What size of stamped wheels and tires should I install on the NIVU (LADA 4×4)?

Actually, I'm interested in the maximum size on stock 16″ disks. Who installed what?

throw away these stock wheels))) Set the radius to 15. . . and cut 215/75/15 ) ) ) and you will be happy

I know that the original wheels are not comme il faut! and I know that I need to set P15, But I need to know the answer to the question

215 75 15 is 215 70 16

isn’t this 29″? because 29″ is a lot without a lift

they won't fit. . . on diagonals and in front they will catch

+1. I know for sure that 29 will be overwritten

the offset is 35 on the discs or less. The front will catch on the protection, it can be treated with two blows of a hammer from the rear, if there is no elevator, everything is humming.

I now have 215/75/15 and my little finger can barely fit to the front part of the wing with the wheels turned out! So 29 is too much without cutting or lifting) ) )

I currently have 235/55/r18 and it doesn’t affect anything...

I currently have 235/55/r18 and it doesn’t affect anything...

I had 255 55 r 18 rollers from the X 5, I cut the front arches with a jigsaw

235 75 r15 will fit you, but you won’t have enough torque to turn them

Write some unreal sizes, I have 205 70 15 and Cordiant off road tires, they will rub off on the arches brutally

There is a simple answer to this, there is little that the manufacturer will write on the tire... Even in a store, tires of the same size, but from different manufacturers, differ in size.

The size of the tires and wheels greatly influences the behavior of the car on the road. AvtoVAZ recommends installing tires and wheels of a strictly defined size on the Niva; only in this case the manufacturer guarantees the service life of the components and assemblies of the chassis and suspension. In the review, we will tell you what the size of the wheels affects during the operation of the machine and what recommendations the manufacturer gives.

What tires are suitable for Niva for standard and non-standard wheel sizes?

In order to install new tires on the Niva, you should carefully study the parameters of the standard wheels installed at the factory.

To understand whether or not a new brand of tire will fit on factory-sized wheels, pay primary attention to the following inscriptions:

1. 5J
2. R16
3. H2-ET = 58;
4. DIA = 98;
5. PCD = 5×139.7.

All these designations refer to important characteristics. So, the first indicates that the permissible tire size is 5 inches with a maximum deviation of 1 inch in any direction. The letter J indicates the presence of only one side.

The following parameter indicates the diameter, which should not exceed 16 inches. H2 indicates the presence of two hunting rings at the edges of the rim, necessary for tightly fixing the tire to the rim. Hunts are a must-have item for off-road vehicles.

The ET parameter indicates the wheel offset (in this case 58 cm) with a permissible deviation of 1 centimeter. Well, DIA indicates the radius. The PCD marking indicates the bolt pattern: that is, the number of holes for mounting bolts with the distance between them.

Thus, we can state that 27-28-inch tires will easily fit the standard wheel size. But to install 29-inch tires, which are more often found on foreign models, and are considered the optimal solution by SUV manufacturers, you will need a small but lift - it just won’t fit.

A lifted Niva, designed to install tires 30, 31, and even more so 32, 33 dm, will require larger rims. The last wheel size is the maximum. 35 inches are considered too big for this car. In case of such alterations, it is advisable to install beadlocks

It is important not to install too heavy discs, otherwise you can expect deformations when hitting bumps. Taking large wheels only makes sense if the car is intended to be used only outside the city

Summary

As can be seen from the description, it is quite possible to install similar products instead of factory tires. This modernization will bring more comfort to driving and also optimize the driving performance of the car. Fans of extreme drive will have to work a little to improve off-road qualities.

Every part of the machine requires attention. When it comes to maintaining it, we don’t just mean systematic checks of oil and water levels. The truth is that there are many aspects to take care of, and tires are one of the most important. Choosing the right tires for your car can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know what the modern market offers and what tires you need. Tires can be purchased from dealers, in specialized stores, in online stores; it is important to pay attention to factors such as product brand, presentation, quality, price, reliability.

Choosing the right tires for Niva is not an easy task

An even more serious choice faces you if you are the owner. As practice shows, having a Niva or UAZ in your garage is not a guarantee that you will be able to conquer off-road terrain with this car. An important task is choosing the right off-road tires. How to properly put on car shoes? It is very difficult to choose tires without certain knowledge.

What tires are recommended for Niva 4x4

The question of what tires to put on a Niva 4x4 is a pressing issue among many motorists. For such purposes, special samples are selected. Their main condition is the width, which will be slightly more than half the width of the product. For example, for a structure with a width of 10 centimeters, a tire measuring 12.5 inches is suitable.

