Tyre Upsize For Toyota Etios Liva


Thread Starter #1
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
29
Likes
5
Location
kochi
Hi all
booked a toyota liva and is scheduled to be delivered on dec1st.

Its stock tyres are JK 175/65-R14. I'm plannng to change tyres frm dealership itself and im thinking abt alloys too (if it fits 20-25k)

what would be the ideal upgrade/upsize considering the pothole'd roads of kerala (wont be driving >90kmph) Also dont want to reduce the FE much. As it is a liva any decrease in road noise is a welcome

If I'm not upsizing to 15" alloys, then will 185/65-R14 be a good option.

The Liva TRD has 185/60-R15 tyres. If Im upsizing to 15" what will be the cost of rims addition to tyres. If I am installing 15" alloys, do I need to spend anything extra. Any one using liva, kindly comment here. what will be the right size 185/60 or 195/55

All the above different tyres that I wrote above have comparable price.

Now recommend a good tyre brand too. I'm quoting the price here (185/65-R14)
Michellin XM2 5400
Yokohoma Earth1 4900
Appolo acelere 4000
BS B250 4500
BS G3 5100
Ceat 3800
 
Thread Starter #2
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
29
Likes
5
Location
kochi
Hi

A tyre shop @ kochi quoted 4050 for yokohoma Earth1 185/65-14, along with the free vacuum cleaner. tyre mfg date is 30-13.

Now should I worry about low grade tyres. Will there be any extra stickers on them indicating a factory second tyre??????
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
20
Likes
1
Location
Bangalore
Hello All,

This is my very first post here. To all the xperts out there --
I have been using my black liva GD 3 years now and I am close to completing 45k kms on the odo.

The tires don't really look worn except the spare which was used for rotation a while back. Thinking of posting some pics of the current tyres. Anyways I am looking for an upgrade in the size and preferably the wheels too.

I am currently running it on stock 175/65/R14 Bridgestone tyres & Plati 5 spoke alloys.

Any and all suggestions/advice is appreciated.
Thanks.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
1,253
Likes
686
Location
NCR
Hello All,

This is my very first post here. To all the xperts out there --
I have been using my black liva GD 3 years now and I am close to completing 45k kms on the odo.

The tires don't really look worn except the spare which was used for rotation a while back. Thinking of posting some pics of the current tyres. Anyways I am looking for an upgrade in the size and preferably the wheels too.

I am currently running it on stock 175/65/R14 Bridgestone tyres & Plati 5 spoke alloys.

Any and all suggestions/advice is appreciated.
Thanks.
Welcome to TAI. Do post the pics of your tyre before going for the upgrade. Do you see the TWI mark?

Two possible upgrades I see are -

1. 185/60R15
2. 205/50R15

While the 185 section would hardly be felt, the 205 section would be an overkill for the car.

I would personally say stick with the 14" alloys you have not. No point in going that extra inch. [:)] For 14" alloys, you can go for 195/60R14 which would be appealing as well as cost effective.
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
20
Likes
1
Location
Bangalore
Thanks ice wise, by the way what is a TWI mark? Sorry I'm a newbie.

Yes will be posting the pics today so u guys can have a look at the treading on the tyres.
205 section tyres did cross my mind but always heard from people that it would probably be a bad idea.
I'm definitely inclining towards the 195 section tyres, I think it jutts out a little bit to give that rally look to a car(my opinion). So how do i know if I should choose 195/60 or 195/65??
Car stock tyre specs are 175/65 so i assume it should be 195/65?
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
1,253
Likes
686
Location
NCR
Thanks ice wise, by the way what is a TWI mark? Sorry I'm a newbie.

Yes will be posting the pics today so u guys can have a look at the treading on the tyres.
205 section tyres did cross my mind but always heard from people that it would probably be a bad idea.
I'm definitely inclining towards the 195 section tyres, I think it jutts out a little bit to give that rally look to a car(my opinion). So how do i know if I should choose 195/60 or 195/65??
Car stock tyre specs are 175/65 so i assume it should be 195/65?
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
TWI is Tread wear indicator. You will see this on the last edge (outer) on the sidewall of the tyre. The TWI mark would be visible there. If you look just above the TWI mark on the tyre's tread, you will find a small zigzag rubber strip (marking). If your tread blocks get so worn out that it is making the TWI marking visible (i.e. both marking and tyre block look of the same height/depth), then its time for a change.

