Anybody fitted 195 50 15 Tyres?

[guest869]

195 50 tyres have a very similar dynamic rolling radius to 185 55 15 and 175 65 14 tyres.

There is a greater choice of tyres in 195 50 and the prices are so much cheaper.

I can see no reason why they should not fit but thought I would ask before going ahead.

John

[DV]

The right sizes are for the 175/65 14" the 185/55 15" and the 195/45 16" the speedometer accuracy is changes by 0.2%, with the 195/50 15" tyre the accuracy changes by 1.2%. The recommendation is to stay below 2% (fast or slow).
If you go for the 195 check the offset and the width of the wheel for that tyre or ask your local garage.

Tyre size calculator: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

[guest869]

Sorry I should have mentioned that I was looking at fitting the 195 50`s on stock alloys.

[Garyman]

Personally cant see the problem with fitting those tyres size.

I'm currently on 205/50/15 but running on aftermarket alloys

[guest765]

Im on stock alloys 185/55 15...........prices for these seem rather expensive, so what is the cheaper alternative size to be safe?

[guest869]

I decided to go for 185 55 15 because of the insurance risk.

After lots of research I bought Hankook Ventus Evo V12 (K110) £231 for four tyres fitted and balanced. The reviews I read indicated they were a good all round grippy tyre in the wet and dry but at the expense of a softer compound and hence faster wear.

I do not consider the faster wear rate to be much of an issue as I run winter tyres so the tyres will only be on for 6 or 7 months of the year, the car is relatively light and most of my driving is quite steady (but I do like to give it some occasionaly)

The tyres have now been on for a weekend where I did a 360 miles round trip to Wales, a mixture of motorways and fast sweeping A roads. The car is transformed (compared to my 175 x 14" winter tyres) and seems to be so composed and confidence inspiring on the bends. There is a definite substantial increase in grip.

The ride is slightly harsher comapred to my 175 snow tyres.
I also got wheelspin pulling out of a junction in the wet but I am used to winter tyres which are amazing in the wet.

So I am impressed with the tyres for the price but I have not tried the car with any other makes of 185 55 15 so it is difficult to get a very objective view.

Understeer is still a problem but I think the Honda engineers have built this in due to the forward weight bias (ie very light rear) of the Jazz.

I am now wanting to fit some Eibach springs but need to find a decent set of dampers first and possibly increase the rear roll resistance to reduce some of the understeer. Then I feel I will have a nicely handeling car.

[VicW]

The problem with fitting lower profile tyres is that the ride quality becomes harsher and this model Jazz is already quite harsh.
The GE model is a little better but Honda increased the tyre profile on that model. The latest Jazz is a definite improvement.

Vic.

[guest869]

I actually find the car wallows a bit and could do with some stiffer dampers but I have not been able to find any that I would buy.

[guest1844]

Likewise this year I ran winter tyres (on 14" rims) and am totally sold on them. Tons better in the wet. As soon as the weather warmed up (over about 12C) they started to get squidgy and I was glad to get the summers back on (15") - some original Bridgestones on the front which I have to say on warm dry roads are excellent (but rubbish in the cold wet). It turns the car into a go-kart and you can see the big german bruisers behind you struggling in the corners, much to their annoyance until they steam past on the straights.
I've got a problem brewing in some serious knocking sounds on LH bends on the RH front when taken exuberantly, which must be bushes on the way out. Has anyone tried poly bushes in the Jazz? I always feel its a bit rubbery in the corners; I took to be it wobbling on its bushes.

[culzean]

Here is test comment from carandriver.com and american auto website.

'but it’s worth noting that the Fit posted an astonishing speed in our lane-change test (71.4 mph), outhustling pedigreed athletes such as a Ferrari F430 Spider F1, and topped a seven-car comparison'

Now the Fit is basically the same chassis as the Jazz, I have never had a problem taking bends much faster than other cars in a GD 1.4SE with bog standard Michelin Energy savers. and whizzing round islands is a dream.  Anyone that thinks the Handling of the Jazz will improve with big fat tyres on has bought the wrong car - the Jazz is a very light car and doesn't need big wide tyres (which could cause aquaplaning because they are too wide for the weight of the car).  The cars that need wide tyres are the ones that generate a lot of sideways force when cornering - ie heavy cars!!! or really high performance cars which have spoilers etc to generate down-force and corner at insane speeds.

[guest869]

I certainly am not talking about fitting big wide tyres just slightly wider which will improve the grip.

All other things being equal a wider tyre will give more grip in the dry. This is because the coefficient of friction versus load is not linear. In other words if you double the load you do not double the grip. What this basically means is that a lightly loaded piece of rubber will have a higher coefficient of friction than a higher loaded piece. The wider the tyre the lower the load per unit area.

This is also why softer wheel rates (all other things being equal) give more grip than stiff springs.

[guest1844]

This is also why softer wheel rates (all other things being equal) give more grip than stiff springs.

When driving one up the car is a bit "skippy" - it could do with slighter softer springs. I suppose its rated for fully loaded as that's potentially more catastrophic. Another reason is the suspension is designed for low travel - the front wishbone rear bush is actually up/down so will never accommodate a large deviation.

'but it’s worth noting that the Fit posted an astonishing speed in our lane-change test (71.4 mph), outhustling pedigreed athletes such as a Ferrari F430 Spider F1, and topped a seven-car comparison'

Well I didn't know that. It is true that at roundabouts you can gain distance on pretty much anything, I always thought they just weren't trying but now you mention it... next time I'm up against an M3... Need to sort my rattle out as roundabout exits are sounding alarming down the RH front.

[guest1411]

any one running these (195 50 R15) tyres on stock alloys? The 185 55 R15 are expensive even in Costco circa £100 a corner all inclusive.

Toyo tyres appear reasonable option for the 185 55 R15 but the softer compound may not last long... any thoughts? 

[guest806]

I have fitted Toyo Proxies and they are fine.  Not sure how long they will last but currently seem good.

[guest1411]

Thanks. I will probably go to Toyo's