Everything about wheels on a Chevy Niva and why you shouldn’t install Volga wheels?

What to look for when choosing off-road wheels

For such purposes of use, special samples are selected. Their main condition is the width, which will be slightly more than half the width of the tire. For example, for a rim whose width is 10 cm, a 12.5-inch tire is suitable.

Such criteria are selected taking into account the fact that when driving off-road, the air from the tire will gradually be released, while increasing the width of the rubber on the sides. This effect is of great importance, as it increases the contact surface of the wheel and provides the VAZ 2121 and 21214 Niva 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 so will the contact plane. Although such a change also has its advantages. For example, when driving on a hard dirt surface, narrower tires will grip the road better due to the larger protrusion of the treads. But when driving through a swamp or other similar soil, they will go worse than a rim on wide tires.

If you decide to install wheels with flattened tires on your VAZ 21214, then be sure to install additional fasteners on them - beadlocks. They will keep the tires in place during any maneuvers, braking, or slipping. A cheaper fixing option is to put the tires on a sealant. But this method is very unreliable.

Thanks for subscribing!

Standard sizes

Before choosing wheels and tires for the VAZ 2121 and 21214 Niva, you should carefully study the sizes of their standard, factory wheels. From the factory, this car was produced on wheels with the formula: 5J x 16, H2-ET = 58, DIA = 98, PCD = 5 x 139, 7. Accordingly, alloy wheels for the Niva should be the same, or slightly larger/smaller the maximum size allowed for this model.

In order to better understand what we are talking about, you need to know the decoding of the standard wheel formula. Thus, you can choose wheels and tires for the VAZ 2121 and 21214 Niva, correctly. Explanation of the formula:

• 5J – this number means that this wheel can accommodate 5-inch tires. Depending on the tire manufacturer, the allowable size may be 1 inch less or more. The letter “J” means that this disc has only one side.
• Number 16 is the diameter of the wheel rim assembly.
• H2 - indicates that the design of the wheel rim provides for the presence of two hangers. Khanty are special protruding rings located on the edge of the rim. They serve to ensure that tubeless tires are securely fixed, especially when the force of the road surface moves onto the working plane of the tire. Simply put, they secure the tires during maneuvers and are mandatory on off-road rims.
• ET – designation of the disc overhang size in mm. Of course, they are allowed to disdain, but only to a lesser extent, and no more than 1 cm. Remember, the smaller the offset, the greater the distance between the wheels of Niva 2121 and 21214.
• DIA – hub diameter size in millimeters.
• PCD is a designation indicating the number of holes for mounting the wheel and the diameter at which they are located.

As mentioned earlier, on the Niva 2121 and 21214, it is possible to install slightly larger or smaller wheels. So, the most successful choice would be the wheels from the American prototype - the Chevrolet Niva. They are ideal for fastenings and have the following dimensions:

• 0J x 15 ET = 48 – for stamped options;
• 5J x 15 ET = 40 – for the option with cast samples.

It is best to select the appropriate rim diameter after you have decided on the choice of off-road tire.

Casting or stamping

Now car owners are increasingly choosing not standard stamped wheels for Toyota Corolla, but cast ones. They prefer to use such discs primarily because of aesthetics - they look much more impressive. However, stamping has proven itself much better in operation, especially when driving frequently on bad roads with a lot of uneven surfaces.

The Toyota Corolla wheel rims currently offered on the market are very high quality parts. Reliable light alloy materials are used for production, thanks to which the spectacular appearance is preserved for years, as is protection against corrosion.

Selecting the optimal tire pressure

The best option recommended by the manufacturer of the Toyota Corolla is 2.2 atmospheres. However, this value is not constant and is largely determined by driving speed. In addition, the size of the tires installed on the rims of the Toyota Corolla wheels also has an impact.

There is an important feature of models produced between 1997 and 2002 - here the pressure is not equal across all four supports. The pressure in the front should be slightly lower than in the rear - a difference of only 0.1 atmosphere is enough.

If the Toyota Corolla has products of size R16, then for travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, the optimal value will be a pressure of 2.2 atmospheres. If you are going to travel at high speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour, the pressure should be increased to 2.5 atmospheres.