You may be interested in this About the rating of winter studded tires 2019-2020 for crossovers

Choosing tires for a Niva 4x4

Such criteria are selected taking into account the fact that when driving off-road, the air from the product will gradually be released, while increasing the width of the rubber on the sides. This impact is of great importance, as it increases the contact surface of the Niva 4x4 wheel and provides the vehicle with better traction.

Of course, nothing prevents you from installing off-road tires on narrower rims. But at the same time, the width of the rubber will decrease and the contact plane will also decrease. Although such a change also has its advantages. For example, when driving on a hard dirt surface, narrower tires on a Niva 4x4 will hold the road better due to the larger protrusion of the treads. But when driving through a swamp or other similar soil, it will go worse than a rim with wide tires.

Note!

To install rims with flattened tires, you must install additional fasteners in advance - beadlocks. They will hold the products during any maneuvers, braking and slipping. A cheaper fixing option is to put the tires on a sealant. But this method is very unreliable.

Replacement

Tires with a diameter of R16 are offered as a standard option. But, when choosing analogues, problems arise. This size is produced very rarely. Therefore, drivers often use R15 tires. Actually, this is not a violation. The manufacturer allows the use of such tires on Niva cars. Here you can choose the most suitable option for you.

When choosing, pay attention to additional indicators. Using wheels that are too large may require modifications to the vehicle. Below we will consider the main variations possible for use on the Niva. Please note that the options listed apply to the entire range.

All wheel parameters

In addition to the bolt pattern, when choosing new wheels, they look at the following parameters:

• offset (distance from the hub to the center of the disk along the width);
• landing size;
• radius and diameter (in inches, affects the choice of tires);
• hub (mounting hole) size in inches.

Do not confuse the characteristics of the disc with the characteristics of the tire. The latter, in terms of dimensions (width and diameter), depend on the parameters of the disk, and also have their own specific ones. These include, for example, the profile height.

The appearance of a car is, in a way, the face of its driver. If the car is constantly dirty and unkempt, then most likely its owner is not very tidy either. If the car shines and its appearance is striking, then the owner of the vehicle clearly loves his things and values ​​them. One of the good ways to refresh and improve the appearance of your car is to change wheels. But in order to carry out this operation successfully, you need to know what a Niva-Chevrolet bolt pattern with a 15 radius is, for example, etc.

Legal consequences of changing wheels or what the traffic police think

Driving a car with large wheels can be divided into two situations:

• Traffic on the highway
  . Rules of traffic rules in the “Basic provisions for the approval of vehicles for operation” Section 5 “Wheels and tires” clause 5.4. The admission of vehicles with tires that do not match the vehicle model in size or permissible load is limited. As a result, the car owner may receive a warning or a fine of 500 rubles in accordance with Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, Part 1. Also, enlarging the wheels will lead to distortion of the speedometer, since the tachometer is structurally designed for a different diameter. This can lead to unknowing speeding and a fine of 500 to 2,500 rubles;
• Passing maintenance.
  A twofold situation is possible, but numerous Niva owners, when replacing the wheel diameter from standard to 29, usually do not experience difficulties during passage, with rare exceptions, which can be circumvented by returning standard tires for the duration of the passage.

As the diameter of the wheels increases, the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle, the load on the suspension and beams will also change. The nature and length of the braking distance has changed. All this together, in a critical situation, can lead to loss of insurance as a result of an accident or traffic accident. If, during the investigation of an accident, it is established that it was the change of tires that prevented the driver from preventing the accident, the fact that non-standard wheels were installed will be considered an aggravating circumstance.

The tire size for Niva, Niva Chevrolet, Niva Urban, Niva Fora is always a compromise between the on-road and off-road capabilities of the car. Therefore, the final choice is always up to the owner.

The Russian SUV Niva is very popular among Russian car enthusiasts. All models of this machine are constantly exported abroad. Its positive qualities have long been appreciated by European countries.

The cars are equipped at the factory with a variety of wheels and rims. For each model, you can choose the right size depending on the operating conditions.

Niva tires and their features

Our all-wheel drive SUV has been in production for over 40 years and is designed for off-road driving. Therefore, you should select tires in accordance with the planned operation, because when driving in conditions where there are no roads, not only all-wheel drive is important. Without good tires it can become useless. Niva copes with its purpose perfectly and is not hindered by its outdated appearance. Plus, the car is easy to maintain, and spare parts are very inexpensive, especially since you can find them in any store.

Standard set of tires

On Niva, without any tuning, standard-sized arches are used. This means that they cannot install wheels different from the standard sizes on the Niva. From the factory, the car is equipped with VLI-5 tires with a diameter of R16 175/80.

