Switching wheels?

[seattlestiva]

Hey All - I still have the stock 12 inch alloys and Arizonans (Discount Tire?) on my '88. Need new tires.
I like the look of my alloys, but could live with 13 or 14 inch steel wheels because of better tire choice.
What, from a purely practical view, can I expect from a 13 or 14 inch wheel/tire different from the 12 inch? Better handling, softer ride, changed mpg's?
Thanks!

[Charlie1717]

Kind of up to you really! You can get better handling, softer ride, better mpg. Just depends on the dimensions of the tires. 12's will be lighter but 13 or 14's can get you better mpgs (typically interstate driving). They will usually be wider with better grip. I'd say go for it.

[seattlestiva]

Thanks Charlie.

[bravekozak]

You will need to perform the Rio or Aspire upgrade to handle the bigger wheels.

[Charlie1717]

You will need to perform the Rio or Aspire upgrade to handle the bigger wheels.

He doesn't really have to, the bigger breaks would help stopping but the 13's really wouldn't require an aspire swap. If you are going with 13's I wouldn't really worry about it. Unless you need to replace some suspension stuff/brake stuff and are decently mechanically inclined, then I wouldn't worry about the aspire swap or rio swap.

[Huli]

Re: Switching wheels?

I enjoy the peace of mind that comes with 14's. Knowing that if I need a tire in a hurry it will happen. I couldn't find a single 12 in stock at any tire store in the area. Including Super Wal-Mart.

Gas mileage for me stayed the same. Had to account for the speedo being off by 10% (between stock and 175/65-14)

[Bert]

Good quality 12 inch tires (if ever there were any in the first place) are non-existent now. Exiting from OEM Festy alloys is always a heart stopper/tear jerker but if you're serious about driving you'll go ahead and do it anyway. I too have a decent set of alloys on hand and it bugs me that aluminum (scrap value) isn't very much but that very likely is where those rims are ultimately destined. Brakes on Festys are notoriously meagre and under-engineered so if you're serious about wheels you'll start looking for dead Aspires and Rios in order to be able to join the modern world of rims and tires. The OEM Festy 12s are 21 inch in diameter and there isn't much out there that will match those dimensions once you get into the 13/14/15s, but they do exist and 100 mm bolt pattern rims are almost universal.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

12" tires are readily available here in the Seattle area from Discount Tire.

[TorqueEffect]

Yeah, my Discount tire also has the 12" Kumho tires. 155 80 R12s, checked their stock, and they had 7 at the closest one to me.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?r=OHDINT|pc|45324&frmcart=true&pc=33385&ar=80&rd=12&cs=155

[DriverOne]

Re: Switching wheels?

If you do switch to a 14" wheel, it's in your best interest to find a dual-pattern (4x100 & 4x114.3) wheel, so that if you do decide later to change your brakes, you're not out a set of wheels! Note that the Festiva lug bolts aren't long enough to be used with aftermarket wheels, so you'll need to purchase some studs in an M12x1.5mm @ 1.75" long, and nuts to match.

[moz]

Re: Switching wheels?

Hi guys.
As far as the stock 12" tires are concerned.
What was the largest profile of the tire the feisty came with? 70 or 80?

[Team Lightning]

I believe a 165-70-12 was standard on the aluminum wheels

[Safety Guy]

Stock Festivas came with 145/80-12s or 165/70-12s. Most folks will switch to the 8mm taller 155/80-12s since they're usually easier to find.

If you switch to 13s, either 155/80-13 or 175/70-13 will be easy to get and replace should you ever blow one on a long trip. Those are the smallest "common" tires available nowadays, and are about 19mm taller than stock. If your suspension is not too low they should work fine on any wheel with a positive offset of around 38 to 45mm. Rubbing on bumps is most likely in the rear.

Easy wheels for a stock Festiva are most years of Geo Metros in 13 X 4.5" or 13 X 5" size. As long as they're 4 X 114.3mm they will fit perfectly! Prowl the junkyards for whole sets, and if you get really lucky, you may find good tires already on them.

Karl

[moz]

Re: Switching wheels?

Great info Karl!!!
Would you happen to know which particular model had the 80 profile tires?
Or were the larger profiles a part of an optional wheel and tire package?