Features of the bolt pattern

In order to correctly select and install wheel rims, you need to know the scheme in accordance with which the fastening is carried out - the bolt pattern. This diagram indicates how the bolts securing the product to the hub should be located. It also indicates how many bolts there should be and what the size of the holes should be.

The basic solution for Toyota Corolla is 5 x 100, while the offset ranges from 35 to 38. The hole size is 5.4 centimeters. If the wheel set is to be replaced, all the values ​​​​indicated in the bolt pattern of the Toyota Corolla must be taken into account, because another model may use a different bolt pattern. The exact characteristics can be found in the vehicle's registration certificate.

Sources

Chevrolet Niva Restyling 2009 1.7i

Generation: Restyling Engine: VAZ-2123, I4, Gasoline Power: 79 hp
(58 kW) Wheel bolt pattern parameters

What wheel sizes does the manufacturer recommend to install?

The Chevrolet Niva Restyling 2009 1.7i is equipped with 6Jx15 ET40 rims and 205/70 R15 95T tires as standard. Where:

• 6J - rim width in inches;
• 15″ — tire diameter in inches;
• ET40 - disc offset in millimeters.

The vehicle tire marking 205/70 R15 is deciphered as follows:

• 205 — profile width (cross section of the tire) in millimeters;
• 70 - profile height as a percentage of its width;
• R - radial cord winding;
• 15 is the tire diameter in inches.

In addition, information about its load capacity and speed parameters can be printed on the rubber - load index and speed index. The load index is a two- or three-digit number; the speed index is indicated in Latin letters, for example 95T:

• 95 - maximum permissible tire load 690 kg;
• T — maximum permissible vehicle speed is 190 km/h.

Using the recommended tire sizes will help you avoid problems with handling, safety and other difficulties. What non-standard sizes can be supplied? Refer to the table; it indicates possible acceptable alternative sizes for tuning. Although there are other options that we have not described in the table. For example, wider discs of the same diameter. Or install wheels of the same width, but with a larger diameter, which is quite popular among car owners. The choice of discs is huge; you can find copies with the same parameters, but with an overhang 1-2 millimeters more or less. It is not possible to list all the options.

At the same time, the bolt pattern for all types of wheels is the same - 5 × 139.7. Thus, all the disks are fastened with five bolts and the distance between them is exactly one hundred and thirty-nine point and 70 hundredths millimeters. The car's hub diameter is 98.5 mm.

Standard tire pressure is 1.9 MPa.

Why is it important to know the Niva Chevrolet bolt pattern?

To replace disks, take into account their parameters:

• departure;
• bolt pattern;
• width;
• diameter.

If the last two indicators have established tolerances, then the first ones have very specific indicators.

Wheel rims are attached to the hubs using bolts. The number and distance between them depends on :

• models;
• wheel loads;
• other factors.

The wheels on the car are secured with 5 five bolts located at an equal distance from the center . Bolt pattern is the marking of holes for mounting mounting bolts. Characterized by the diameter of the circle and the number of bolts.

The mounting holes are made with an allowance selected when tightening the bolts . The center of the wheel and the hub are aligned, and if you install disks with distances between the holes that differ by 1-2 mm, this will not be noticeable. However, the wheel will be skewed, and this will cause vibration and wear of the rubber.

Important! Wheels should be installed with distances between fasteners recommended by the manufacturer.

The car is equipped with 15 or 16 inch wheels with five mounting bolts . The distance between the fastening elements does not depend on the radius, but depends on the offset.

What to consider when choosing tires and wheels for Niva cars

The classic three-door “short” Niva (“short” is the VAZ 2121, 21213, 21214, the “long” is the VAZ 2131 and extended Viso models) has a relatively small ratio of the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) to the track width. Such a car is called “short wheelbase”. A short wheelbase leads to poor vehicle handling if it skids. If the “short” Niva skids at a more or less decent speed, it is almost impossible to align it in a straight line using the controls; sometimes the car can make several 360-degree turns until the moment when it is possible to “catch” it with the steering wheel.

If you install low offset wheels on a “short” car, the track width will increase and the base to track ratio will become even smaller. At the same time, the car’s tendency to skid on a slippery road increases, and the driver’s ability to pull it out of the skid decreases. In addition, the expansion of the track leads to an increase in the load on the bearings of the front wheel hubs and the bearings of the axle shafts of the rear wheels and, as a result, their rapid failure.

