Tire sizes

I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a local
retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size for my
model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel consumption.

That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.

The car came with what is arguably the best all around tire for most people.
You can change tires to pretty much anything that will fit, but you do have
a few contraints to keep in mind.

The overall tire diameter is an important number, and you arrive at it by
multiplying the the first two numbers (195) and (70%, or .70) to get
136.5mm. This number is the size of the sidewall. Convert this number to
inches by dividing by 24.7, then double it (there are two sidewalls to
consider), then add in the rim diameter - 14 in your case.

195 is the number that defines the width of the tire.
70 is the aspect ratio, or the size of the sidewall as a ratio of the tread
width.
14 is the rim diameter.

All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15 or
16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size, and a
lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your current tires
are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall diameter, of 25.05 inches.
25 is close enough.

If you wanted wider tires and larger rims, you might consider 215/60x15.
Let's see if that works out. 215 x .6 (width x aspect ratio) = 129 / 24.7
(sidewall in mm converted to inches) = 5.22 x 2 = 10.44 + 15 (both sidewalls
+ rim) = 25.44 (overall diameter). This would be a physically larger tire by
just under a half inch, and would work OK on your car, assuming they are not
too wide to fit inside the fenders. I can't think of any reason why these
wouldn't fit, but the tire guys can help you figure out what will actually
fit.)

The considerations besides the physical limitations of stuffing tires inside
the fenders are that the tire diameter can affect the gear ratio of the
drive train and the speedometer. A change of a half inch isn't going to be a
big deal for either the drivetrain or the speedo, but the speedo will be a
tad slower (larger tires don't turn as fast, so 60 might really be 60 -
today it's closer to 57- or it could go to about 61 or 62), the trouble hear
is that you could do the speed limit on your speedo, but still get tagged
for a mile or two over the posted limit. Personally, I don't think the cops
car much about a mile or two because there are plenty of idiots that will
give them 10 or 15.

If you throw your gearing out of whack (trucks and Jeeps do this, you aren't
going to do it in your Camry) is that the engine doesn't work in the right
place anymore, the engine lugs on the freeway and slows down at the least
sign of an incline. The speedo is way out when this happens too. these guys
have to get new gears installed in the differential, and a gear to drive the
speedo, but they are taking a roughly 30 inch tire and replacing it with a
lift kit and 35 inch tires. Your Camry isn't going to tolerate this kind of
abuse, so all you have to worry about is that the speedo will go from
reading a fit fast (reads 60 when really doing 57) to reading correctly, or
a bit slow.

The wider tires will grip better, if you care about that sort of thing, but
the narrower sidewalls will ride stiffer. In my case, I changed my BMW rims
from a 15 to a 17, but already had the width that fit, so I got smaller
sidewalls. I already had the grip, and now I have the harsh ride too. All of
the behavior issues taken into account, my change was the right one, and I
think you will be pleasantly surprised if you go from the 195/70x14 to the
215/60x15, or maybe even a 215/50x16. Do the math and see if it fits.




"Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=blue]
>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a local
>retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size for
> my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel consumption.
>[/color]

"J Strickland" <spam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:eIadnebqAJ3QmWDfRVn-1g@ez2.net...[color=blue]
> That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.
>[/color]
<very thorough snipped>
[color=blue]
>
> All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15 or
> 16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size, and a
> lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your current
> tires are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall diameter, of 25.05
> inches. 25 is close enough.[/color]

IIRC, the 97 Camry was available with 14 inch and 15 inch wheels, depending
on trim and engine.

The easy answer to the OP's question regarding the ideal size for his model
and year is to look up the factory original wheel and tire size - that is
the ideal size for most people and is probably a good compromise between
performance and fuel consumption.

