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Old 09-12-2011, 11:10 AM   #5
Bill
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Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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Perhaps I am confusing myself, but ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1gopokes1 View Post
Can I go to 215 tires on 14" wheels?
The answer ought to be a simple yes. A 205, 215, or 225 tire will fit fine, as long as it is a 14-inch tire.

And
Quote:
Or how wide a 15" wheel do I need for an up grade.
The word "wide" and the word "15 inch" do not go together. As Bobby told me once, somewhat to my embarrassment, the measurements "14-inch" and "15-inch" refer to the diameter of the hole in the middle of the tire, and thus to the diameter of the steel wheel that the tire will be mounted on. These two must match, of course, so a 14-inch tire will fit on a 14-inch wheel, and a 15-inch tire will fit on a 15-inch wheel.

You can't put any 14-inch tire on a 15-inch wheel, or vice-versa.

"Width" is not directly related to either of these diameters. When discussing the wheel, "width" refers to the width of the steel wheel at the rim, and thus to the dimension across the tire bead. The tires that we use as TM'ers tend to be 6 inches wide, and so they will fit 6-inch wheels. (Since tires are flexible, some of them will fit 7-inch wheels - but don't do it.) In other words, a 14-inch wheel spec'ed to accept a 6-inch wide tire is called 14X6, and a 15-inch wheel spec'ed to accept a 6-inch wide tire is called a 15X6 wheel.

The wheel width is not part of the tire's numerical description. Most of our tires are 6-inch width, so most anything you buy will be fine. But if you are upgrading, be sure to buy 15x6 wheels, not 15x7.

That is probably not what you meant ... And to make it more confusing, there is a width spec for the tire, related to the 205-215-225 number, which is something else entirely. Bobby, what have I messed up? Go to it ...!

Bill
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