Hi I have a 2003 cavalier ls, The tire size that is on it is 195-70r-14 I am thinking about getting tires which are 175-70r-14 because I was told that the smaller sidewall size would give better bottom end performance (0-40, 0-60, Which is what i'm looking for) However He also said that it would alter my speedometer rating, and the amount of mileage that is put on the car, That it would read that there are more miles on the car that I would actually be putting on.
Is there a way to correct the sensor or device which reads the tire revolutions?
Thanks,
YellowCavalier13
2003 Yellow Cavalier - no mods at the moment
Quote:
Is there a way to correct the sensor or device which reads the tire revolutions?
HPtuners software i beleive can do that. but buying the sfotware just to correct tire size is a waste

Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!
You would get slightly better gearing, and accelerate better.
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
and will also waste more gas because your rev's will be higher for the same speed. also, how bout you change the second number (aspect ratio) instead of the first number (tire width), because getting thinner tires is not a good thing.
also, i personally dont think its worth it. spend the money on engine mods to make you faster rather than tires.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
What would be a good mod to start with?
Is cold air intake better for the engine, as well as increase in hp? Do you know of any cold air intake kits or packages that you would recommend?
Thanks viper 98912, and any others who would recomend a good intake kit, or any other mod for me to start with,
YellowCavalier13 wrote:Hi I have a 2003 cavalier ls, The tire size that is on it is 195-70r-14 I am thinking about getting tires which are 175-70r-14 because I was told that the smaller sidewall size would give better bottom end performance (0-40, 0-60, Which is what i'm looking for) However He also said that it would alter my speedometer rating, and the amount of mileage that is put on the car, That it would read that there are more miles on the car that I would actually be putting on.
Is there a way to correct the sensor or device which reads the tire revolutions?
Thanks,
YellowCavalier13
you could also go with a 185 60 14 185 is the wire with in mm 60 is the side wall in percentage and well 14 i think we can figure that out
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE, i have already died once and im still here so lets just leave it on the track
Viper98912 wrote:also, i personally dont think its worth it. spend the money on engine mods to make you faster rather than tires.
I totally don't agree with this. I would say, and many others would too, that a good set of tires is one of the best mods you can do for your car. No, you won't gain a single bit of hp/tq with new tires, but you can substantially improve your traction and handling if you go from a sh!tty stock tire to a good high performance one. And doing engine mods to increase power with 14" tires is just not a good combination, if you ask me.
Now, that being said, I wouldn't consider ANY size of 14" tire to be an upgrade. If you're looking to get new tires for better performance, at LEAST get some 16s, 17s would probably be better really. Obviously you'll need new wheels, but you can get a decent set of 17s with tires for around $700, usually (as long as you're not looking for the latest, hottest looking wheel on the market, and if you're in it for performance, I'd just go for something that looks nice, not all that showy, and above all, lighter is better...less rotational mass, less parasitic power loss). If you're really looking to save a buck and don't mind the look of it, try to find some steelies in 16" or 17" with the right bolt pattern (I'm sure there's some out there). The only exception I could really see to that is if you're looking for slicks/drag radials - again, though, I can't remember hearing of anyone using a 14" slick...I don't even know if they're made.
Marcus Williams wrote:Viper98912 wrote:also, i personally dont think its worth it. spend the money on engine mods to make you faster rather than tires.
I totally don't agree with this. I would say, and many others would too, that a good set of tires is one of the best mods you can do for your car. No, you won't gain a single bit of hp/tq with new tires, but you can substantially improve your traction and handling if you go from a sh!tty stock tire to a good high performance one. And doing engine mods to increase power with 14" tires is just not a good combination, if you ask me.
Now, that being said, I wouldn't consider ANY size of 14" tire to be an upgrade. If you're looking to get new tires for better performance, at LEAST get some 16s, 17s would probably be better really. Obviously you'll need new wheels, but you can get a decent set of 17s with tires for around $700, usually (as long as you're not looking for the latest, hottest looking wheel on the market, and if you're in it for performance, I'd just go for something that looks nice, not all that showy, and above all, lighter is better...less rotational mass, less parasitic power loss). If you're really looking to save a buck and don't mind the look of it, try to find some steelies in 16" or 17" with the right bolt pattern (I'm sure there's some out there). The only exception I could really see to that is if you're looking for slicks/drag radials - again, though, I can't remember hearing of anyone using a 14" slick...I don't even know if they're made.
the lower profile give's you a wider tire footprint which give's you more contact traction i run a 245 40 17 fuzion zir and out of all the tires they have the best wet dry traction and are NOT pricy
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE, i have already died once and im still here so lets just leave it on the track
By getting 17s and not having any hp increase wouln't I now have less low end performance? (0-40)
Also by getting 17s What suspension mods would I have to do to fit the tire in without any rubbing etc...?