Standard tires have more disadvantages than advantages:

• too noisy (at speeds above 60 km/h when driving on hard surfaces the noise will be too loud);
• in winter it loses all elasticity and simply becomes stiff in the cold;
• standard wheels have a tube, which can also be considered a disadvantage;
• low level of controllability, does not hold the road.

For those who do not want to save money on everything, it is recommended to purchase alternative options with better performance.

Options for alternatives to standard tires

In addition to the basic version of the Niva 2121, there are several different modifications, for example, the five-door 2131, Urban, Bronto and others. You can use the same tires for them as for the standard model; there is no fundamental difference. For example, tire R15 215/75. This kit is the most popular, because no modernization is required, but taking into account the correctly selected disk. A Niva tire must have an offset of at least 35 mm and a diameter of no more than 28 inches. In certain situations, such tires can still touch the wheel arch liners, especially if the car is heavily loaded or moves over high bumps, which causes the suspension to work in extreme positions. But at the same time, the cross-country ability with such tires is significantly improved, fuel consumption is reduced, and there is no need to lift the body.

For fans of extreme off-road driving, it is better to consider more serious options, such as tires with sizes R15 235/75 and 240/80. With this size of tires on the Niva, the car will look like a real off-road monster, capable of driving anywhere. But at the same time, installing such large tires and wheels will require mandatory lifting, since without this the wheels will not fit into a standard arch. Today this is not a problem.

The preparation doesn't end there. You will also have to change the front and rear gear pairs. It is necessary to put 4.44, whereas from the factory they are 3.9. This will reduce the load on the clutch and engine, and improve dynamic performance.

Additionally, special spacers should be installed on the hubs, since the disc offset needs to be increased. Of course, with such additional procedures, installing larger tires and wheels can lead to serious financial costs, especially considering the high cost of such wheels. Despite all this, such alterations are worth it. The Niva on larger mud tires with lifting makes off-road driving a pleasure.

Choosing tires for Niva

An experienced owner of a 2121 is thinking about replacing tires for a reason; it’s not about extreme sports or the thrill of the sensations. Standard tires have poor off-road and asphalt performance, so replacement is a necessary measure.

When choosing tires for the Niva, you need to consider several basic parameters:

• operating conditions of the car (driving mainly on asphalt or in conditions where there is no hard surface on the road);
• will the car be tuned (it may require enlarging the standard arches, lifting the suspension and raising the body);
• the size of the available budget (large wheels with mud tires are expensive, and you will have to spend money on lifting and other modifications);
• choosing the right brand (good wheels from leading manufacturers also cannot be cheap).

When choosing tires, it will definitely not be superfluous to know their markings. That is, you need to write down the tire width, profile height and radial size of the rim on the Niva. In addition, you need to understand what characteristics of rubber are important for use at different times of the year and in different conditions, what are the technical characteristics, performance and much more.

215/75 R15

Usually, such rubber falls into place without any modifications. You just need to choose the right disk. Its diameter should be between 27-28 inches. Be sure to check the disc offset. The 35-58 mm option is suitable. In this configuration, you can freely install wheels without any additional intervention. But sometimes contact between the tires and the body may occur. This happens in the following cases:

• When the vehicle is heavily loaded;
• When traveling over big bumps;
• When suspension parts pass extreme points.

These are the disadvantages of this rubber.
By installing such tires, you will get greater cross-country ability, this is achieved by higher ground clearance, as well as by the large tread characteristic of these tires. Fuel consumption is also reduced. You don't have to lift the car; the ground clearance is already more than impressive. Thus, the advantages of such rubber outweigh all the disadvantages.

Among the all-terrain variants of this tire, the Dunlop Grand trek AT3

and
Yokohama Geolandar
.
These tires have proven themselves well in mud, sand and shallow snow. On dry asphalt they are somewhat inferior to analogues created specifically for highways. For city and dirt road trips, you can choose the Cordiant Off Road
or
the Kumho Road Venture
.
When traveling in deep snow (ice conditions), Nokian Hakkapeliitta SUV 7
and
Michelin Latitude X-ice North
. This tire is made taking into account all the features of snowy roads; studs are used for better grip. Also, they use a Scandinavian tread pattern, which provides maximum traction in conditions of heavy snow cover. All of the listed variations can be freely installed on Niva without any modifications.

General background information

Ranges of possible values ​​for tires and wheels VAZ 2121 Niva 1989.
Tires

Wheel disks

Photo

Expert advice

When choosing tires for a car, you must first follow the manufacturer's instructions. Ask yourself a few questions.

