I have 2 new tires 215/60/14 on BMW 528i 1981, can i replace my old front tires with 195/70/14 without any problems or risks? does the 195/70/14 fix alright on the large jente (wheel aluminum frame) 215/60/14? thanks
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Anonymous
ANSWERS: 2
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It will likely fit, but spreading a 70 series tire to fit a rim designed for a 60 series tire, (especially while going down 2 sizes to boot) can expose a significant amount of tire sidewall to road hazards. You would be better off to try trading the tires you have for a pair of correct size tires (even used) at a local tire shop. Edit:Tire sizing works like this, a 215/60/14 has a treadwidth of 215 mm, the sidewall height is 60% of the treadwidth, and the 14 is rim size in inches. The 7.5 mm difference you are citing is sidewall height. The difference in tread width is 20 mm. Still not a large number, and again, it will likely fit, but you take some chances when you spread and extra inch or so of width out of a tire.
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Technically they will probably fit but I would not recommend this combination. The tires are nearly an inch narrower so there may be some handling issues due to distorted sidewalls. If your rims are 6.0-7.0 inches wide you're safe there. I would go with 205/60s to retain most of the lateral grip of the 215/60. Either that or I would stick with the 215/60 and avoid the brain sprain. 195s will reduce front grip considerably and make understeer more likely. Are you having sever oversteer issues?
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