Wheel size for Chevrolet Niva - tires and wheels R15 and 16, choice of winter and summer tires

Winter tires

Responsible owners of iron horses have a separate set of wheels for each season: summer and winter. Many even purchase special tires to overcome mud. This approach seems to be the most correct. Although there are still those who believe that since the Chevrolet Niva is positioned as an SUV, there is no need to change summer tires with the onset of cold weather. The reason in this case is usually the same - the desire to save money. Of course, purchasing a new seasonal kit comes with costs. In addition, when changing wheels, you will have to spend money not only on their installation, but also on balancing.

However, savings in this case are unacceptable.

• The aerodynamics of an SUV are not its strongest side, so a car with all-wheel drive and high ground clearance does not have high stability on slippery surfaces.
• Off-road qualities are manifested not at all on an icy road, but off-road.
• The weight of 4x4 vehicles is significantly higher compared to their passenger counterparts, which is why they are characterized by greater inertia and, accordingly, longer braking distances.

So you can’t ignore the rules that apply to owners of regular hatchbacks or sedans. As you know, for different seasons, tires are made from certain rubber compounds that differ in ductility in different temperature ranges. Summer tires lose their elasticity, which largely determines the car’s behavior on the road, already at +5 degrees; all-season tires can be used down to -5.

When choosing tires, you should focus on the climatic conditions of the region. Many people are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to install all-season wheels on a Niva. If there is no frost or snow in winter, then you can opt for these tire models. Frequent trips to icy surfaces require the installation of studded tires.

And, of course, do not forget that the tires change on both axles and all tires must be the same (from the same manufacturer and the same parameters).

Important! Tire pressure must comply with the parameters set by the manufacturer. Otherwise, the car's behavior on the road may be unpredictable.

Only by observing these requirements can you ensure comfort and safety for yourself and others.

Tire size for Chevy Niva

In addition to different standard sizes, tires also have a specific purpose that corresponds to their operating conditions.

In order to correctly select the most suitable rims for wheels on the Shniva, you need to know what types of rims are available and how they are made:

1. For example, stamped ones, being the cheapest and easiest to produce, are made by stamping from rolled steel. They are easily restored after deformation, but are heavy in weight, which affects the condition of the suspension and worsens the car’s handling. In addition, stamped discs are susceptible to corrosion and bend easily.
2. Cast wheels, made from aluminum and other light alloy metals, are not as heavy as steel, have an attractive appearance and do not corrode. But at the same time they are noticeably more expensive and suffer from excessive fragility.
3. Forged wheels, being the most expensive ones, become lighter and stronger through additional mechanical and heat treatment than cast ones.

The most popular wheels among Chevrolet Niva owners are from the following cars:

• "Suzuki Grand Vitara";
• "Suzuki Jimmy";
• "Kia Sportage";
• "Volga".

Car wheels differ greatly both in appearance and in the manufacturing method.

First of all, you should remember that universal tires, which are installed from the factory, perform very mediocre on and off the track. An experienced car owner approaches the choice based on several conditions:

1. Conditions (road surface);
2. The presence or absence of tuning (lifting, widening of wheel arches);
3. Price;
4. Manufacturer's authority.

Together with the above list, it is necessary to decide on the parameters that were written above. But not every buyer can take into account so many indicators at the same time, so let’s conditionally divide tires into two categories: some are more suitable for urban conditions and the highway, while others are adapted for off-road use.

Car owners often decorate steel wheels with decorative plastic caps. You can install linings with a radius of 15 or 16 inches on standard Chevrolet Niva wheels.

However, you need to take into account that the hubcaps often fall off when driving on rough roads. You can try to save them in a simple way - fasten them to the disk with a plastic tie.

However, this method does not help on serious off-road conditions. Plastic does not withstand heavy loads when driving in deep mud, sand or snow.

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The best summer tires for Chevrolet Niva

From spring to autumn, it is best to drive a Chevrolet Niva on summer tires. Especially when the daily route runs along city streets or country roads. Experts liked the following tire models.

Yokohama BluEarth-Van RY55

Rating: 4.9

Summer tires Yokohama BluEarth-Van RY55 are designed for use on commercial vehicles, crossovers and SUVs. The element of rubber is city streets and country roads. In such conditions, the tires feel confident on both dry and wet asphalt. Experts note fuel efficiency, which should please Chevrolet Niva owners. Japanese designers worked out the tread pattern in detail, this made it possible to increase directional stability and reduce rubber deformation in the transverse direction. Domestic motorists also express their solidarity with the experts, making the model the winner of our review.

The main advantages of tires, according to users, are softness, wear resistance, and good balancing.

Advantages

• directional stability;
• affordable price;
• resistance to transverse deformation;
• fuel efficiency.

Flaws

• not detected.

Continental CrossContact ATR

Rating: 4.8

A successful balance between the main performance qualities allowed the Continental CrossContact ATR summer tires to win silver in our review. German tires are designed for crossovers and SUVs. The tread pattern has an unusual look for the brand. In the center there is a large number of blocks, united in groups of threes. They are responsible for directional stability and excellent traction and grip properties. If the central part is flexible, then the shoulder areas have a rigid connection. This structure increases efficiency during acceleration, maneuvering and braking.