--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply
[color=blue]
>
>
>
> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=green]
>>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a local
>>retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
>> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size for
>> my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel consumption.
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

"J Strickland" <spam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:eIadnebqAJ3QmWDfRVn-1g@ez2.net...[color=blue]
> That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.
>
> The car came with what is arguably the best all around tire for most
> people. You can change tires to pretty much anything that will fit, but
> you do have a few contraints to keep in mind.
>
> The overall tire diameter is an important number, and you arrive at it by
> multiplying the the first two numbers (195) and (70%, or .70) to get
> 136.5mm. This number is the size of the sidewall. Convert this number to
> inches by dividing by 24.7, then double it (there are two sidewalls to
> consider), then add in the rim diameter - 14 in your case.
>
> 195 is the number that defines the width of the tire.
> 70 is the aspect ratio, or the size of the sidewall as a ratio of the
> tread width.
> 14 is the rim diameter.
>
> All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15 or
> 16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size, and a
> lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your current
> tires are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall diameter, of 25.05
> inches. 25 is close enough.
>
> If you wanted wider tires and larger rims, you might consider 215/60x15.
> Let's see if that works out. 215 x .6 (width x aspect ratio) = 129 / 24.7
> (sidewall in mm converted to inches) = 5.22 x 2 = 10.44 + 15 (both
> sidewalls + rim) = 25.44 (overall diameter). This would be a physically
> larger tire by just under a half inch, and would work OK on your car,
> assuming they are not too wide to fit inside the fenders. I can't think of
> any reason why these wouldn't fit, but the tire guys can help you figure
> out what will actually fit.)
>
> The considerations besides the physical limitations of stuffing tires
> inside the fenders are that the tire diameter can affect the gear ratio of
> the drive train and the speedometer. A change of a half inch isn't going
> to be a big deal for either the drivetrain or the speedo, but the speedo
> will be a tad slower (larger tires don't turn as fast, so 60 might really
> be 60 - today it's closer to 57- or it could go to about 61 or 62), the
> trouble hear is that you could do the speed limit on your speedo, but
> still get tagged for a mile or two over the posted limit. Personally, I
> don't think the cops car much about a mile or two because there are plenty
> of idiots that will give them 10 or 15.
>
> If you throw your gearing out of whack (trucks and Jeeps do this, you
> aren't going to do it in your Camry) is that the engine doesn't work in
> the right place anymore, the engine lugs on the freeway and slows down at
> the least sign of an incline. The speedo is way out when this happens too.
> these guys have to get new gears installed in the differential, and a gear
> to drive the speedo, but they are taking a roughly 30 inch tire and
> replacing it with a lift kit and 35 inch tires. Your Camry isn't going to
> tolerate this kind of abuse, so all you have to worry about is that the
> speedo will go from reading a fit fast (reads 60 when really doing 57) to
> reading correctly, or a bit slow.
>
> The wider tires will grip better, if you care about that sort of thing,
> but the narrower sidewalls will ride stiffer. In my case, I changed my BMW
> rims from a 15 to a 17, but already had the width that fit, so I got
> smaller sidewalls. I already had the grip, and now I have the harsh ride
> too. All of the behavior issues taken into account, my change was the
> right one, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you go from the
> 195/70x14 to the 215/60x15, or maybe even a 215/50x16. Do the math and see
> if it fits.
>
>
>
>
> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=green]
>>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a local
>>retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
>> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size for
>> my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel consumption.
>>[/color][/color]

the conversion to inches is 25.4 mm per inch, not 24.7

>IIRC, the 97 Camry was available with 14 inch and 15 inch wheels, depending[color=blue]
>on trim and engine.[/color]

Same goes for the '93's.

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:39:35 +0000, Bassplayer12 wrote:
[color=blue]
> I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a local
> retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size for my
> model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel consumption.[/color]

Compare tire sizes here:

[url]http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html[/url]

or here:

[url]http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp[/url]

or here:

[url]http://www.dakota-truck.net/TIRECALC/tirecalc.html[/url]


Bear in mind, changing tire sizes is a bit tricky; you throw the geometry
off in the steering and suspension. Your best bet is to come up with a
wheel/tire combination that gives you the same overall diameter as what
you have.

Using the Miata.net link above, there is a picture of the tires as you
enter the numbers. For a larger rim, you want a smaller sidewall. This
does a number of things:

It keeps the speedometer accurate, or at least as accurate as possible

it sort of keeps the geometry close to what the engineers had in mind.

it may (usually) increase handling, but may also make the car handle like
a nightmare!

