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I'll be ordering tires soon and am wondering if anyone is running 205/55-16's. If so, do they rub with stock suspension? Tire Rack said they may rub.
And yes, I'm aware that these will alter the speedometer reading, hurt acceleration slightly, and cause slightly less-sharp steering response compared to the stock size or 205/50's.
As long as they're within 3% of the original factory diameter size then it won't throw off the speedometer too much. There's a lot of people who have gone with 205/55 as the 185/55/16 is somewhat limited in selection.
Here's a bunch of other threads on the subject, can see what others have been saying.
Actually one of those was an old post of mine and I had read the others. Basically all of them are just questioning/speculation until someone actually tries 'em. I was checking back to see if anyone is/has actually tried that size on the Fit. I have to decide if I'm willing to be the guinea pig (with a $300+ purchase) or not.
Yeah you're right I forgot the 205/55/16 was 3.46% diameter difference from stock. Probably best to see if anyone with first-hand experience chimes in.
I do not a own GE nor I do know if a 205/55R16 will clear due to its height. However, I do know that the tire's width is will clear since a 205/50R16 is recommended for the optional 16x6.5 ET +55 Mugen wheel. This is because the inside of the Mugen wheel and tire combo would be sunk in more (closer to the suspension/center of the car) due to the higher offset.
Now, back to the question of the tire's height clearing. Since a 205/55R16 (~24.9 inches in diameter) is on average .9 inches in diameter larger than the 185/55R16 (~24.0 inches in diameter). I recommend that you go out and measure to see what kind of clearances your GE has both empty and heavily loaded.
The rear, I don't think will be a problem since the GE sport wheel (I assume that's what you'll be using) has such a high offset that it won't be near the rear bumper to rub; on the other hand, there may not be enough room in the wheel well for the tire to travel with the suspension and it could possibly hit the rear tubs. The front, if its anything like the GD, you shouldn't have to worry about the outside of the tire rubbing due to the offset; but, you may have to tuck the front fender liners to help clear for bumps and/or turning.
Another thing you could consider is running a 195/55R16 (~24.4" in diameter). Yes, its a little shorter than the 205/55R16 but you will still gain some height. Hope some of this helps.
I can confirm today that 205/55-16 tyres work well. In fact very well indeed with minimal downsides.
- Absolutely no rubs anywhere. Nothing, nada, zilch.
- About 10mm clearance at the tightest point (just before full lock). See photo below
- Ride much smoother and stable than stock 185/55R16
- The wider track gives stability, and the taller profile provide cushioning for smooth ride over bumps
- Looks great, fills the wheel well nicely and not overdone
- 1" larger diameter provides 1/2" additional lift for supermarket parking and gravel roads
- More fuel efficient for freeway cruising. Indicated 6.6 L/100km and only filled 5.8L!
- Corrects (!) speedometer perfectly. Indicated 100kph is now 100kph on GPS, not some 96 or 97 error
Of course there is a trade-off, and it is acceleration on those freeways ramps. It's not so bad but I don't think I would do it with 1.3L engine
One tire was lost in shipping, so unfortunately I only have three of the Achilles ATR sport tires in 205/55R16's. I got two of them mounted on the front. I already like how they feel, and I even have a little poke. I'm still on OEM everything so I think the ride will improve once I have the last two tires on. I like how it fills in the wheel wells and the front end feels sturdier and planted, makes me want to get coilovers now :P A closer photo.
Only able to install fronts due to shipping error. I already like how it feels.
I finally got all four tires on last week. I love how it looks, and there is more cornering force. However, 16x6 is too narrow for 205/55/R16. It feels balloony, and there is more body roll in high corners; I felt like I would flip when I took a 90° at 35-40 mph.
I feel like you need at least 16x6.5 for a solid feeling. I'm personally going 16x7 as soon as I can buy some wider wheels. The Achilles ATR 2's feel awesome tho, and I recommend them.
**Update: I can confirm that the "balloony" feeling is the stock suspension reacting to more cornering force (from the tires). I do still recommend this sizing, but for aesthetic reasons I might have gone for a 40-50 profile instead of 55. The 55 profile is really good for driving on battle scarred Michigan roads though. If you go this route, I'd suggest looking into stiffer suspension, rear sway bar, and wider tires, like a 16x7 at least. I'll be moving to a 16x7 and 195/40-50/R16 tire for performance and then keeping the 205/55/R16's as backups/dailying.
09-05-2010 | 01:10 PM
Anyone running 205/55R16 Tires?
