19"s or 20"s

[TIEfighter]

That's false. Usually it has the opposite effect because the tires and wheels are usually heavier when you size up. That's why most cars made for fuel economy come with narrow, thick-walled tires with small wheels.

Yeah, right now I have the 15" aluminum (or are they called alloys?) wheels that come with the 2LT. Noticed the tire wall is very large. Similar to my first car 96Lumina had 15"s as well (steel wheels) and had large tire walls as well.

205/50-17 is 25.07 inches tall that would mean a 20" rim would have 2.5" side wall

225/30-20 is 25.31 inches so almost the same height and 3/4 inch wider

BTW the /XX number is a precent of the width... so a 225 is 225mm wide so 225mm x 30%= 67.5mm there are 25.4mm=1 inch 67.5/25.4mm = 2.657 inch side wall at top and bottom so 2.657 x 2=5.31 inches + 20 = 25.31

Thanks for clarifiing what all those numbers mean. I understood how the last number was for height. I also understood how the 2nd/middle number is the tire wall's height. Didn't know what the first number was. Glad to know it is the tire width.

I understand that the tire width means how wide (horizontally) the tire tread is. Though, how would I avoid getting a wheel/rim that doesn't have large width/lip. Because I don't want to drive and end up scraping wheel/rim because the lip/width is wider than the tire. Does that make any sense?

Good find on the tires, Andrew. If one has the money for lightweight 19s, that would be an interesting change. The width of 20s seem to start at 8.5 inches and get wider from there. The OEM 17 is 6.5 inches wide.

Width of rim/tire is especially important for the Sonic: there is not a lot of room for a wider setup even with an aggressive offset. But all the forgoing notwithstanding, I would like to see how a 19 looks, but not on my car.

I and several other members are running 225/45 tires on 17" rims on a lowered Sonic with no rubbing, and I understand at least one member is or will be running 225/40 tires on 18" rims on a lowered Sonic, to give the original poster an idea of what can be safely done.

Laborsmith

Yeah, what I will do I when I get a job (just graduated college). After I start having some income I will try to see the price and functionality betweeen the 17"s-18"s-19"s. Such as rubbing. I don't have any plans to lower my car. I already have to go over speed bumps and entrance/exit of parking lots super slow because the Sonic has a low front end.

Also if I got a wheel & tire that would be a 17"s or larger that would mean my Sonic would have better ground clearance or no?

 

[laborsmith]

No difference in clearance unless you go for a set that is taller than OEM, which you could do but if you do you will need the computer (BCM perhaps) flashed to accommodate the change.

Why are you considering this kind of change?

Laborsmith

 

[wasteoffilm]

Well there was the thread where someone got adapters to put their WRX rims on the Sonic, so it would be possible to get there.

That being said... looks like 335/25-19's are only 1.5 inches taller than the stock sonic tires.... which means that with a lower profile tire, Z06 rims wouldn't be too big of a jump (stock rears are 335/35-19)

FWD phantom dually Sonic? Rauh-Welt bodykit? The guys over on oppo/G+ will LOVE that, lol.

 

[TIEfighter]

No difference in clearance unless you go for a set that is taller than OEM, which you could do but if you do you will need the computer (BCM perhaps) flashed to accommodate the change.

Why are you considering this kind of change?

Laborsmith

No, I was wondering since 17"s and 18"s would most likely have a smaller tire wall than the stock 15"s would that cause my car to lose some ground clearance. Hence the name 'low profile tires'.

 

[rdss]

As long as your tires overal diameter is still the same as your factory tires (which the 15's are 24.9") you will lose zero ground clearance, if you go to 24.2" you will lose ground clearance, if you go up to a 25.9" tire you will gain ground clearance. What lo pro is talking about is the profile of the sidewall on the tire. If you have a 15" wheel in a 25" tall tire you have 5" of side wall, if you move up to an 18" wheel you only have 3.5" of side wall equating to a lower profile tire. What you have to worry about when you increase or decrease the tire's overall diameter from the factory tire is that it will make your speedometer incorrect and with tuning you can fix this but sometimes you get ABS problems because the car's PCM can not commensate for the tire size change. Go on tire rack and learn about your tire and then when in doubt use their recommended tire size for the wheel you want.

 

[wasteoffilm]

A couple of the SEMA Sonic's had 19's on them, from what I've seen.

235/35/19 on this one...

 

[Thaifight-R]

It's a Sonic. Not a Mexican lowrider.

I think you mean "donked"

LOL

As for the SEMA Sonic's with 19's, I think that was because they had body kits on them, thus making the body parts sit at similar heights as stock while filling the wheel gap.

Here's a good website for figuring out what tire sizes will have the closest diameter to the stock diameter (so that you won't have to reset the BCM or whatever it is.)

Tire size calculator

 

[laborsmith]

SEMA and body kits. Is that an oxymoron or not? SEMA show cars are just that, show cars. They give the observer ideas of what can creatively be done not necessarily what can be real world done. I suspect some of them could not survive a trip around a major city block and indeed a few could not be driven off the convention floor as shown. But I do enjoy looking at the SEMA reports every year and sometimes I even enjoy reading the SEMA stories.

Laborsmith

 

[doreo]

i wana make my sonic look like that yellow car that is sexy!

