Tires: Going Up on Tire/Rim Size on 2001 Nissan Sentra, proper inflation pressure, nissan sentra

Question
Hi,

I recently bought winter tires to replace the OEM tires on my 2001 nissan sentra. When the warmer weather starts to come, I plan on buying new rims and tires for the summer season.

Currently, I am riding on 195/55-16 tires. In the summer, I'd like to go to 205/45-17 or 215/35-18.

Will these tires with their respective rim sizes (17 and 18 Respectively) fit on my 2001 Nissan Sentra SE.

Aside from the speedo being off (0.7% and 2.1% respectively) and the wear and tear factor on performace tires, are their any other major drawbacks to running these tires?

Thanks!

-Daniel

Answer
Daniel,

I can't tell you if there is room in your fenderwell for these tires - I don't have access to that information for every vehicle ever made.   So your best bet is to find a retailer who will work with you and will ensure the proper fitment.

But I can give you some rules to go by (strictly tire related.)

1)  Use the same or higher load capacity.  Load Index is one indication.  And be careful of Extra Load (XL) and Reinforced (R) tire - they require higher inflation pressures to get the load capacity.  That's OK, just be aware of the higher requirement.

2)  Use the same or higher speed rating.

3)  Use about the same diameter. Some folks say within 1 1/2%, some say 3%.

4)  Check for clearances under all conditions of steering and suspension travel.

5)  Do a test drive and check clearances again (Tires grow in service).

6)  Take some time to familiarize yourself with the new handling behavior of the vehicle.  Any unusual behavior ought to be investigated.  

7)  Use proper inflation pressure.  It wouldn't hurt to use up to 3 psi higher to improve the impact resistance.

Hope this helps.