• On what roads will the car be primarily used?
• Do you need increased cross-country ability?
• How much of the route will be city roads and how much will be highways?
• Will the vehicle carry heavy loads?

The answers to these and similar questions will help determine which tire parameters you need to pay special attention to.

How to choose the right wheels for a VAZ 2121 Niva 1989?

3 types of rims:

• Stamped (economical price category) - made from a sheet of iron by stamping on a press.
• Light alloy - manufactured by casting (more reliable than stamped ones).
• Forged (the highest quality and more expensive than the previous ones) - made from light alloys by stamping at high temperatures.

The choice depends on financial capabilities. However, it should be borne in mind that the quality of the road surface on which you have to drive every day must also be taken into account.

So, if it gets into a hole, a stamped disk will bend and will not cause harm to the tire, but a forged or cast one can cut it. There is a possibility that the cast disc may burst or crack.

It should also be noted that repairing “stamping” wheels is cheaper than repairing cast or forged wheels. But wheels with high-quality cast and forged disks kill the suspension less, because lighter and have more perfect geometry (better balanced).

The same wheels may or may not rub with tires on the same car - wheel alignment adjustment will help here.

What is the tire pressure?

It is the driver's responsibility to constantly monitor tire pressure. This will avoid standard problems associated with vehicle operation. An abnormal pressure value often causes:

• deterioration of management;
• uneven tread wear.

Often the car owner independently reduces the pressure in the wheels of his own vehicle. This reduces the load on the suspension, and the car “passes” various road irregularities an order of magnitude easier. But it is worth noting: a decrease in pressure even by 0.1 MPa leads to serious problems. The main ones include:

• increased fuel consumption;
• rapid wear of the outer tread segments;
• the car becomes less maneuverable.

An overinflated wheel causes no less problems. The central part of the cylinder begins to wear off quickly. In addition, at ambient temperatures of more than 60 degrees Celsius, the tire may simply explode. Which will lead to driving into the oncoming lane.

Wheels for Niva - from small to large

Absolutely every driver has at least once had the thought that it’s time to get bigger wheels. Because the stock Nyvka is, of course, good, but as they say - more wheels - more possibilities. Therefore, let’s figure out what a driver will have to face in order to install tires of a larger diameter and, in general, whether it’s worth doing.

Basically, here we will collect all your questions and answers to them.

Is it worth switching to 15-inch wheels?

I think you know that most tire drivers are switching from standard 16″ wheels to 15″ ones. For what? The answer is prosaic - the choice of tires with a 15″ fit is many times greater than for 16. That’s why they switch, because they want to install a meaner rubber, but with 16″ options the cat cried. No, of course, if you drive a Kama Flame, then leave the standard wheels. But I think you will soon feel that you should at least install Cordiant.

What is the maximum tire size for a Niva without modifications (lift, cutting arches)?

If the car is new, then few people will want to cut the arches - this is a fact. So the answer is this: the maximum you can set is 215-75-R15. I have this one on my Shevik, which is stock, by the way. However, there’s an immediate counter-question here: what kind of wheels to take for these tires, because everything is right next to each other, and if you get smart about the takeoff, the tires will rub against the wheel arch liners. The answer is that you need to take wheels with an offset of 40, or at least 35.

So if you are looking towards 235 tires, then get ready to prepare the car, cut arches, lift, change the main pairs, etc. Do you need it? An increase of 1.5 cm in ground clearance, and work per million. It makes sense to use 235 tires only when you are planning to seriously offroad. And if you simply want to put the biggest wheels possible on your Nivko without any modifications, then your choice is 215-75-R15.

What disc offset will be optimal for Niva chassis parts?

The basic rule is “wider and larger wheels - less offset”, but within reasonable limits. Because many people like to set the offset to zero and the car will be very unstable on sharp turns and big tires. Maintain balance))

Therefore, if you decide to change the stock wheels (and this is what 99 percent of drivers decide to do after their first rides), then you will have to take different wheels, with a smaller offset. Larger tire diameter means shorter disc offset. But you need to maintain a balance, strive to be closer to ET58. Why is this necessary? The answer is the closer the offset is to ideal, the better for your suspension and bearings.

And therefore, on wheels 205/70/R15 (most often nivovods install Cordiant Off Road in this size and do it right) you need wheels with an offset of 48. You can put thirty-fifths, but these will be better. The car will be intact.

Well, if you decide to set the maximum without modifications to 215/75/R15, then reduce the ET to 35 and it will be normal. If you put it on wheels with forty-eighth, there is a possibility of wiping.