I don't quite get the question you're posing. If I'm guessing right, you
DON'T want to try using your 14" tires on a car designed for 17"!!! You
COULD possibly got to a 15", or better, 16" rim for winter tires, but you
certainly don't want to try 14" tires on the newer car!

[url]http://www.dakota-truck.net/TIRECALC/tirecalc.html[/url]

Thanks for your very elaborate reply.
I'll rephrase my question: what tire size most owners 92-96 Camry's use and
why?
What difference did you guys found in the different sizes?
I bought this 93 used and it had 195-70-14 installed. Is it the best size
recommended by the factory?
Thanks.


"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
news:abe32$42fd14b2$44a4a10d$30089@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "J Strickland" <spam@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:eIadnebqAJ3QmWDfRVn-1g@ez2.net...[color=green]
>> That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.
>>[/color]
> <very thorough snipped>
>[color=green]
>>
>> All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15
>> or 16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size,
>> and a lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your
>> current tires are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall diameter,
>> of 25.05 inches. 25 is close enough.[/color]
>
> IIRC, the 97 Camry was available with 14 inch and 15 inch wheels,
> depending on trim and engine.
>
> The easy answer to the OP's question regarding the ideal size for his
> model and year is to look up the factory original wheel and tire size -
> that is the ideal size for most people and is probably a good compromise
> between performance and fuel consumption.
>
> --
> Ray O
> correct the return address punctuation to reply
>[color=green]
>>
>>
>>
>> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>> news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=darkred]
>>>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a
>>>local retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
>>> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size
>>> for my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel
>>> consumption.
>>>[/color]
>>
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

"Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
news:T2qLe.74242$Ph4.2318096@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=blue]
> Thanks for your very elaborate reply.
> I'll rephrase my question: what tire size most owners 92-96 Camry's use
> and why?[/color]

The tire size installed as original equipment tire size is the one
recommended by the factory. In other words, they wouldn't recommend one
size and install another.

A 1993 4 cylinder Camry came with 195/70-14.

1993 Camry Coupe and 6 cylinder Camrys came with 205/65-15.

Most owners use these sizes because they fit the factory wheels without
having to purchase new wheels.
[color=blue]
> What difference did you guys found in the different sizes?[/color]

People install different tire sizes because of appearance and for improved
handling. If you like the conestoga wagon look, go to a bigger diameter
wheel and lower profile tire. Ride comfort and tire life will suffer
greatly. In theory, handling will improve but most people do not have the
driving experience to take advantage of the marginal improvement in
handling, especially on streets (not on a track).

You can go to [url]www.tirerack.com[/url] to do more research.

--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply
[color=blue]
> I bought this 93 used and it had 195-70-14 installed. Is it the best size
> recommended by the factory?
> Thanks.
>
>
> "Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
> news:abe32$42fd14b2$44a4a10d$30089@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>
>> "J Strickland" <spam@nospam.net> wrote in message
>> news:eIadnebqAJ3QmWDfRVn-1g@ez2.net...[color=darkred]
>>> That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.
>>>[/color]
>> <very thorough snipped>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15
>>> or 16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size,
>>> and a lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your
>>> current tires are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall
>>> diameter, of 25.05 inches. 25 is close enough.[/color]
>>
>> IIRC, the 97 Camry was available with 14 inch and 15 inch wheels,
>> depending on trim and engine.
>>
>> The easy answer to the OP's question regarding the ideal size for his
>> model and year is to look up the factory original wheel and tire size -
>> that is the ideal size for most people and is probably a good compromise
>> between performance and fuel consumption.
>>
>> --
>> Ray O
>> correct the return address punctuation to reply
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>> news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
>>>>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a
>>>>local retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
>>>> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size
>>>> for my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel
>>>> consumption.
>>>>
>>>
>>>[/color]
>>
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

> I would quote what I found, but I don't know your exact model.