 

[laborsmith]

LOL. I am using one of the shots as my screensaver.

I have wondered what a yellow Sonic w/ black wheels would look like for a long time now.

Laborsmith

 

[Axela05]

225/45/17 or 225/40/18 are probably better sizes if you want more width without rubbing. I 'm sure anyone on this forum with that 17 size will tell you that it fits well without rubbing. I run the 18 inch size and it does not rub. Even if it were lowered it would clear. Both are very close to stock diameter and would not require and ECU re-flash.

Agreed 100% I had a 225/40-18 setup on my old 05' Mazda3 hatch with an Eibach pro-kit and had no rubbing issues at all. For the Sonic though, I myself would probably opt for the 225/45-17 setup though but that's just me. Good luck with whichever route you take

 

[TIEfighter]

As long as your tires overal diameter is still the same as your factory tires (which the 15's are 24.9") you will lose zero ground clearance, if you go to 24.2" you will lose ground clearance, if you go up to a 25.9" tire you will gain ground clearance. What lo pro is talking about is the profile of the sidewall on the tire. If you have a 15" wheel in a 25" tall tire you have 5" of side wall, if you move up to an 18" wheel you only have 3.5" of side wall equating to a lower profile tire. What you have to worry about when you increase or decrease the tire's overall diameter from the factory tire is that it will make your speedometer incorrect and with tuning you can fix this but sometimes you get ABS problems because the car's PCM can not commensate for the tire size change. Go on tire rack and learn about your tire and then when in doubt use their recommended tire size for the wheel you want.

Thanks for the info rdss!

I think you mean "donked"
LOL

As for the SEMA Sonic's with 19's, I think that was because they had body kits on them, thus making the body parts sit at similar heights as stock while filling the wheel gap.

Here's a good website for figuring out what tire sizes will have the closest diameter to the stock diameter (so that you won't have to reset the BCM or whatever it is.)

Tire size calculator

Also known as "Throw Some D's" if you listen to any hip-hop/rap

SEMA and body kits. Is that an oxymoron or not? SEMA show cars are just that, show cars. They give the observer ideas of what can creatively be done not necessarily what can be real world done. I suspect some of them could not survive a trip around a major city block and indeed a few could not be driven off the convention floor as shown. But I do enjoy looking at the SEMA reports every year and sometimes I even enjoy reading the SEMA stories.

Laborsmith

Yeah, I personally won't put a body kit on any car I own. If I ever see cars with body kits half the time they look crappy or are banged up. Many of those body kits in my opinion are nice to look at but aren't real world usable for daily use.

 

[doreo]

LOL. I am using one of the shots as my screensaver.

I have wondered what a yellow Sonic w/ black wheels would look like for a long time now.

Laborsmith

similar to this?
Google Image Result for http://www.chevytunersource.com/attachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D339%26d%3D1321461683

 

[laborsmith]

No, its one parked on the highway with the double yellow lines running down the middle. But I'm thinking of changing to the one in your link as it is a better presentation.

Laborsmith

 

[TIEfighter]

no, its one parked on the highway with the double yellow lines running down the middle. But i'm thinking of changing to the one in your link as it is a better presentation.

Laborsmith

lol

 

[Danny5]

For the longest time, Tirerack listed 20" Rockstars for our cars. I would never consider them because they weigh close to 30lbs each.

As far as tires are concerned, you would want 225/30/20s which start at $500 for 4. So really, its not that much more expensive to start at 20s. Its just a matter of putting up with the weight...

Of course, if you wanted to spend $$$ like Laborsmith pointed out, you could get forged 20s that only weigh 19 to 21lbs each...

 

[TIEfighter]

For the longest time, Tirerack listed 20" Rockstars for our cars. I would never consider them because they weigh close to 30lbs each.

As far as tires are concerned, you would want 225/30/20s which start at $500 for 4. So really, its not that much more expensive to start at 20s. Its just a matter of putting up with the weight...

Of course, if you wanted to spend $$$ like Laborsmith pointed out, you could get forged 20s that only weigh 19 to 21lbs each...

Yeah I don't have unlimited money so I will probably end up getting wheels in a year or so around the 17", 18", or 19" size. Won't get 20"s, because they are too expensive and too heavy.

 

[SPOTWORK]

A couple of the SEMA Sonic's had 19's on them, from what I've seen.

235/35/19 on this one...

I have these on order for me. $260 retail custom drilled from factory to fit.
basically I'm spending less than $2000 for wheels and tires
rims are 8.5 wide, 40 offset. the guys there recommend I get 225/35zr19 so I can stretch the tires on to avoid any unwanted rubbing.
I love having the only distributor in Canada for these wheels 20 minutes from my house :banana:

 

[iraqivet]

these are 19's and look sick. but they are also $1250 each







wheels are made buy Rotiform

 

[Turbito]

I have these on order for me. $260 retail custom drilled from factory to fit.
basically I'm spending less than $2000 for wheels and tires
rims are 8.5 wide, +40mm offset. the guys there recommend I get 225/35zr19 so I can stretch the tires on to avoid any unwanted rubbing.
I love having the only distributor in Canada for these wheels 20 minutes from my house :banana:

SPOTWORK,

With that +40MM offset do you have any rubbing? Or did you have to do work to get that to fit? I am not lowered, so I am not sure that makes a difference as well.