Actually 175/65 should not be 195/65 because if the first part increases (175 to 195) the second part needs to decrease (65 to 60 or 55, and not remain same) to accomodate the extra width with narrower sidewall. 195 section upsize isn't recommended as the difference in overall diameter comes to more than 2% which would scrape the wheel well and damage the fenders in the long run. So it should be either 185 or 205. You can go for 195/60 in case of 14" rims as it would be a feasible upsize. So are you planning to go for 15" or stay with 14" only?

Regarding tyres, they are good for another 5k kms. You can postpone the purchase, as you will get the same (zero) value if you sell now or after 5k kms. I hope you aren't facing other problems like skidding, loss of traction, wheelspins, etc. And nice alloys there!
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
20
Likes
1
Location
Bangalore
Ohh ok, i had no clue about that. Thanks for the info.
So if i understand correctly, your saying that 195/60/14 setup on my car wouldn't do any damge to the wheel well or fenders? but anything less than 195/60 like 195/50 or 55/65/70 would be bad? (I think 195/65 or 195/70 doesn't concern Liva)

185 truly is the more practical choice, but I'm trying to add a little punch factor to the car so I wanna make sure that only if it damages my car on the long run - then only will I not go for 195s or 205s

If the 195 does work out to be a safe setup for the car then I would choose that no doubt i think because 205 might look like an overkill??(For a Liva I mean)
About the rims, yes i would love to see 15 inchers on my car - definitely adds to the style statement. Hopefully I'm not budget constricted when the time comes.
I'm thinking HRS or Lenso, the latter being the better and more expensive brand.[frustration]
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
1,253
Likes
686
Location
NCR
Ohh ok, i had no clue about that. Thanks for the info.
So if i understand correctly, your saying that 195/60/14 setup on my car wouldn't do any damge to the wheel well or fenders? but anything less than 195/60 like 195/50 or 55/65/70 would be bad? (I think 195/65 or 195/70 doesn't concern Liva)

185 truly is the more practical choice, but I'm trying to add a little punch factor to the car so I wanna make sure that only if it damages my car on the long run - then only will I not go for 195s or 205s

If the 195 does work out to be a safe setup for the car then I would choose that no doubt i think because 205 might look like an overkill??(For a Liva I mean)
About the rims, yes i would love to see 15 inchers on my car - definitely adds to the style statement. Hopefully I'm not budget constricted when the time comes.
I'm thinking HRS or Lenso, the latter being the better and more expensive brand.[frustration]
Partially correct. If you decrease the second (60 in 195/60R14 size) part, then the tyres will be thinner from the sides (thinner sidewall) and the Ground clearance of car will decrease. If you go above 60, the sidewall will become very thick and will scrape the wheel wells from inside. So there is a balance required while doing tyre upgrades.

There are 3 variables - like 195, 60 and R14 in a tyre size. If 2 of them are fixed, you have to play with the third one to get a perfect size. So decide the rim size you want and how much width you want (185 would be economical and 195 would be sporty, 205 is overkill), and change the second part to find the possible size.

195 in 14" will work as the diameter doesn't change much. However, I cannot guarantew that it will not scrape - only the chances are very less. The more wider you go, chances of scraping increases. The wheel wells are designed by the manufacturer for OEM tyre sizes so you can expect scraping in extreme load conditions only. Normally +1 sizes don't scrape (like 185 in your Liva) but +2 sizes do on full load (like 195).

HRS and Lenso both are good brands. I think Momo had closed long back, but I am not sure about availability currently. Depending on the budget, you can decide the 15" rims and go for the safest 185 section option (least chances of scraping, even lower than 185 in 14"). The lesser appeal of the tyre can be compromised with the branded alloys. At least, your suspension and car body would be safe.
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
20
Likes
1
Location
Bangalore
Oh alright, now I'm getting a better idea about this.
Hmm, so I'm gonna have to do some R&D on this and visit a few shops to get that exact setup sorted.
Ice wise your input has undoubtedly been very helpful. Thanks again.
I think i would eventually stick to 185/60/R14 since i want my car to run hassle free for another 2-4 years atleast - so i cant have these other issues piling up.

the final thing would be to decide whether 14 inch or 15 inch
Also is 185 section tyres noticeable after the upsize??
Provided budget is not an issue - would Indian roads do justice to 15inchers?? I'm talking about all kinds of driving. My driving is normal i would say - go fast only if I need to. Otherwise I'm a peaceful driver who likes to cruise around.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
1,253
Likes
686
Location
NCR
Oh alright, now I'm getting a better idea about this.
Hmm, so I'm gonna have to do some R&D on this and visit a few shops to get that exact setup sorted.
Ice wise your input has undoubtedly been very helpful. Thanks again.
I think i would eventually stick to 185/60/R14 since i want my car to run hassle free for another 2-4 years atleast - so i cant have these other issues piling up.

