-
Welcome to Elio Owners! Join today, registration is easy!
You can register using your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account, just click here.
Wheels & Tires
- Thread starter Keith Stone
- Start date
zelio
Elio Addict
Truett! Thank you for offering such a statement. I wish I could claim I'm LMAO but unforunately it doesn't seem to work that way on my body. I am still chuckling!!!
:-) Z
Truett Collins
Elio Addict
Hey it all deals with perspective....... I see function others see a decoration.Truett! Thank you for offering such a statement. I wish I could claim I'm LMAO but unforunately it doesn't seem to work that way on my body. I am still chuckling!!!Z
harlan stephens
Elio Addict
The dead eel
Attachments
CompTrex
Elio Addict
We're still talking about wheels, right?
wheaters
Elio Addict
Tyres, too!
Some might have noticed that I'm always trying to tell people how vital the tyres/tires are, as far as handling, traction, braking and safety are concerned!
I've just ordered a full set of winter tyres for our little Suzuki Swift 1.0. It needs at least two new ones, in any case. It looks like those on the back axle are the original ones fitted and having used the car over the last few months, some sidewall cracks appeared (I brought the car out of a long slumber with the previous owner, it had only done 14,000 miles in it's 14 years).
If we don't get snow here this winter, the extra wet weather grip will be worth the moderate expense. If it does snow, I'll be driving that car to work instead of my BMW. I could put winter tyres on the Beemerr instead but they cost somewhere between four and five times as much and in any case, if I have a bump with that car it's likely to be far more costly! So, I'll be forgoing the added benefits of ABS, traction control and electronic stability control but will be on very good tyres and driving in accordance with the road conditions. I'll also be getting 55-60 mpg on cheaper petrol (gasoline) instead of 40 mpg on diesel.
While I was searching online for some tyres, I found this article, which I thought might be of interest to future Elio owners: (watch the videos, too)
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/66692/winter-tyres-4x4-grip-test-video
Last edited:
Ocean9000
Elio Addict
Hopefully, when Cooper makes the EM tyres. they will cut a snow (winter) tyre tread mould. Checking tirerack yielded only one winter tyre in 145/65-15. No tyres, summer or winter, available in 135/80, 135/75 135/70, 145/80, 145/75 or 145/70-15. Unfortunately, the only available tyre is a Dunlop, and despite Dunlop's major manufacturing presence in my home town, I was treated so rudely and condescendingly some years ago when trying to get information about the Dunlop tyres on my motorcycle that I will never buy anything from Dunlop again and will do my best to urge others to do the same.
My only option will be to by a second set of summer tyres and a couple of boxes of #6 sheet metal screws unless Cooper comes through. Snowfall averages 93.6" per year, all season tyres are all but one season tyres here.
My only option will be to by a second set of summer tyres and a couple of boxes of #6 sheet metal screws unless Cooper comes through. Snowfall averages 93.6" per year, all season tyres are all but one season tyres here.
We have actually looked this up already and a 145/65R15 should work just fine as a replacement for a 135/70-80R15. This will be good to know not just for winter tires but just in case you are caught somewhere where they do not have the standard Elio tires.
As compared to a 135/70R15 the 145/65R15 is actually the same size tire except it is 0.4 inches wider which is likely beneficial in winter. This would be considered a direct replacement and would likely even fit under the stock wheel covers.
As compared to a 135/75-80 the 145/65R15 would be a bit shorter while still being 0.4 inches wider. The only issue with being a bit shorter is that you would actually be traveling a little bit slower than your speedometer indicates.
http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-calculator/
G' one, narrower tires actually do better in snow than wider tires. In the northern states, the hot rodders take off the wide tires , and put on narrow snow tires for winter driving. Wide tires just do not work in snow. Although .4 inches wider will not be noticeable.
I did not know that but then again I live in a city which becomes completely paralyzed when only a few inches of snow falls from the sky.