[hokie_sti]

We're going to need a new set of tires for the Corolla. The current tires are fairly worn and I have a feeling the wheels are slightly bent because there's vibrations above 60 mph (even after having them balanced).

So I'm thinking this would be a good time to get a fresh set of wheels AND tires.

What are the specs for the stock wheels? 14x6? ET? Weight?

I'll probably go with a 15x6.5" ET 38 wheel and put some 195/50/15 falken ziex 912s. Does this sound reasonable? I read that some people here recommend 195/55/15s, but the rolling diameter of 195/50/15 happens to be closer to the rolling diameter of the stock 175/65/14s.

A few new wheel/tire packages from Discount Tire Direct go for $500-$550 shipped and include hub centric rings and new lug nuts. I shopped around for used stuff locally, but I didn't come across anything worth buying.

Any input is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Buurin]

The stock steelie is 14x5.5, ~+45 and ~15lbs.
My favorite is Kosei K1 TS, 14x6, +38, 9.3lbs (!). Tire Rack carries them.
Next is what I have, Konig Helium, 15x6.5", +40, ~10.6lbs.
It won't be easy to find aftermarket wheels at 15x6" or narrower. At 16" you're looking at 16x7" which I am not going to touch.

For a 15" go 195/55/15. It's a match to the LE size of 185/65/14 and I don't think the speedo is any different between CE and LE.

I have Ziex 912 at 195/55/15 on Helium... well it's fine, I can corner at 50km/h, it survives snowy winter, on long stretches of highway I can break 6.0L/100km... does what a good tire should do.

 

[PhatRoyale]

The Falken ZE912's are all season tires.

Better tires can be had for similar money in the high performance summer tire segment if you have dedicated winter tires already.

 

[hokie_sti]

Thanks for the replies. I should've said in my original post these are for year round driving (hence the all season tire choice). I don't need the lightest wheel out there, but I also didn't want to go significantly more weight than stock.

Buurin, I like the K1s, but just need something cheap for the corolla in this case. I may even go with a set of 14x5.5 wheels if that's the stock size. The only reason I'm replacing the wheels is because I suspect they are bent or no longer round.

I haven't purchased a set of all season tires in a long time. I read the reviews on TireRack for the 912s and they seem OK.

I've been through plenty of sets of wheels/tires on my STI so I'm no stranger to dedicated performance tires and dedicated winter setups. Currently running 5Zigen FN10R-Cs 17x9 w/ 245/45/17 Bridgestone RE01Rs as my autocross/track setup on that car.

 

[hokie_sti]

After some more research I'm probably going to order the following package from TireRack:

- 14x6 ET38 Sport Edition D5s (13.2 lbs)
- 185/65/14 Yokohama AVID Touring S tires

The tires got great reviews (for an all season touring tire) and will serve their purpose on the corolla.

 

[morkys]

I like my SE D5's with General Evertrek HP's. 195/60R 14. General Evertrek HP is a strange Canadian Tire only tire but is similar to the Altimax HP.

Since you're in the US, take a look at the General Altimax HP tires in 195/60R 14. nice wide tire and in between the height of the 175/R65 and 185/65R. Also not too heavy, has good overall reviews and ratings and is good in wet. I have snow tires, so I don't know what these are like in snow.

 

[hokie_sti]

Well, the steelies are straight (confirmed by a tire shop) so I just ended up ordering some Dunlop SP60s to fit. They should be installed next week. The shop will check the alignment after installation.

 

[PhatRoyale]

Good to hear. :thumbup:

 

[hokie_sti]

The new tires are on!

The alignment was out a bit, so I had that done as well. The thumping appears to be gone so I'm very happy about that. I was wrong about the wheel bearing.

I bought the 175/65/14 Dunlop SP60s online through justtires.com and had the Just Tires shop down the street do the work. There was a $25 coupon online for buying 4 tires, $40 coupon in the store for buying dunlops, and $10 coupon online for the alignment. Buying them online vs in the store saved another ~$60. So in total I ended up saving about $135!

The price of the tires themselves was comparable to Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct prices (which I found surprising). Usually the markup at these local chains (Merchants, NTB, Just Tires, etc) is extremely high. For a budget all season tire they got excellent reviews.

If anyone cares I'll post a review of the tires after getting some substantial mileage on them.