Positive assessments prevail in reviews of Russian consumers. Car enthusiasts like tires for their versatility, noiselessness, and tenacity. The downside is the high price.

Advantages

• good handling;
• noiselessness;
• effective braking;
• resistance to aquaplaning.

Flaws

• high price.

Rating of the best tires for Chevrolet Niva

All-season tires for Chevrolet Niva

When can you install all-season tires on your car? In two cases. First, your region should have mild winters without much rainfall. Secondly, if you do not have the opportunity to buy separately winter and summer tires.

Sometimes “mud” tires for Chevrolet Niva are also classified as all-season tires. But this is not entirely correct. Yes, such tires are adapted for all-season use, but they are primarily designed for harsh off-road conditions and will not be as effective on asphalt. The selection of such tires is a very individual matter, and they are most often produced by manufacturers specializing in such tires.

See the table for several popular all-season tires.

Maxxis AT-771

Goodyear Wrangler HP

What tire sizes does the manufacturer recommend to install?

The choice of tires is a real problem for most Chevrolet Niva owners due to the fact that the “range of sizes” is limited. Driving for a long time on tires with inappropriate sizes leads to decreased vehicle control and emergency situations.

The abbreviation stands for as follows:

• wheel rim width;
• surface diameter;
• reach length;
• tire width;
• height in percent;
• diameter of the metal rim.

The higher the disc is installed on the car, the greater the risk of skidding and reduced control efficiency. At the same time, excessively low wheels also negatively affect ground clearance, lower ground clearance, and limit the vehicle’s maneuverability.

What pressure should be set in tires

Setting normal tire pressure will reduce vehicle maintenance costs by reducing fuel consumption and tire wear. In addition, the driving safety and maneuverability of the vehicle depend on the tire pressure.

The tire pressure for cars with an R 15 rim should be 1.9 kg/cm², and for a R16 rim, slightly higher than 2.0 kg/cm². On Chevrolet Niva cars with 4x4 axles in off-road conditions, as well as in winter when driving on loose snow, you can reduce the pressure to 1.2-1.5 kg/cm². On a flat, high-speed highway, many increase tire pressure by 0.1-0.2 kg/², although this leads to stiffer car suspension and reduces ride comfort.

What kind of wheels does a Chevrolet Niva have from the factory?

Owners of Nivs received different wheels and tires in different configurations. So what kind of wheels does the Chevrolet Niva have from the factory?

Owners of fifteen-inch wheels received original tire sizes of 205/75 R15 and 205/70 R15. Owners of sixteen-inch wheels got size 215/65 R16.

Wheel bolt pattern Niva Chevrolet

The bolt pattern of Chevrolet Niva wheels is a parameter that is marked as PCD in the wheel markings. The bolt pattern of the Niva Chevrolet wheels is 5×139.7. These numbers marked PCD mean that the wheels on the Niva are mounted on 5 wheel bolts, and the distance between the centers of the holes for them is 139.7 mm. There is also information that in 2002, modifications of the Chevrolet Niva 1.7 and 1.8 i were fitted with wheels with a bolt pattern of 5×139 and an offset of ET 48. Please note that you cannot use wheels with a bolt pattern of 5/139 if you are prescribed to use 5 /139.7 !

Bolt pattern 5x139.7 on a cast wheel

Bolt pattern 5x139.7 on a stamped disc

The fact is that the difference in diameter of less than a millimeter is unnoticeable during installation - the disc will still sit on the hub studs. But when tightening the nuts, the wrong disc will not be properly secured. That is, the wheel can simply unscrew while driving! Therefore, carefully observe all parameters of the Niva Chevrolet wheel size.

Niva Chevrolet wheel size

What about other important disk parameters? If the diameter of the rims of your Niva Chevrolet wheel is 15 inches, then in addition to the PCD 5×139.7 bolt pattern, they have a width from 6J to 6.5J (in inches), an offset of 40 and a hub hole diameter of 98.5 mm. If you have 16-inch wheels, then they have a width from 6J to 7J, but other parameters are the same.

What is the original on the wheels of Niva owners? Judging by information from open sources, AvtoVAZ makes wheels independently. But the tires on the conveyor are most often supplied by the Altai Tire Plant. And in the tire rating they are not even in the top twenty...

Hiking tires for Niva

Since the old models are no longer produced, you don’t have to remember about the tires on which they came off the assembly line. VLI-5 has been out of production for a long time, and it is unlikely that anyone has survived to this day. Therefore, we will not consider them even as wheels for a used Niva.

The Yaroslavl Ya-192, which also appeared as a first-equipment tire, may still be available on old Nivas. But it is only good on hard ground, and if the car gets on sand or peat, it will certainly get stuck.

There are other purely domestic tires - not the fruits of joint production with eminent companies, but invented by Russian minds. Even those tire models that are declared by their creators to be OFF ROAD (off-road tires) are not actually such.

For example, Cordiant. Next to a good off-road tire, it pales in comparison – not only in appearance, but also in performance.