I am looking more for better performance going from 0-60, rather that how fast (100+MPH) it can go.
If 17s are what I need, then 17s are what i'll get, and I don't mind spending money to get good quality.
2003 Yellow Cavalier - no mods at the moment
Viper98912 wrote:also, i personally dont think its worth it. spend the money on engine mods to make you faster rather than tires.
spending your money for the sole purpose of changing your tire radius isn't worth it.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
Getting 17's will not only hurt low end performance it will hurt performance throughout the entire rpm band. 17" wheels typically weigh more than 14" wheels and even if they were lighter the rotational mass being moved outward will hurt acceleration. If you want looks bigger is better if you want performance look to smaller wheels. Look at anyone on here who is serious about racing the 1/4 mile they usually run 15" wheels or smaller. If you want lower profile tires then maybe look at some 205-60-14's they will lower your gearing a little giving you a little acceleration and also give you a little more grip because of the width. They will reduce sidewall around .5" adding around .5" of gap between the tire and fender and lower the car about .5" to the ground as well. You will get slightly worse gas mileage, and it may look a little funny. If your all about performance 14" of 15" would be the way to go as far as acceleration. You could also try to find some 1st gen neon rt wheels they are 14", the right bolt pattern and weigh in at roughly 14 lbs, much less than the stock steelies from what I'm told. Those coupled with slightly lower profile tires would give a little gain in performance.
Does anyone know the Largest diameter steel wheel that will fit our cars? And where I can get them/what they are off of
Will Paulman wrote:Getting 17's will not only hurt low end performance it will hurt performance throughout the entire rpm band. 17" wheels typically weigh more than 14" wheels and even if they were lighter the rotational mass being moved outward will hurt acceleration. If you want looks bigger is better if you want performance look to smaller wheels. Look at anyone on here who is serious about racing the 1/4 mile they usually run 15" wheels or smaller. If you want lower profile tires then maybe look at some 205-60-14's they will lower your gearing a little giving you a little acceleration and also give you a little more grip because of the width. They will reduce sidewall around .5" adding around .5" of gap between the tire and fender and lower the car about .5" to the ground as well. You will get slightly worse gas mileage, and it may look a little funny. If your all about performance 14" of 15" would be the way to go as far as acceleration. You could also try to find some 1st gen neon rt wheels they are 14", the right bolt pattern and weigh in at roughly 14 lbs, much less than the stock steelies from what I'm told. Those coupled with slightly lower profile tires would give a little gain in performance.
Again, it DOES matter what specific kind of performance you are interested in. If all you are interested in is going in a straight line as fast as you can, then yes, a smaller diameter wheel is going to be better, I'll give you that. However, how many people here have a strictly drag-only car? The vast majority are daily driven. And, IMO, your best picks for a daily driven car would be 16s or 17s, for the best combination of acceleration, handling, and such. You can fit 18s or 19s in there without a problem, but from a performance standpoint, I wouldn't suggest that...for the same reasons you're suggesting against a 17" wheel (the rotational mass being moved even further outward). As far as the weight of the 1st gen Neon wheels that you mention, if they are in fact 14 lbs or so, well, I've found fairly cheap 17" wheels on tirerack.com that weigh in around 18-19 lbs. Yes, it's a couple pounds more, yes, the rotational mass is further out. However, I'd dare to say that a 17" wheel/tire combo with an 18 pound wheel is probably going to feel better from a performance standpoint, all around, than a 14" wheel/tire combo with a 14 pound wheel. Why? Smaller sidewall (stiffer for better handling), wider tread (more contact to the road to put the power down)...plus, what are your choices as far as a performance tire in a 14" size? I'm not sure, never actually looked, but I doubt you have nearly as much to choose from as you would with a 17...