the final thing would be to decide whether 14 inch or 15 inch
Also is 185 section tyres noticeable after the upsize??
Provided budget is not an issue - would Indian roads do justice to 15inchers?? I'm talking about all kinds of driving. My driving is normal i would say - go fast only if I need to. Otherwise I'm a peaceful driver who likes to cruise around.
Selecting the size is only the first stage of the game. Next is deciding the brand. Your driving style and requirements will come to use when you have selected the size.

Any change in tyre size would be noticeable when seen in front of the stock tyre. But practically we won't see stock size and upgraded size together and hence a 185 section upsize won't be much visible in 14", noticeable difference would come with 195 in 14". If you increase rim size, even 185 section would be visible because the tyre sidewall would also be thinner. Means the wheels you will upgrade (15" with 185 section) would have more rim and less tyre than what you see now (front extreme side view).

So let me summarize -

Stock size - 175/65R14

If upgrading to 15" alloys
Recommended tyre - 185/55R15 (0.24) - Perfect mix for look and comfort
Recommended tyre - 195/50R15 (1.22) - Bad ride quality
Recommended tyre - 205/50R15 (0.50) - Will be an overkill for suspension, bad ride quality

If sticking to 14" alloys
Recommended tyre - 185/60R14 (0.94) - Optimum ride quality (unchanged) and look
Recommended tyre - 195/60R14 (1.11) - A more biased towards wide-tyre look with slightly more sacrifice of comfort than above option
Recommended tyre - 205/55R14 (0.34) - Overkill for stock rim size, bad ride quality

The readings in brackets is the overall change in diameter (percentage). 2 is the limit and the lower is the better. The chances of scraping are lower for the tyres with lower change readings. Take your pick.

People are running 17" (and even 18") with low profile tyres in Kerela. A plus one size upsize is optimum for looks as well as comfort, without being heavy for your suspension. 16" would require much smaller sidewall (to keep the diameter same) and would give a large difference in the ride comfort (negatively) and handling (positively). If your side profile is above 55 (specific for your case and not generalising), then there would be no major problem with bad roads - like tyre cuts, punctures, comfort, etc.. If you take it easy over potholes and broken roads (means your place doesn't have many) i.e. in 1st or at max 2nd gear, then you can even manage with 17" rims (provided you are ready to sacrifice rough road comfort for looks).

EDIT - TRD Sportivo Liva gets 185/60R15 which surprisingly has a difference of over 3% over stock size. Don't know how the company accepted it but it may be that they would have been giving stiffer suspension. My choice would still be 185/55R15 over 185/60R15.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
20
Likes
1
Location
Bangalore
Hmm, now really confused between 185 and 195. I might just end up getting 195/R15 and make sure i don't drive the car on full load.
You mean 17''/18'' on etios liva?? [thinking] Now that's something I'd like to see.
Would look really cool if done well.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
1,253
Likes
686
Location
NCR
Hmm, now really confused between 185 and 195. I might just end up getting 195/R15 and make sure i don't drive the car on full load.
You mean 17''/18'' on etios liva?? [thinking] Now that's something I'd like to see.
Would look really cool if done well.
195/50R15 would be a good choicd provided you are ready to sacrifice on the ride comfort a bit. It will look really good if alloy design is complimenting the car's design. Yoko S Drives, Pirelli P1 and Continental CPC2 are available in 195/50R15, if I am not wrong.

And 17" is possible on Liva (Swift can take 215/17", i20 18") with low profile tyres, although you would be the first one to try that combination out. [:)] 205/40R17 is the only available size with least error (Bridgestone and Apollo) but one bump could cost you a wheel! Not advisable for Indian roads.
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
20
Likes
1
Location
Bangalore
Yeah they do look like 16 inch wheels and they really look hot!! Yea i know it is possible but the person has to be super cautious when he/she takes the car out with bigger wheels.
Indian roads don't really compliment them.

Continental is the choice I feel. Pirellis are expensive rubber and I've already used michelin without any complaints. Continental is cheaper also. [:)]
I wish there was a registered authentic car mod dealer who could get you everything available on the market today. But unfortunaltely there isn't. [frustration]
 

Top Bottom