Tire Compatibility

[Herbstleyd]

Hi
i currently owning a 92 Grand AM SE V6 with 195-70 R14 tire
and i'm looking to have wheel a bit bigger, like 15 or 16 inch
or a bit wider, there was 15inch and 16 inch optional tire with my car,
the 16 inche were 205-55 R16
my questions are
will some 205-60 R16 fit my car?
will some 215-60 R14 (with mags cavalier Z24 '88 or 8?)
and do you have some other tire size recommandation

thanks

[xeroinfinity]

Well a 16" tire will not fit a 14" rim.

You can put a larger rim on the car IF the bolt patterns are the same(they should on most Gm 5 lug).

205-60 r14 should work no prob,
but like I said above the 16s might be to tall and rub when you turn, or when the car bottoms out it could hit the uper fender well.

Check back here, I bet someone else has changed the rim sizing and could be more specifc on hte details you require.

[Herbstleyd]

i know that a 16inch tire will not fix on a 14inch rim,
but how may i know if the tire will rub when i turn ?

[xeroinfinity]

The only way to know is to try it, Unless someone else here at AF has done the rim tire upgrade as you are wanting.

But if the 'total tire hieght' of your old tire & rims, is the same as the ones you want to use, then they "should" work.

[skibum1111]

The 205-60-16 is going to give you clearance issues in the front, they will rub when you turn a tight corner. The 205-60-14 may give you issues in the front as well, but both should clear the rear shocks ok. You can also run a 225-50-16 without any clearance issues as its the right height for the geometry of the front end, and they don't rub on the rear shocks (barely). Hope this helps.

[gmack221]

ok lets start with some basic tire info
you have 195-70 r14
195 = tread width in mm
-70 = side wall height % of tread width
r14 = rim size in inches

so how tall are they

195 * .7 (70%) = 136.5
136.5 * 2 (rubber on top of the rim & bottom) = 273
14 * 25.4 (conversion factor for inches to mm) = 355.6
355.6 + 273 = 628.6

205-60r16 = 652.4
(thats 23.8 mm bigger then your stock)
its going to mess up the speedo-meter
its probably going to rub when you turn
and it might even hit your front strut

stick to the same height tire but with a bigger rim if you want a bigger rim,
it will give you a smaller side wall (which makes it handle better).

205-55r16 = 631.9 (real close to 628.6)

check with the dealer to see what the stock 16 in tire size is (thats your best bet)
a good tire shop should know also.

don't forget to check rim offset, get the same as stock, it will save you head aches later!

[catback23]

A 205/55R16 will fit nicely on that style grand am, I have a '93 grand am coupe that came factory fitted with them...no rub or clearance issues here

[Herbstleyd]

Thanks for all your reply, but I think i will stay with my weak 195-70-14 for this summer, 16inch tire are fucking more costier, about 50$ CAN more for each tire.

[Herbstleyd]

What is the difference between my 195-70-14 and 215-60-14?
The height or the width?

I saw an ad, the guy selling 4 tire + 4 mag of 88 GrandAM (215-60-14) Pacemark Radial GT, does anyones know these tires ?

thanks

[catback23]

Originally Posted by Herbstleyd

What is the difference between my 195-70-14 and 215-60-14?
The height or the width?

I saw an ad, the guy selling 4 tire + 4 mag of 88 GrandAM (215-60-14) Pacemark Radial GT, does anyones know these tires ?

thanks

Can't say I know those tires there, as far as the diff the 215's are 20mm wider and 15mm shorter (diameter wise) than your 195's...they definitely have a more low profile look to them. And about the cost diff between 14's and 16's, yea the 16's are far from cheap...even the cheapest ones cost more than a better than crap new 14"...damn 16" performance tire cost kills me every time I have to get a new set.

[Herbstleyd]

Hi
Will some 215-60-R14 tires fit my mags that currently wear 195-70-R14 tire?

thanks