“Sneakers” of this size are considered almost ideal for a stock Niva - there is no need to take separate wheels, the dynamics are normal, the size is slightly larger than the standard one, there is no need to cut/lift anything. If you are not going to do much “bezdorov”, but purely for mushrooms, berries, fishing, hunting, and not particularly drilling, then the choice can be considered ideal.

As for the wheels, the answer is 40-45 offset, forty-five is better, of course. Closer to the recommended one is better for the machine. Put more and it will wipe with the steering wheel turned out.

Tires for Niva by manufacturer

The Niva owner can choose from a fairly extensive list of the best tires of different types and price categories. These are domestic wheels produced by Nizhnekamsk, Kirov, Barnaul, Altai, Volzhsky (Volturi) factories. As well as foreign ones, including Chinese Stalkers. Much depends on the modification on which they plan to install wheels - 3D, Bronto, Urban or some other.

Tires produced by Belshina were originally intended for agricultural machinery, so they are installed only on lifted vehicles. They also install “extreme” category tires with a size of 30 inches or more, as well as those intended for UAZ. Wheels for UAZ are produced by Russian factories.

How to choose tires for Niva

Tanks (in our case, Nivas) are not afraid of dirt. Accordingly, the choice of tires for a Russian SUV should be carefully thought out and justified.

Selection options

We bring to your attention several important characteristics that need to be taken into account when choosing tires to replace the factory set:

1. Operating conditions (smooth and high-quality asphalt pavement within the city or typical off-road conditions).
2. The need for additional modifications, in particular widening the wheel arches or bending the sides outward.
3. Technical characteristics (pattern, height, tread width) and offers from leading manufacturers.
4. Seasonality – all-season option or double set for summer and winter.
5. Estimated budget.

When choosing tires for the Niva, you need to take into account the operating conditions

Summer-winter or all-season

An all-season or summer-winter option is the first stumbling block. Winter tires are soft and resistant to sub-zero air temperatures.

It is important that tires do not tan in the cold. Otherwise, the likelihood of an accident increases

The main quality of winter tires is excellent grip on snowy or icy road surfaces.

The summer version, on the contrary, should be hard and resistant to wear. The rubber used to make summer tires is characterized by high resistance to elevated temperatures. Do not forget that the temperature of the asphalt pavement in the open sun can reach 50–55 °C.

The chemical compositions used for the manufacture of all-season tires are characterized by average statistical parameters. These tires perform well both in summer and winter. But with a strong increase in air temperature and heating of the road surface, tire wear increases. At the same time, an all-season vehicle is not the best option for driving on snow-covered or icy roads.

MT or AT

The next selection criterion is universal or mud tires.

AT (All Terrain) is a universal type of tire that is distinguished by an increased level of cross-country ability and a special tread structure. Bulky blocks with wide grooves promote rapid self-cleaning of the wheels. When operating in urban environments, the noise level may increase.

MT (Mud Terrain) – marking mark for mud tires. Such tires are used for cars that are driven off-road and on poor quality dirt roads. Distinctive features of MT tires are large grooves and a powerful pattern. “Evil” tires, as mud tires are often called, are unsuitable for use within the city. On a smooth, high-quality asphalt surface, there is an increase in noise and rapid wear of the rubber. Driving speed and driving comfort are low.

Distinctive features of MT tires are large ditches and powerful tread.

Tires for lifting and without

What is a lift and why is it needed? A lift is a modification of the suspension: trimming wheel arches, installing spring blocks with a large number of turns, installing spacers for ball joints, etc. Such manipulations allow you to replace the base rubber with a higher and wider profile.

Tires without a “lift” can be safely called the best option for motorists who are satisfied with the basic equipment or replacement options that do not require additional modifications.

What is better: summer - winter or all-season?

When choosing a tire, you must be guided by the weather conditions in which the tires will be used. They are made from different materials.

For winter, soft rubber is used, resistant to sub-zero temperatures, which has a high level of grip on icy and wet roads.

Summer tires are made from durable hard rubber, which is resistant to high temperatures.

All-season tires consist of chemical compounds that reach average parameters, which guarantee adequate density in summer and grip on slippery roads in winter. All-season tires have a characteristic tread structure that allows you to cope with snow in winter and ensures safety in conditions of heavy rain or icy roads. A special all-season tire for an SUV can really make your car a universal vehicle, but at the same time the fuel consumption of the car will increase, the dynamics and comfort will decrease when driving on asphalt, and tire wear will accelerate.