My $0.02, basically, decide what you're really looking for - fun daily driving, dragstrip, auto-x/road course, whatever - and base your choice around that. IMO the 14-15" sizes should pretty much be reserved for the dragstrip, and at least a 16" for the others. I feel that 17" is pretty much ideal for a balance of stiff sidewalls for handling, a wide contact patch with the road, and yet still not too heavy and with the rotational mass not too far out from the hub. To answer your question about better performance in the 0-40 or 0-60 sort of range, I would have to say that if you're riding on a stock 14" tire, ANY sort of performance tire is going to probably feel better to you, whether it's a 14" or a 17" or one in between. Just take note of the weights of wheels if you start looking at buying new wheels to go with a larger diameter, as buying 25-30 pound 17" wheels will slow you down. It's not hard to find ones that weigh in much less than that though. Again, I'm not suggesting the 17s simply from a looks standpoint, as the show guys will tell you that 17s aren't big enough. Personally I think not only is it the ideal all-around performance option, but it's also pretty close to ideal looking too depending on the design of the wheel (some designs, some cars, an 18 is probably a better looking option, but I'm not talking looks at this point). I'm sure we could go on arguing about this for quite a while, but I really don't care to. I'd say pick a good lightweight 17" wheel, put a good 215/45/17 tire on it, and call it a day. I'm betting you won't regret it one bit, especially the first time you want to turn instead of just going in a straight line...
Oh, and as far as your question about suspension mods, if needed - you shouldn't need any kind of mods to the suspension at all to run a reasonably sized 17, as long as the offset is right (I don't remember the exact numbers, but for the most part, you're safe with nearly any 17" wheel out there I believe. Places like tirerack.com and others will show you what will fit.) Tire wise, I know you can run a 215/45/17 with no problems on stock suspension (that's what was on my ex's car), I know there's other choices as well.
And one other point - you could even consider picking up a set of stock 16s off of a member here with a Z24/GT if you wanted to try that route. I don't know the weights of them though and you could probably go lighter with something else as stock wheels aren't often known for their weight savings - then again, like I said, I don't know how much they actually weigh and I could be wrong there, they may not be bad.
(bye) wrote:The weight of the wheel has a very small effect on acceleration. The biggest difference is the diameter (as has been said). Most of the weight is in the barrel of the wheel, and as you move it out farther, there's more inertia to oversome. A lighter wheel will reduce unsprung mass, which is good for handling, If you took at 15x7" and a 17x7" wheel, both with 205's (say 50's for the 15 and 40's for the 17), that both weighed exactly the same, the handling would be almost identical, the 17's would be a little better because of more direct turn in due to less sidewall. Straight line performance, even if the 17" wheel weighed less, would be much different. For instance. On my Z34 many years ago I went from the stock 16x6.5" wheels and tires (225/60r16), weighing 51lbs, to a 17x8 wheel with a 245/45r17 weighing in at 49lbs, and I lost .3s at the track.
At the strip, smaller wheel is better, at the track, it depends on what you're comfortable with.
just one guys example, he lost .3 at the drage strip going only from a 16" to a lighter 17". A 14" to a 17" would be much more drastic I would guess. And from what I have been told by other members on here 15's do better in auto-x as well for out of the corner acceleration,
Not trying to start a fight here just giving out the information that was given to me, you can do whatever you want with your car.
In the first post he stated he wanted better low end performance, 17's will hurt that.
all this bickering about tire size is moot
mod your engine to go faster. it isn't cheap. thats how it is.
good tires only make a difference when traction becomes a problem. you can play with different diameters and widths all you want, but the difference will be null, especially on a stock car.
you want more performance? better acceleration? modify the engine. start with breathing mods (intake and exhaust) and go from there.
and as far as 'low end power' goes.. when will this terminology end?
low end has nothing to do with speed, it has to do with revs. 'low' to me would be from idle to say 3000rpm. how often are you within these RPMs when trying to accelerate as fast as you can?
you want mid range and top end. low end is a myth.
worry about upper midrange and top end. you'll get a 0-60 to make most jealous.
check out some of my youtube vids by clicking on my sig. you can see what a midrange - top end car is all about.
LS SPORT MACHINED 16's with 205/50/16 tires FTW!!!!
01' Z24 5 speed
422whp/400wtq
T4 Turbocharged
Built LD9
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