | #3 | ||
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
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I changed over to the 75 tire and this also adds about 3/4 inch of hieght. this helps with a low vehicle to clear snow . the lower revs per mile , will throw off the speedometer , about 5 mph lower at 60 mph. the LT tires have a better tread for water snow. I wouldn't change the brakes . Last edited by j cAT; 09-29-2010 at 06:31 PM. |
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09-29-2010, 06:48 PM | #4 | |
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
not really no ,you are still using the same calipers and the same brake pads,there are over 30taxi cabs here that all have it done and maybe another 10 plus people with the same set up since I was asked by impala owners how did i get 15 inch rims on the car.
Last edited by 2005chevimpala; 10-01-2010 at 04:35 AM. |
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09-29-2010, 06:51 PM | #5 | ||
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
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09-29-2010, 07:15 PM | #6 | ||
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
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10-05-2010, 04:29 PM | #7 | ||
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
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10-05-2010, 07:07 PM | #8 | ||
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
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stock 225 60 r16 revs per mile 786 . as you know these OEM sized tires are not available in snow tread designs . thats why I said to check out the 70-75 tires . clearance can be a problem so make sure the springs and shocks are good ..5 years on a GM strut spring in snow country its pretty much shot. the 75 tire I used was on a camaro got it mixed up. that had 60 tires also very bad in snow until the 75 's with good traction tread put on. |
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11-01-2010, 10:15 PM | #9 | |
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Re: downsizing impala from 16 inch rims to 15 inch rims for the winter
Thats an awful lot of work just to drop one tire size. May mess up the speedo too if its not calibrated for the swap. To me it just dosen't sound safe.
It dosen't matter where you live as long as you know HOW to drive in bad weather. A one inch difference in tire diameter will not make a hill of a difference if the vehicle is sliding on ice. Besides if the car is under warranty you just just blew it. I am from New Jersey and we used to get our share of bad driving conditions in the Winter. To help in traction and stopping along with gripping in the snow, as good set of chains on the tires will help you in snow. John |
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