The most acceptable option for harsh winters is the option of winter - summer tires according to the season. in severe frosts they can behave inappropriately and you need to drive very carefully.

Which wheels are better to install on Lada 4×4

The choice of tires for R16 wheels is not large; most often they choose sizes 185/75 R16, 175/80 R16, or 215/65 R16. Due to the paucity of choice, many SUV owners install R15 wheels on their Lada 4×4.

R15 wheels can be borrowed from Chevrolet Niva wheels, which fit without modifications. Thus, the choice of tires will increase significantly and you will be able to choose the appropriate tires for certain operating conditions. In addition, a car with such wheels will look more stylish. In addition to standard tires for R15 wheels, you can install 205/75 R15 tires.

Do you dream of a Lada 4×4 with big wheels, but don’t want to cut the arches? The maximum tire size for a Lada 4×4 without modifications is 215/75 R15, and the rims must have an offset of 40, otherwise the tires will touch the fender liners. Finally, install alloy wheels on your Lada 4×4 and you will get a stylish SUV!

When choosing wheels, you should take into account the full diameter of the wheel; it should not differ much from the standard one. Compatibility table for Lada 4×4 tires and wheels:

Green indicates the minimum deviation of the wheel diameter (up to 3 mm); Orange indicates a diameter deviation from 3 to 6 mm.

Don't forget about the rim width:

When installing tires or wheels that differ in parameters

from those recommended by the factory, you can:

• be refused warranty repair of the chassis;
• be stopped by a traffic police inspector, who has the right to draw up a report on the car’s non-compliance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations;
• fail to pass technical inspection.

Choosing tires: where to start?

Why change tires at all? An experienced VAZ 2121 driver does not have such questions. Nivovod begins to think about replacing tires not because of a good life, nor in search of extreme sports or unusual sensations. The thing is that all-season factory tires 185/70 R16, being the result of compromises, unification and budgetary frameworks, turn out to be a very mediocre assistant both on the city highway, and when driving off-road, and in winter.

Off-road variant of Cordiant

Here you already have to choose tires for yourself, based on a number of basic parameters:

in what operating conditions will the future wheels be used, whether the car will have to cut through asphalt road surfaces or more, after all, off-road; how far the driver is ready to go in the matter of tuning his iron horse, will the owner’s heart tremble to send his brand new VAZ 21214 under the knife (some tire sizes require widening the wheel arches or bending their sides outward, lifting the suspension, as well as lifting the body of the VAZ 21214 directly above the frame ); based on the budget (a lift kit costs about 3-4 thousand rubles, it can be easily installed even in your garage, a completely acceptable set of tires can cost 3.5-4.5 thousand rubles, and the most “juicy” offers reach up to amounts of 8-12 thousand

rubles); take a thorough look at the offers of various brands (it’s worth paying attention to already proven brands, since good tires are not just a beautiful tread pattern, but also the correct chemical composition. And you can be sure that you won’t get a “pig in a poke” only by trusting a manufacturer with a good reputation).

You can’t do without basic knowledge of tire labeling. Typically, the name of the tire indicates three main parameters (for example, 185/70 R16). Where 185 is the tire width in mm, 70 is the profile height expressed as a percentage of the width and R16 is the radial diameter of the rim in inches. There is also almost a dozen additional information, incl. regarding the type of tire (M+S - all-season, AT or MT, these abbreviations are discussed in more detail below), manufacturer, operational and technical characteristics, braking coefficient (A - good, B - acceptable, C - so-so) and much more.

A couple of worthy candidates

In the end, how can we do without a few specific examples? Moreover, the experience of domestic nivovods, and not only them (there is a club of VAZ 2121 fans even in Japan) is very rich and people are not at all lazy to share with a friend a couple of useful tips on purchasing. We will start from different price ranges.

3,500-4,500 rubles. The minimum red price tag, for which it is quite possible to find a number of worthy offers for the VAZ 21214 The same “Bear” of the Y-569 series (good off-road, but extremely susceptible to wear on summer asphalt and absolutely uncontrollable on ice), Cordiant “off road” - here the problems with the asphalt road are less pronounced. All these are domestic manufacturers with good reputations).

8,000-12,000 rubles. For American quality on the domestic Niva you will have to pay about 8 thousand “wooden” ones; the BF GOODRICH brand, the Mud Terrain series of types KM1 and KM2, have proven themselves to be excellent. The price, of course, bites, but the cross-country ability really justifies the stated price tag. Well, from “Olympus” the most expensive offers are waving at us extreme tires from Silverstone such as MT-117 (but they are only suitable for off-road driving; on asphalt this “treasure” simply wears out ungodly quickly).

