205/65R15 on 6.5J rims, W124

[Habil]

Is anyone running the above tyres on 8 hole alloys, and what do they look like, too wide? Are the any improvements on handling compared to 195/65R15.
According to alloy wheels direct they are Mercedes fitment.

Ta Habil

 

[markjay]

The tyre you need is 205/55xR16.

From Tire Size Calculator:

 

[markjay]

0.4% difference in diameter and circumference is as close as you can get to your current tyre size.

And you're in luck because 205/55xR16 is a very common tyre size and there's a lot of choice (plus the tyres in this size are cheap).

As for the rims, they will ideally be 6.5J or 7J. Below is from Tyre equivalence: Car tyre tips - Pneus Online :

What you will also need to consider is the correct wheel ET for your car to ensure that the tyre don't run on the inside of the wheel arch or against the front strut etc.

 

[markjay]

Wider and lower-profile tyres will provide better cornering (I.e. the car could take more lateral G before losing grip), and it will also aid acceleration from standstill as the rear tyres will not spin as quickly. Plus the car will look better.

The downsides are poorer mpg, slightly harsher (more 'sporty') ride, some 'tramlining' when cruising at motorway speeds, and poorer resistance to aquaplanning.

In normal use, what you will feel from the above is probably only the slightly poorer mpg and slightly harsher ride, but you will have a much better-looking car!

 

[Habil]

I'm not looking to change my rims, sorry if I didn't explain, there currently R15 6.5J. I'm wondering about just running slightly wider tyres.

With less rev/ mile will the car be going faster than the speedometer reading

And why does changing the width change the circumference.

Sorry this is all new to me.

 

[markjay]

In this case you are looking at 205/60xR15:

1.2% out isn't great but it's OK.

The height of the sidewall is only given as percentage of the width, e.g. on a 165/65 tyre the sidewall will be 55% of 165mm. So increasing the width of the tyre without a reduction is profile (e.g. from 65% to 60%) will result in a taller tyre which will change the characteristics of the car (and the speedometer reading etc).

 

[markjay]

In this case the tyre will be 1.2mm 'smaller', meaning the car will accelerate better, at the expense of poorer mpg and lower top speed.

 

[Habil]

Thanks for the explanations, I'm going to check with my ITV (Spanish mot) as to what's legally permissible.

 

[markjay]

Thanks for the explanations, I'm going to check with my ITV (Spanish mot) as to what's legally permissible.

In the UK, you will also need to notify your insurer, and your premium might increase. No idea what are the requirements in Spain though.

 

[optimusprime]

205x60x15 on my wheels .