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Tire size comparison questions, can someone help?

8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
edited March 2014 in Mazda
What do you need help with?
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  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Ok, I need to replace my OME 195/55/15 Bridgestones. The problem, all season-high performance tire choices in this size are very limited. Local tire stores, national chains, whole sale clubs and/or "mom & pop" tire stores carry one/none brand tire in this size or need to special order in a specific 195/55/15 tire. I can order, I wider selection at Tire Rack, on-line. Nonetheless, their selection of 195/55/15 all season-high performance tires is also limited. However, in the 205/50/15 or 205/55/15 sizes things open up. Many more tires to choose from! The regulars at the Mazda Protege topic have both switched to one of those tire sizes, with no problem.

    Here is where I get a little confused. The 195/55/15's revolve at 886 revs per mile. The 205/50/15's revolve at 899 rev per mile. 205/55/15's revolve at 870 rev per mile. How does this change in revolutions effect odometer readings.

    -Larry
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    205/50 r15: the speedometer & odometer will be approximately 1.6% faster than OEM

    205/55 r15: approximately 1.8% slower.

    both should be fine.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    Check out the Dunlop D60 and its recent relative, if you want good performance with mileage. If mileage isn't as big a deal, the Yokohama AVS or Pirelli P7000 is great.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    From my personal experience, Dunlops are good, but not the D60 A2. I've heard the SP5000 are excellent tires.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Have you considered 215/50 R15s? If you look at the TireRack site, you will see that the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Asymmetrical tires in that size have a "Revs Per Mile" of 885, virtually identical to your OEM tires.

    Best Regards,

    Shipo
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Dale, I checked Tire Rack. Your right the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Asymmetrical tires seem a perfect choice. How do I find out if the 215/50/50's size tire will fit on my 2000 Mazda Protege ES OME alloy wheels? I can't find the Rim Width Range for the the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Asymmetrical tires.

    _Larry
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    "205/50 r15: the speedometer & odometer will be approximately 1.6% faster than OEM"
    by 8u6hfd

    Tan, thanks for the feed back. A question, does the (205/50 r15: 1.6% faster speedometer) equate to the odometer showing more mileage than I actually drove? Conversely, will the (205/55 r15: approximately 1.8% slower) equate to less mileage showing on my odometer?

    Respectfully,
    Larry Kline
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Jim, thank you for the fast response. I have read many of your excellent and informative posts in both, the Maintenance & Repair and Smart Shopper topics and I admire the frankness and thought you put into your posts. I will research the Dunlop D60, the Yokohama AVS or Pirelli P7000 tires. I'm a little concerned about obtaining warranty work on the Yoko's & Pirelli's, if I have a warranty failure with those tires.

    -Larry
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    have an article on how far off the typical speedometer is off? Seems like most Japanese speedometers show 1-2% faster than the actual speed anyway. This from memory and I didn't carefully read the article.
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    putting different sized tires on a modern car. (You did say you were only replacing one tire, right?

    If you have ABS, you could throw off the system a bit.

    I'd replace all four if you were going to a different size, or order up one or two of current size and have them installed.

    TireRack does have relationships with local installers. Or perhaps you can get the dealer to do it since they probably don't sell many tires. (If they have the equipment.)

    TB
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Tony, I own a pair of 2000 Mazda PRO-ES' s. BTW, no ABS. I have a little over 35,000 miles on the OME 195/55/15 Bridgestones. I will need to re-tire both my Protege's before they are due for their PA State Inspection in June. Yea,... all eight tires. Yikes, aprox. $750.00+ out of pocket. :-)))

    I'm either going with the 195/55TR/15 size Yokohama Avid T4 all-seasons, the 205/50TR/15 size Yokohama Avid T4 all-seasons, or 205/50HR/15 size Dunlop SP Sport A2 all-seasons tires.

    My original question pertained to, how would changing from 195/55/15 to either 205/50/15 or 205/55/15 effect the odometer and the speedometer readings?

    Tboner, I always enjoy your posts in the Smart Shopper Discussions.

    Respectfully,
    Larry

    -Larry
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    To answer your follow-up question, Yes it does also.

    The usual allowed threshold in variation is +/-3%
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    good point on the warranty situation. Using a mail order company is a great way to get the tires at a lower cost, then just get them mounted at a service place.

    The other idea is if you're a warehouse club member, they usually offer road hazard and lifetime rotations and balancing for a low cost.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Going from the 195 tires to the 205 tire won't make much difference in speedo/odo readings. It's just a tire that's 10mm wider by definition (I'll bet if you measure your OE 195 tire and the new 205 tire they won't be 10mm apart).

    The 50 series tire will have a little more effect on speedo/odo readings but not dramatic. Here's the thing: Your current speedo likely isn't correct anyway. Very few OE speedos are calibrated perfectly. Heck, I recall reading one of the car mags testing a police version of a Crown Vic whose speedo was imprinted with "CALIBRATED". Guess what? The mag found it to be off by a mph or two.

    Do you know where your speedo/odo is hooked to? Wheels? Transmission? Some place else? This discussion may be a totally moot point.
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    I had just worked about 16 hours, so I read OME as ONE.

    A change of a percent or two should not matter.

    And yes, Sams Club is hard to beat for the full package price. Plus they can order tires not in the store, if you have the lead time to do this.

    I had three tires repaired last summer, so I purchased my latest set of Michelins and Dunlops with lifetime balance and Road Hazard to guarantee I won't have another flat on those two cars. 8^)

    TB
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Do you know where your speedo/odo is hooked to? Wheels? Transmission? Some place else? This discussion may be a totally moot point.
    by bretfraz

    Good Point, Bret. Nice to here from ya!
    How is your Saab? Thanks again. :-)

    -Larry
  • alwaysfordsalwaysfords Member Posts: 210
    Regardless of what the speedo is hooked to it will be influenced by the tire size, because the trans and driveshafts all will rotate at a different rate.
  • dpwestlakedpwestlake Member Posts: 207
    This will tell you the actual diameters and speedo error for different size tires.

    Tire Size Calculator
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Thanks for the link. I've been looking for one for a while. Didn't Tirerack.com have one at one time?
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    SPEEDOMETER ERROR CALCULATOR


    http://www.paspeedo.com/calculator.htm

  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Another good one. Added both to my favourites. Thanks.
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