93 Camry 4 cyl. I checked. Indeed it's 195-70-14.
What I want to know is what effet other sizes have on handling and fuel
consumption for those who use different sizes.
Thanks

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 11:44:12 +0000, Bassplayer12 wrote:
[color=blue][color=green]
>> I would quote what I found, but I don't know your exact model.[/color]
>
> 93 Camry 4 cyl. I checked. Indeed it's 195-70-14.
> What I want to know is what effet other sizes have on handling and fuel
> consumption for those who use different sizes.
> Thanks[/color]

Hey, BP, didn't follow my links? The one from 1010 tires has a
'discussion' on tire sizes.

General rule, the bigger the foot print the better the handling. But, as
with all general rules there are caveats.

You want a high treadwear tire for fuel economy. This means they use a
harder compound. This means more noise and a harsher ride.

Bigger footprint. You have 195/70-14. You COULD possibly go to a 205/60-14
if you can find them. 14 inchers are drying up. You also have to look at
rim size. I have 14" rims on the 'hachiroku' and found a set of 195/45-15.
They look like riding mower tires. Low, stiff sidewall. BUT i have 5.5"
rims, and need 6-7" for these tires. Dunlop themselves said "Don't do it..."
But, the Celica has 7" rims that bolt right on ;)

But, as usual, I digress. Do you want to do a tire and rim package? You
should be able to go 15" or 16" OK on this car; again, see my other post
about suspension geometry, with the links. You REALLY want to try to keep
the same overall diameter. So, if you go with a 15" wider tire, you need a
lower sidewall, and if you go with a 16" you need a REALLY lower sidewall.

The kids you see with the Dubs (20") on a Honda Civic are really throwing
things off, and couls lead to tire wear problems (and those tires aren't
CHEAP!), bearing problems, worn suspension pieces, etc. if you want to try
something like this, you can't just bolt on a wheel that fite; you need to
replace the springs, struts and in some cases add an aftger market control
arm or two.

Use the 'tools' I posted (the tire size comparison links) to try to come
up with a tire/wheel combination that gets close to where you want to be.
I would guess, off the top of my head, the most you want to go is 10-15mm
wider (perhaps 20-25mm if they clear the suspension/body) and a lower
profile. Not too low. Going from a 70 to a 60 (195/70 tp 205/60) lowers
the sidewall, but not so much that it will make a big difference in ride
quality, but will make a noticable difference in handling. You might also
get away with a 55 if you can still find them, or maybe a 50, but at a 50
you WILL notice a harsher ride from your 70's. It's not that bad, and it's
not bone jarring.

Good luck. Let's know what happens!

"Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
news:g8GLe.74486$Ph4.2328093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=blue][color=green]
>> I would quote what I found, but I don't know your exact model.[/color]
>
> 93 Camry 4 cyl. I checked. Indeed it's 195-70-14.
> What I want to know is what effet other sizes have on handling and fuel
> consumption for those who use different sizes.
> Thanks[/color]
Several people have posted detailed responses to your question with links to
more information and yet you still keep asking the same question so I'll
give a shot at a simple one.

I take it that you are a fairly new driver and for new drivers, my
professional advice is to stick to the factory standard size because it is
the best balance between handling, ride comfort, and fuel economy.

Tire sizes have 3 numbers. The first one is the width of the tread. The
higher the number, the wider the tread. The wider the tread, the better the
traction is on dry pavement but worse in wet or snowy conditions.

The second number is the aspect ratio. The lower the number, the narrower
the sidewall. A narrow sidewall gets better cornering ability but with
poorer ride comfort. Also, low-aspect tires are more prone to blowouts when
hitting potholes.

The 3rd number is the wheel diameter. Use a bigger diameter wheel to take
up the space when using narrower sidewall. Bigger wheels cost more money.

Fuel economy is affected by the overall diameter of the tire. A bigger
diameter tire gets better fuel economy but at the cost of affecting
transmission and speedometer accuracy.

Bottom line - you should stick to the factory standard sizes.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

The size recommended by the factory is (or should be) on a placard on the
driver door jamb, or inside the glove box.




"Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
news:T2qLe.74242$Ph4.2318096@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=blue]
> Thanks for your very elaborate reply.
> I'll rephrase my question: what tire size most owners 92-96 Camry's use
> and why?
> What difference did you guys found in the different sizes?
> I bought this 93 used and it had 195-70-14 installed. Is it the best size
> recommended by the factory?
> Thanks.
>
>
> "Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
> news:abe32$42fd14b2$44a4a10d$30089@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>
>> "J Strickland" <spam@nospam.net> wrote in message
>> news:eIadnebqAJ3QmWDfRVn-1g@ez2.net...[color=darkred]
>>> That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.
>>>[/color]
>> <very thorough snipped>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15
>>> or 16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size,
>>> and a lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your
>>> current tires are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall
>>> diameter, of 25.05 inches. 25 is close enough.[/color]
>>
>> IIRC, the 97 Camry was available with 14 inch and 15 inch wheels,
>> depending on trim and engine.
>>
>> The easy answer to the OP's question regarding the ideal size for his
>> model and year is to look up the factory original wheel and tire size -
>> that is the ideal size for most people and is probably a good compromise
>> between performance and fuel consumption.
>>
>> --
>> Ray O
>> correct the return address punctuation to reply
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>> news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
>>>>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a
>>>>local retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
>>>> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size
>>>> for my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel
>>>> consumption.
>>>>
>>>
>>>[/color]
>>
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
news:47be9$42fe3191$180fead6$15762@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
>
> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> news:T2qLe.74242$Ph4.2318096@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=green]
>> Thanks for your very elaborate reply.
>> I'll rephrase my question: what tire size most owners 92-96 Camry's use
>> and why?[/color]
>
> The tire size installed as original equipment tire size is the one
> recommended by the factory. In other words, they wouldn't recommend one
> size and install another.
>
> A 1993 4 cylinder Camry came with 195/70-14.
>
> 1993 Camry Coupe and 6 cylinder Camrys came with 205/65-15.
>
> Most owners use these sizes because they fit the factory wheels without
> having to purchase new wheels.
>[color=green]
>> What difference did you guys found in the different sizes?[/color]
>
> People install different tire sizes because of appearance and for improved
> handling. If you like the conestoga wagon look, go to a bigger diameter
> wheel and lower profile tire. Ride comfort and tire life will suffer
> greatly. In theory, handling will improve but most people do not have the
> driving experience to take advantage of the marginal improvement in
> handling, especially on streets (not on a track).
>[/color]



I'm not sure I would characterize the affect of larger rims as "suffer
greatly". I took my BMW from the standard 15" rim to a 17" rim, and the tire
cost went down while the ride comfort remained about the same. It is a bit
stiffer, but I would not say it suffered greatly. Tire life is about the
same, so far.

"Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
news:g8GLe.74486$Ph4.2328093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=blue][color=green]
>> I would quote what I found, but I don't know your exact model.[/color]
>
> 93 Camry 4 cyl. I checked. Indeed it's 195-70-14.
> What I want to know is what effet other sizes have on handling and fuel
> consumption for those who use different sizes.
> Thanks
>[/color]

If you do the math, you will find that you can go from the 195/70x14 to
about a 215/50x17 and stay at the same overall diameter. This will have no
effect on mileage, other than the possibility that the higher rolling
resistance may play a role, and the handling should improve noticably. The
cost will be a slightly harsher ride because the tires will not absorb many
of the shocks that the current tires soak up. Personally, I find this to be
a desirable trait, but some people don't enjoy actually feeling the road. Go
back to tirerack.com, or visit tires.com, and find the Tire Size Calculator
that will compare the tires you have, and give suggested Plus sizes.

