Will 14 inch steel wheels fit a new generation Prius? Will they clear the brakes? I have some new Michelin X-Ice size 185/70-14 tires on a 2001 Civic that I will be trading in towards a 2006 Prius. I want to know if I could purchase some 14 inch 5-100mm wheels and install these tires on the Prius. Thanks, Eric p.s. tirerack.com sells some wheels that have the right lug spacing, center bore, and offset, but they weren't sure if they would clear the front brake calipers.
If you change wheel sizes... then you will be using the wrong size for the life of the car. Why not just sell your Michelin's on Craig's list and get the proper size tires. It seems like a simpler solution. /Jim
I think flynz4 has the right idea in not going to the smaller wheel. In order to keep the same overall tire diameter, the tire sidewall would have to be taller. This would decrease the handling responsiveness in a car that is already not too nimble. You might see improved mpg if the overall wheel weight was reduced but not sure if that is a safe trade-off.
no per the owners manual on the o6 plus they dont recomend preasure other than 35 front 33 rear.also tire sensor is on the inside of the rim
Although it's not recommended, you theoretically could "minus size" (which is sometimes considered a good thing for winter tires).. The things you have to watch for are: 1) overall tire diameter- the 14" tires have to be high enough profile so that the overall diameter matches within a few percent of the OEM size so that speedometer, etc work properly. 2) Load rating of the tire- the 14" tires are typically of lower load rating, so you'll need to ensure that they can carry the weight of the Prius and you may also need to increase the pressure to compensate for the extra weight of the Prius. As for factory pressure specifications, they really only apply to the OEM tire; if you change tires, you will have to re-evaluate pressure based on the load rating of the new tires and your desired level of ride comfort. I've used this example many times before: the OEM Integrities are rated to carry 1168 lb at 35 psi, but if you change for example to the popular Hydroedge tire, they are rated to carry 1168 lb at 44 psi, therefore, using the factory 35 psi in Hydroedge tires means that they are under-pressurized and you may be overloading the tires- you actually need to increase the pressure to 44 psi to maintain the same load rating.. If you insist on using 35 psi, you really need to go to an XL rated tire or a larger size with a greater load rating.. This means that in general, the factory spec should be treated as a *minimum* rather than a maximum.. With today's tire technology, most tires tend to do better with higher pressures anyways, and there's more than sufficient safety margin designed in that you could exceed the sidewall rating by a significant margin without any danger at all..
I really am just asking if a 14 inch rim will fit over the brakes. To reasure everone: Goodyear Integrity, 185/65-15, max load 1168 lbs, 855 revs per mile, 24.4" diameter Michelin X-Ice, 185/70-14, max load 1235 lbs, 858 revs per mile, 24.3" diameter Thank you, c4, for aknowledging that minus sizing can be appropriate for snow tires. The tirerack notes this as well at http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=126. A google search on minus size snow tires will bring up many such views. Has anyone personally tried to install 14" wheels on a new Prius?
2k4 Prius weights curb weight 2890 Lbs gross weight 3795 Lbs 1235x4=4940 Lbs wide marigin. What does the 14" wheel fit? if you could find someone with that car ask to try and see.
I believe that a 14" wheel will not fit on a Prius (for minus sizing snow tires). The distance between the front brake calipers and the stock 15" wheels measured less than half an inch. Assuming the inner diameter of steel 14" wheels is nearly an inch less than the inner diameter of the stock rims, the smaller 14" rims will not clear the front brake calipers.
Town Fair tire in new England sells 14 in wheels w/ 185 70/14 winter tires for the 2010 prius My 15 inch wheels from my 2009 Prius fit well on the 2010 prius - currently in use
They will fit the back but I believe your correct in assuming the wheels will not clear the brake system on the front. Hal
Does anyone have an answer for the original question on this thread: Will 14" wheels fit on a Gen II Prius? I'm in precisely the same situation as the OP. I have a set of 185/70-14 snow tires from my old Honda and I'd like to put them on my '07 Prius. I'm not just being cheap here. For winter driving I'd prefer a tire with a taller sidewall then stock. Thanks.
Agree, must be someone out there who has tried bolting up 5x100 14" steelies? Would like to run 185/75 14" snows on a genII if they won't rub. Please no need to rehash the lug-centric vs. hub-centric spacer ring debate in this thread.
Sorry to post on an old thread, but 14" wheels do not fit on the 2nd Gen (04-09) prius. I just tested this and they rub the calipers in the front. Hopefully this info helps someone!
