Largest tire diameter for stock 14" rims?

[Lola]

I bought new Cooper Cobra GT 215/60R14's for the Front and 215/70's on the Rear of my 04' 5sp Sedan. The fronts only rub lightly at full turn but it's fine. The rear's rub the body seam inside the wheel well straight up and the lower rear plastic mudflap piece on hard bumps. A few healthy hits with a hammer to fold the seam over flat and I temporarily took off the plastic piece and it's pretty much good. I'm gonna put 215/60's tires on the rear soon to match the front and so I can put that plastic mud flap/bumper support back in. I just drove from Medford Oregon to Wasilla Alaska Fully Loaded and saggin hard and got between 31 and 35 true mpg.

[petrified.rabbit]

just curious how you calculated the true mpg? how did you measure your speed? and how was acceleration from a stop?

if you are going for fuel efficiency with this i think you would want a narrower tire?

[BRI]

Whent to 185/65/14,One size taller but same width of factory stock wheels.Rides smother and filled the fender openings a little better,And handled great in the snow.

[Lola]

Easy math. Those tires are 6.2% taller than the factory tires so multiply the odometor by 1.062 and it'll give you the corrected miles. It was also pretty much dead on with the GPS. Miles divided by gallons gives you MPG... Canada goes by quarts so that took an extra step. I've got about 3,600 miles on those tires over the past 2 weeks and acceleration from a stop was slightly noticable at first but I forgot about it after a few days. It seams like it's normal again. It'll still rip through 1st and 2nd no problem and pass on the highway and win everytime. I went for the biggest tire I can fit on my 04 Aveo, I tend to take mild muddy trails once in a while and I it's my highway car so ground clearance and footprint was why I chose the biggest street tire I can fit.
So, I'd say 215/60R14's are the biggest tire you can fit on an Aveo with out issues. Any taller and it'll take light work to make'm fit.

[Lola]

Update.... I actually swapped my fronts to the larger 215/70R14 Cooper Cobra's to match the rears (25.9x8.5). Downsizing the tire didn't seam like a good idea, upsizing seamed like the better thing to do. Drove that around for the summer and winter just fine. The rear of the fronts rubbed on the bottom edge of the subframe. I easily persuaded that lower corner inboard so it's a smooth harmless rub only at full turn. I made a few other minor adjustments over the months.

I just scored a set of newish 27x8.5R14 BFG AT's. I spun those on a set of cheepo aftermarket black dual 4 lug steel rims to see if they'll fit. They stuck way out and rubbed the fender lips just sitting in the garage. Hmmm, Did some measuring and those aftermarket wheels were .75" more offset than the stockers. I put the tires on the more inset Aveo wheels and their good. They sit inside the fenders as they should and have only a little rub on hard hits. The wife drove it in town the last few days and she said it only rubbed at full turn in parking lots. I removed and gladly threw away the Sway bar to get more flex/traction and ran the dogs down the power line trail a few times and I got it to rub but it's harmless. So, 27x8.5's can fit on stock or very inset wheels with minor adjustments. After I get to lifting it two inches I'll upsize again. maybe 28" TSL's...

[ZERO9]

lola,

I tripped across this forum and your post in particular as I have been entertaining a set of BFG all terrain TA's 195/75R14.

I'd be real interested in seeing some photos of the larger tire set up and any specific tricks you used to keep rubbing at a minimum.

Regards,

J

[Lola]

Discontinued 27x8.5R14 BFG ALL TERRAIN. Stock 04' Aveo Wheels. Bought them barley used for a hundred bucks off Craigslist. Put about 15K on them. I off road carefully enough to not beat up any red stuff or get stuck yet. Been down many many many trails all over Alaska. Had the carpets under water a half dozen times. The wife unit and I are always taking random spontaneous trails whenever we see them. The next tire might be the 28" Super Swamper TSL. But these show no signs of wear so that might not ever get to happen. I was gonna lift it about 2inches.... But I don't need to with the 27's. They do still rub off road, but I've been gently "convincing" those few areas in the wheel well over the summer to not rub... The areas where they do are smooth and not dangerous to tire or body. Just tread on flat metal.

[ZERO9]

I appreciate the quick reply. I had run some number in a different wheel calc but I like the one you linked with the image comparison.

The tire I'm entertaining is markedly smaller (25.52 OD) than the monsters you've shoe-horned under your Aveo so I should have no problems whatsoever.

Thanks again for taking the time to post a bunch of real sharp pics and the speed calc as well.

All my best,

J

RLTW

[Lola]

You're welcome, I've got about another few hundred pictures haha, if you do get those 25.52x7.68 BFG AT's throw up some pics and let us know if you have to make adjustments... I'm pretty sure you might have to work with your mudflap and lower inner fender screws... The screw heads stick out a hair and screw heads make a nasty growl on tire treads... There's so many tiny little things I've tweaked I forgot most of them.

One thing you mustn't forget runnin big tires on tiny spider gears..... Never run the spare on the front (drive axle). If you get a front flat, put the tiny spare on the rear than put that full size rear tire in the front.

[Lola]

Just put on the original sized studded tires and took a picture for a comparison. The car looks so tiny with those little things on hahaha. Next winter I'm gettin a set of 215/75R14's studds or somethin around that size or around 26 inches.