"mrcheerful ." <nbkm57@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4l9Le.87825$G8.28628@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...[color=blue]
>
> "J Strickland" <spam@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:eIadnebqAJ3QmWDfRVn-1g@ez2.net...[color=green]
>> That's a rather open ended question with no right answer.
>>
>> The car came with what is arguably the best all around tire for most
>> people. You can change tires to pretty much anything that will fit, but
>> you do have a few contraints to keep in mind.
>>
>> The overall tire diameter is an important number, and you arrive at it by
>> multiplying the the first two numbers (195) and (70%, or .70) to get
>> 136.5mm. This number is the size of the sidewall. Convert this number to
>> inches by dividing by 24.7, then double it (there are two sidewalls to
>> consider), then add in the rim diameter - 14 in your case.
>>
>> 195 is the number that defines the width of the tire.
>> 70 is the aspect ratio, or the size of the sidewall as a ratio of the
>> tread width.
>> 14 is the rim diameter.
>>
>> All tires you buy have to be 14 so they can fit the rim. You can buy 15
>> or 16 rims, but then you need to buy tires with a 15 or 16 in the size,
>> and a lower number to represent the aspect ratio. For example, your
>> current tires are an overall diameter, sidewall + rim = overall diameter,
>> of 25.05 inches. 25 is close enough.
>>
>> If you wanted wider tires and larger rims, you might consider 215/60x15.
>> Let's see if that works out. 215 x .6 (width x aspect ratio) = 129 / 24.7
>> (sidewall in mm converted to inches) = 5.22 x 2 = 10.44 + 15 (both
>> sidewalls + rim) = 25.44 (overall diameter). This would be a physically
>> larger tire by just under a half inch, and would work OK on your car,
>> assuming they are not too wide to fit inside the fenders. I can't think
>> of any reason why these wouldn't fit, but the tire guys can help you
>> figure out what will actually fit.)
>>
>> The considerations besides the physical limitations of stuffing tires
>> inside the fenders are that the tire diameter can affect the gear ratio
>> of the drive train and the speedometer. A change of a half inch isn't
>> going to be a big deal for either the drivetrain or the speedo, but the
>> speedo will be a tad slower (larger tires don't turn as fast, so 60 might
>> really be 60 - today it's closer to 57- or it could go to about 61 or
>> 62), the trouble hear is that you could do the speed limit on your
>> speedo, but still get tagged for a mile or two over the posted limit.
>> Personally, I don't think the cops car much about a mile or two because
>> there are plenty of idiots that will give them 10 or 15.
>>
>> If you throw your gearing out of whack (trucks and Jeeps do this, you
>> aren't going to do it in your Camry) is that the engine doesn't work in
>> the right place anymore, the engine lugs on the freeway and slows down at
>> the least sign of an incline. The speedo is way out when this happens
>> too. these guys have to get new gears installed in the differential, and
>> a gear to drive the speedo, but they are taking a roughly 30 inch tire
>> and replacing it with a lift kit and 35 inch tires. Your Camry isn't
>> going to tolerate this kind of abuse, so all you have to worry about is
>> that the speedo will go from reading a fit fast (reads 60 when really
>> doing 57) to reading correctly, or a bit slow.
>>
>> The wider tires will grip better, if you care about that sort of thing,
>> but the narrower sidewalls will ride stiffer. In my case, I changed my
>> BMW rims from a 15 to a 17, but already had the width that fit, so I got
>> smaller sidewalls. I already had the grip, and now I have the harsh ride
>> too. All of the behavior issues taken into account, my change was the
>> right one, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you go from
>> the 195/70x14 to the 215/60x15, or maybe even a 215/50x16. Do the math
>> and see if it fits.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Bassplayer12" <perettij@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>> news:XV6Le.73893$Ph4.2305133@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...[color=darkred]
>>>I have a 93 Toyota Camry and was looking today at a 97 for sale at a
>>>local retailer. The 97 had a different tire size than mine.
>>> I presently use 195-70-14 and was wondering if this is the ideal size
>>> for my model year and what effect the size you use affect fuel
>>> consumption.
>>>[/color][/color]
>
> the conversion to inches is 25.4 mm per inch, not 24.7
>[/color]


Thanks. I thought there was something wrong with the conversion factor. In
any case, if the same mistake is used throughout, the results still work.

I'll adjust my discussion in the future so I don't perpetuate the error.
Funny, I have been making this error for quite some time, and nobody has
caught it before.