Effect of wheel and tire sizes

Depending on what wheel size is installed on the Niva 2121, driving characteristics can change dramatically, and an important factor is understanding what is generally required from the car. By increasing the wheel diameter, qualities such as car style, road holding, comfort when driving on a flat surface and control accuracy will improve.

The only downside of the increased diameter is driving on a dirt or rocky road: the Niva will shake and create inconvenience for the driver and passengers. By increasing the wheel width, all of the above qualities will be repeated, and the vehicle’s grip on the road and noise absorption will also improve.

The downside to using wide wheels is that tire wear will increase and fuel consumption will be higher. So you should choose the wheel size for the Niva 2121 carefully and take into account the terrain where the car will be used.

Installation of high profile wheels on a VAZ 2121

If you want to put large wheels on the Niva, but without cutting the arches, R15 wheels with sizes 215-75 are perfect. The tire offset should be no more than 40 millimeters, otherwise the wheel arch liners will become unusable due to the tire scraping the plastic. Therefore, the wheel size for the Niva 2121 without cutting the arches is only 215-75 and with a radius of 15 inches.

It is possible to install a larger radius, but it is worth choosing the size of the disk and tire in proportion to each other, in order to avoid their grinding against the wheel arch liners and damage to the wheel itself.

The best off-road tires for Niva: test results

In search of the best tires for an SUV, let's turn to the test conducted in 2022 in South Africa by 4x4 magazine, and maybe its results will help you choose off-road tires for the Niva.

There were 17 participants from 16 manufacturers in the tests, each of which presented the best models in their lines.

Tests were conducted in 5 categories:

1. Braking on asphalt;
2. Braking on gravel;
3. Traction force on sand;
4. Traction on gravel;
5. Overcoming the climb.

Basically, A/T took part in the competition, and these, by the way, are the best summer tires for the Chevrolet Niva.

So, let’s get acquainted with the models that hit the top ten:

10 – Velocity Raptor A/T

The Korean company TiAuto entered three of its models into the competition. In addition to Velocity, this is also the GT Radial, which rose a notch higher, as well as Hankook, which became only 14th. Velocity is unlikely to be found in Russian stores, so it’s not worth talking about them.

9 – GT Radial Adventuro A/T3

But domestic car enthusiasts are quite familiar with the GT Radial. And although there was no particular enthusiasm for this brand among them - at least in passenger sizes, here it showed itself quite well, taking the golden mean in the final table.

True, the indicators were unstable - if in other disciplines it was in the middle or closer to the tail, then in the traction test in sand it became third, behind only two brands, which in the end became winners.

8 – Firestone Destination AT

The brand of this tire belongs to the Japanese corporation Bridgestone, but for European countries it is produced in Spain and Hungary. In braking on asphalt and gravel, it showed perhaps the worst results, but in traction on gravel it was third.

7 – Dunlop Grandtrek AT3G

Dunlop is the only company to present two Grandtrek models for testing, which have different designs. AT3 G is a three-ply tire.

In the final table, it took seventh place, right after its “relative” – the two-layer AT3 M (with an increased load index). It showed the best results in braking efficiency - both on the highway and on gravel roads.

6 – Dunlop AT3 M

The two-ply Grandtrek, made using new technology, showed, although not the highest, but quite decent results, bypassing the three-ply tires of its own brand in all tests.

When braking on asphalt, this tire generally became the first, leaving far behind even the models that won in terms of all indicators.

5 – Michelin LTX A/T2

The Michelin tire ultimately showed good results, but was only 14th in braking on asphalt. She was best able to overcome the climb, which is why she ended up in 5th place.

4 – Bridgestone Dueler A/T D694

In all competitions, the Japanese Bridgestone was in 7th and 8th place, helped only by its amazing ability to go uphill.

3 – Continental CrossContact AT

The respected Continental, a regular at all kinds of test drives and often its winner, took the honorable third place. Here the tire managed to take third place, although it showed extremely unstable results.

When braking on asphalt it was generally 10th, on gravel it was 4th, and on sand it was 8th. But in the draft effort, the Continental became the first, which saved its position.

2 – Goodyear AT Adventure

The second prize-winner also did not shine in all categories. I was 12th in braking on asphalt and 9th on gravel, including in traction.

But the Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure had no equal in traction on sand, and the tire showed the best results. On the uphill climb, he became second, behind only General, who became the winner.

1 – General Grabber AT3

They say the winners are not judged. And yet, the gold medalist showed rather mediocre results in many disciplines. He was first only in climbing and second in both types of traction.

