Snow Tire Size

[expertie]

My J30 has 215/60/15 tires. A few years ago, I bought Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 tires and this year I noticed a bubble on one of the tires. I am not sure how bad it is to drive a car with that tire. Will 225/60/15 snow tires fit on the factory wheels? Even if it they fit, is it a good idea to use different size tires?

[J30tman]

225/60-15 size tires should work just fine. They will be slightly taller and wider than the stock ones. Not too much though. FYI I am running 225/50-16's on my car and they fit great.

[driverdriver]

The size should be fine. If you run them on heavier steel wheels rather then factory alloys, the J will run like a tank through the snow/ice/slush.

[elan]

My J30 has 215/60/15 tires. A few years ago, I bought Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 tires and this year I noticed a bubble on one of the tires. I am not sure how bad it is to drive a car with that tire. Will 225/60/15 snow tires fit on the factory wheels? Even if it they fit, is it a good idea to use different size tires?

225/60 is a bit bigger so your odometer will be running slower. The size must be good as long as you run the same size on the same axle. Also for the winter tire you want your tires be narrower and with higher walls. If I'm not mistaken the recommended size for the winters is 205/65/15

[FunkRider]

You DON'T want wider tires for snow use. I put 195/65/15 snows on my GF's 93 J30 and they work flawlessly. 195/65/15 is less than 1% different in height vs stock.

[shortlid]

Good point narrower is better for snows. RWD cars like the J can have snows just at the rear position and still be safe, unlike FWD cars where snows just up-front makes them handle unpridicatably!

I have a set of (2) 185/60R15 Gislavad Snows I want to give to my brother to run on back of his '97 J30t during the winter. My guess is that the stock alloys are too wide for these tires. Can he get a set of steel wheels in 15" that are narrower and mount the snows on them. If he runs the stock 215/60R15's up front will his ABS go haywire from the rotational speed being diff.??

[shortlid]

So no one has put narrow tires on there J30 mounted on stock alloys or steel wheel?

[93jdirty']

I use firestone winter force 205/60/15 on stock alloys, they work amazing in any snow or rain. There a bit narower then the 235s on my 18's for the summer.

[shortlid]

Thanks for the reply so are the 205's just wide enough to cover the alloys or do you think you could go to 195 or 185 no problem?

[93jdirty']

You could use 195's no problem, 185s might be a little too narrow for the J because the rwd and decent power.

[shortlid]

Well you don't want to be romping on it during winter weather anyways!

[93jdirty']

I find myself romping on it quite often in the winter, the 205s are good in all winter conditions to me.

[FunkRider]

Obviously no one read this post

You DON'T want wider tires for snow use. I put 195/65/15 snows on my GF's 93 J30 and they work flawlessly. 195/65/15 is less than 1% different in height vs stock.

Obviously no one read this post I made about 195/65/15 being the perfect winter tire size. Fits great on the stock 15's and makes the car unstopable in the snow.