Tire size for 16'' wheels?

The Touring model comes with 195/55/16s.if you want to got wider then you will likely observe a small correction to the factory speedo error by about 1 mph. The Genii speedo is approx. 2mph too fast so with a 205/55/16 you may only be 1mph fast. If you got with the 205/50/16 you will end up 3 mph fast. Also keep in mind that LRR tires are sometimes harder to find in tire sizes note normally used by the Prius.

 

For the record, Touring springs are not lower. Trust me.

To answer your question, 55s will not rub. Look at it this way, 205/55s have almost the exact same sidewall height as your stock tire/wheels, 185/65. Both are about 4.4". So if you're having no issues with your current wheels, what makes you think you'll rub even w/ lowered springs? Now, if you get 205/50, that is .4" less of sidewall you will not have to worry about rubbing. Personally I would get this just because less sidewall looks better.


Excuse me my math sucks tonight. 185/65 sidewall height is 4.7" so .3" taller than 55s. Which means 55s definitely won't be a problem. There. Doing anything on this iPhone is difficult...

 

Like mac stated above. You are not likely to rub if you are not rubbing now. Going with the 205/50/16 will cause the speedo to read about 3mph higher than you are are actually traveling. If you are ok with that and are worried about rubbing then go for it. Your MPG indicator will also likely read higher than it should.

I run a 215/45/17 on my car and yes they rub. They only do it when cornering hard or hitting a decent sized bump. It's rather annoying.

 

No problem.

Just be sure to report back with pictures and a review of your new setup. Can't wait to see it.

 

I'm running 205/55 R16s on my Gen III with a +50 offset (I know... I'm looking to install spacers to widen the stance a bit, just a matter of time) and it's lowered on Tanabes. No rubbing issue for me.

 

offset calculator
Wheel Offset Calculator
I think 40+ is pretty near the limit, however I did find that the OEM 2004-2009 Prius 16X6JJ: 5X100mm PCD are 45mm offset and the 2010 17" OEM rims are 17X7J: 5X100mm PCD, 50mm offset

source:
http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=122504

 

I'm looking to buy DR 33, 17x7.5 with 45mm offset, I wonder what type of tire spec I should look to purchasing without causing rubs, I won't be lowering my car since I'm always worry about rubbing against the concrete.


205/50-17
215/45-17
215/50-17
225/45-17
235/45-17
Those are the choices that I was giving, which one would be most appropriate without causing any damage to my fenders?

 

On a wider wheel like that the 225/45/17 would look nice and shouldn't cause rubbing unless you really slam the car. It will be the same diameter as your OE 15" tire (25") so wheel well gap will be less than with the 215/45/17 which IMO is the only other real choice. The 215/45/17 is a 24.7" tire.

In the 225/45/17 you can get the Continental PureContact which is a great tire and is pretty cheap at $584. The Primacy MXM4 is a nicer ride but less mpg ($650 with the rebate). My choice would be the PureContact in this case. Better FE, much longer tread life, equal wet traction and lower cost.

 

The other choices are either the wrong diameter or would stretch the tire too much on a 7.5" wheel.

 

Thanks F8L, I don't really understand about tire stretching, but I just want to make sure I get the appropriate fit wheel without worry about returning them.

 

Bad tire stretch.

 

I run 205/55/16 tyres on my UK Prius. The OEM size here is 195/55/16 but 205/55/16 run fine with plenty of clearance.

There is a much greater choice of LRR tyres at 205/55/16 than 195's and they are cheaper by at leased 20%.

A friend of mine is now running 225/50/16's without problems but he has not run them long enough to have any MPG figures yet.

 

OHHhh wow, I hardly ever pay any attention to cars til I got Prius *1st car*, so thanks for this great insight on how wrong things can go on wheels if I didn't ask...

 

No worries. Your choices would look that bad but some tire models have less tread width than others and can look stretched if they are on a wheel that is borderline too wide. My 205/50/17 EP422 tire is stretched ever so slightly due to the small tread width. It still looks good but I wouldn't trust that tire size on a 7.5" wheel! The 205/50/17 PureContact I had looked perfect on the 7" wheel but could look a bit stretched on the 7.5". See where I'm going with this?

 

Make sure to get 225/45/17 for 7.5 wheels

 

One more question, I'm buying mine from the discount tire direct, and do I need to purchase this wheel installation kit and their TPMS rebuilt kit? Can I use my original nuts and bolts and original equipment for my OEM TPMS?