The situation with braking was much worse, since the results were only 9 on gravel and 12 on asphalt.

Using this test as an example, we were once again convinced that it is impossible to judge anything unambiguously

When choosing which mud tires to put on your Niva, take into account the conditions in which they will most often have to work.

Only in this case, even a high price will not reduce your joy from the purchase, because a properly shod car will become a reliable assistant not only on the road surface, but also where there is no trace of it.

Tire sizes - popular misconceptions and reality

Some things sound boring and are difficult to remember, but you need to know them. Especially for car enthusiasts. Especially those who consider themselves experts and have their own opinion on any matter. The devil is in the details, and this article is about one such detail.

There is no radius on a tire

Many people now won’t even understand what I’m getting at. “Well, radius, so what? I have 195-65R15 wheels, radius 15, it’s all written down, why are you being clever?!” That's what I'm being smart about. R15 has nothing to do with radius. Neither R nor 15.

Nowadays you can find a lot of information on the Internet, but such little things as the marking of car tires are not among the most popular. We’d rather discuss engine power or the number of goodies in the cabin, right? And we’ll leave the choice of wheels to the store manager. Well, or we’ll ask a friend. He definitely knows! He already has his third car!

In fact, it won’t hurt to understand these boring numbers even just for general development. Moreover, this will both help save money and influence the behavior of the car, but more on that later. For now, it’s a pure educational program, so that later we can understand each other well.

So, 195/65R15. Classic case. Let's squat down next to our car. The first number is the width of the running part of the tire, roughly speaking, the tread width. Expressed in millimeters. That is 195 mm. - this is the width of your wheel. Most people have no problems understanding this figure.

The fraction 65 is the profile size. Expressed as a percentage of the width. Not in millimeters! The profile is the part of the tire that “sticks out above the rim.” Sidewall. That is, the height of this sidewall will be 195x65% = 125.75 mm. Not 65 mm. And not anything else. Moreover, from this diagram it clearly follows that the height of 65% with a width of 195 will be one, but if the tire is marked (conditionally) 225/65R15, it will be completely different! 225x65%=146.25 mm. Although the numbers 65 are the same!

R is the radial design of the tire, or more precisely, the way the metal cord is laid inside it. Once upon a time, the tire design involved diagonal laying, but that was a long time ago. Nowadays you almost never see “bias” tires, they are all radial, and the letter R will not tell anyone anything new, it will only cause controversy about the notorious radius...

And finally, the number 15. This is the diameter. The diameter of the tire seat, the inner diameter, the part that comes into contact with the disc. Expressed in inches. 1 inch = 2.54 cm. That is, 15x2.54 = 38.1 cm This is also the outer diameter of the disk, if anyone hasn’t guessed...

Which tires can be installed and which cannot?

And then the fun begins. We can play with these numbers if we want to put other tires (rims) on the car. Ideally, the main thing is that the overall diameter does not differ, or differs slightly. Example.

The 195/65R15 wheel has the following overall diameter: 38.1 cm - inside, plus 125.75 mm x2 = 251.5 mm (there is a profile at both the top and bottom). Let's convert to centimeters for simplicity, it turns out 38.1 cm + 25.15 cm = 63.25 cm. That's how it is! This is the total diameter of the wheel.

Now, if you want to install other wheels, the car owner must understand the following: automakers understand this figure the same way as we do. Taking into account the wheel diameter, the suspension, braking system and body are designed. Therefore, for the same car model (for example, for a Volkswagen Polo sedan), three wheel sizes are officially allowed. The simplest version is content with 175/70R14 (total diameter 60.06 cm), 185/60R15 (60.3 cm) and 195/55R15 (59.55 cm).

It turns out that the “14 wheel” is BIGGER, albeit slightly, than the 15 wheel in the case of 195/55. This relates to the question raised above, about putting on bigger wheels for the winter. Everything needs to be calculated carefully. Will a larger diameter number mean a larger wheel size overall? Not always.

How to install low pressure tires on a Niva

The installation of low-pressure cylinders on the Niva is accompanied by significant modifications to the suspension and body panels of the car. The transmission and chassis are also affected. Basically the sequence of actions looks like this.

1. Production of drawings. Serious remodeling begins with design. Any mistake can cause unnecessary costs.
2. Body modification. Arches are cut out, bridge fastenings are strengthened.
3. Complete transmission replacement. Installing huge, heavy wheels overloads the gearbox and gearboxes.
4. Installation of a new suspension adjusted to wide rims.
5. Installation of wheels and decorative elements.
6. Running in the car.

A similar sequence is standard when converting any domestic car to low pressure cylinders.