Pictured are Cordiant Off Road mud tires on the right.

The tread of the same Cordiant Off Road seems to be deep, but due to the mediocre composition of the rubber, when artificial rubber is used instead of natural rubber, the tires do not get the properties they need.

In addition, they are very unsuited to working at low pressure, which worsens the car’s well-being on real off-road conditions. This tire is not used for the first configuration, and if you are driving outside the city, we do not recommend installing it on such a car.

Then what wheels can be installed on the Niva so that it copes with the task as well as possible?

Standard wheel sizes

The factory equipment of the Shnivy provides for the installation of two wheel options: 15- and 16-inch. Based on this, and also taking into account the dimensions of the wheel arches, the tire sizes are also binary: 205/75 R15 and 215/65 R16. When using wheels with such indicators, the manufacturer guarantees their trouble-free mileage in a variety of conditions, including even diagonal hanging.

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At the same time, some deviations from the factory settings are allowed. For example, 215/75 R15 tires fit well into existing wheel arches without catching wheel arches or other parts of the body even with maximum steering or when driving off-road. However, if you install “mud” tires of the same size in this car, then in some positions the side wheel lugs may abnormally catch the wheel arch liners or bumper. 225/75 R16 tires can behave similarly if the steering wheel is in one extreme position or another.

The standard wheels of the Chevrolet Niva ensure trouble-free operation of the vehicle in a variety of road conditions.

Tire markings are deciphered as follows:

• tire width in millimeters;
• percentage ratio of the tire height to its width;
• inner (landing) diameter of the tire in inches.

Tire sizes are directly related to their performance. Wide tires have a larger grip area and a shorter braking distance. In addition, wide wheels have a lower specific ground pressure, which improves the vehicle's maneuverability in off-road conditions. That is, the advantages of wide tires are obvious. However, there is also a downside to the coin, which worsens the good picture of using wide tires:

1. As tire width increases, rolling friction increases proportionally, which requires additional fuel consumption.
2. A large area of ​​contact with the road provokes aquaplaning, that is, sliding through puddles, which is less likely with narrow tires.
3. Reducing the specific ground pressure, which improves the vehicle's off-road performance, simultaneously worsens the vehicle's handling on country roads.
4. Wide tires weigh more than narrow tires, which puts additional stress on the suspension.

That is, the use of wide tires is justified only when the vehicle is primarily used in off-road conditions.

Based on the ratio of the height of the tire to its width, tires are divided into:

• low profile (from 55% and below);
• high-profile (up to 60–75%);
• full-profile (from 80% and above).

At the factory, high-profile tires are installed on the Chevrolet Niva car. In order to install full-profile tires on it, it is necessary to carry out a suspension lift. If you install low-profile tires on standard wheels, the ground clearance can reach a dangerously low level, which threatens the car’s components with damage.

2056017 with an overall wheel height of 31.4 inches and a 265/70/17 of 31.6 inches.

2358516 is 31.7 inches, 2657516 is 31.6 inches, and 2857016 is 31.7 inches.

215/75 R15 - 31.3 inches.

Without using lifting, you can install wheels on a Chevrolet Niva 4x4 with the dimensions discussed above. It should be taken into account that although these dimensions fit normally into the standard parameters of the car, when using, for example, “mud” tires, problems may arise with the wheels catching the wheel arch liners or bumper. Most often, Shniva owners install UAZ wheels with a diameter of 31 inches on their cars.

Often, car enthusiasts believe that lifting increases the ground clearance of the car. However, this is not an entirely accurate judgment. In reality, ground clearance is increased due to the use of wheels of larger diameter, which can reach 33 inches. But lifting helps to install such wheels.

• more aggressive surroundings of the car;
• possibility of installing mud tires on it;
• protection of components and assemblies from road irregularities due to higher ground clearance.

Most often, the lifted Chevrolet Niva 4x4 is equipped with wheels reaching a size of 240/80 R15.

Lifting allows you to install wheels of a larger diameter and with better maneuverability on your car.

The wheel size for this SUV is in accordance with the parameters of the installed wheel rim. The disk on the Chevrolet Niva has the following parameters: disk offset (ET) - 40 mm, bolt pattern - 5x39.5 mm, hub hole diameter - 98.5 mm. The mounting diameters of the wheels, depending on the modification of the SUV, come in sizes 15 and 16 inches.

"Niva Chevrolet"

As standard, the SUV is equipped with aluminum and steel stamped wheel rims. Owners can change them to purchased cast or forged ones.

All-season tires

Off-road tires

The wheel alignment angles on the Chevrolet Niva SUV are as follows:

• The longitudinal inclination angle of the turning axis is 3° 40' /-30'. This is the angle between the vertical and the projection of the line that passes through the centers of the ball joints onto a plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine. It stabilizes the steering of the wheels in the direction of straight-line movement.
• Wheel camber angle - 0° 30' / -30'. This is the angle between the plane of rotation of the wheel in a straight position and the vertical. It is responsible for the correct position of the rolling wheel during suspension operation.
• The wheel toe value is 0/-1 mm. This is the angle between the plane of rotation of the wheel and the longitudinal axis of the car.

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