Thus, when choosing wheels and tires, you should strive to ensure that the center of the wheel being installed is at the point where the center (contact patch with the road) of the standard wheel was. If the wheel being installed is wider than the standard one, the disk must be selected with an increased offset. For standard wheels, the use of disks with a short offset is impractical and even dangerous, especially on “short” cars.

What wheel radius can be installed on a Chevrolet Niva

Wheels of size R15 are installed at the factory. The letter suffix indicates the use of radial tires, and the numeric suffix indicates the wheel diameter in inches. When using the car in off-road conditions, you can install wheels with a larger diameter, for example R16-17. But this requires minor changes to the chassis, such as the use of spacers to increase ground clearance.

It is important to remember that the use of wheels with a diameter larger than those recommended by the manufacturer leads to increased load on the engine and improper functioning of the chassis.

How to change a wheel bearing yourself

(as well as the rear) Chevrolet Niva has exactly the same design as old cars, and their repair and replacement are carried out according to the same scheme. Initially, you should go to any car wash, where you should thoroughly wash the entire front suspension under high pressure. For crossovers, this advice is especially important.

• The front of the car is raised using a jack;
• The corresponding wheels, brake pads and calipers are dismantled;
• The hinge pin is untwisted and pressed out using a special tool;
• The bolts from the hinges and nuts are removed.
• After this, you have the opportunity to examine the part for damage and make appropriate repairs. Regardless of whether you plan to replace the bearings, you should change the seals.

After removal, the inner race along with the rollers must be thoroughly washed with kerosene. After this, you will be able to visually assess the bearing damage. It is worth remembering that these parts are replaced only in pairs.

• There is no possibility of adjusting the backlash using a nut (tightening does not help);
• The rollers and clips are heavily scratched;
• Overheating is detected and a hum is observed.

If you observe one of these signs, you need to get new bearings for your Chevrolet Niva. Otherwise, only the lubricant and oil seal need to be changed. Pressing occurs using special nozzles. Do not throw away the old clip, as you will need it to install the new part. If difficulties arise, you can always find one of the many videos on the Internet that demonstrate this process.

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.

Popular brands of car wheels

Many well-known Russian and global automakers produce wheels at their own factories. The range of such products is formed based on the characteristics, cost and equipment of car models produced at the factories of a particular concern.

At the same time, automakers may recommend rims of certain brands to equip their vehicles. This situation allows us to systematize products manufactured in the disc segment by car brand and create an unofficial rating of products from different brands:

The best way to select wheels by car make is a virtual selection using special programs that take into account the maximum range of parameters, from wheel diameter to the features of a specific car model.

Wheel chains

You can get out of the mud or overcome a snow drift on regular road tires.
That's what snow chains are for. They are fixed on the wheel rims and encircle the tire, allowing it to “cling” more firmly to the muddy ground or loose snow. Chains are not designed for long trips - they wear out quickly and accelerate tire wear. Therefore, they are equipped with special locks that allow you to attach or remove iron “bracelets” in a couple of minutes.

Help: Chains are marked according to the radius of the discs. For Chevy Niva it is 15, 16 or, on non-standard wheels, 17 inches.

Wheel bracelets are very effective and do not take up much space in the trunk. This is a simple, fast and cheap way to increase the cross-country ability of a car on road tires.

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.

Characteristics of alloy wheels for Chevrolet Niva

The wheel for the Chevrolet Niva weighs 29.7 kilograms. The disc itself reaches 11.4 kg. It turns out that the tire weighs 18.3 kilograms. The width of the wheel is 243-244 millimeters, and the height is 745-750 millimeters.

For the Chevrolet Niva SUV, you need to buy wheels of such a size that the wheels do not touch the body, do not spoil the brake system, and their centering ring must coincide with the hub. In this case, you need to know the factory parameters of the machine in order to choose the right wheels.

Type of disks

• Stamped steel. Typically, such a rim is the most budget option. These wheels are installed at the factory during car production. The advantages include the low price and the possibility of quick recovery during repairs.
• Aluminum. The optimal choice in terms of price/quality ratio. Made using factory casting. They are lightweight and not susceptible to corrosion. At the same time, they are very susceptible to destruction; upon impact, deformation of the wheel is possible.
• An alloy containing magnesium and aluminum. They have increased strength compared to the previous type, since they are made using hot stamping.
• Combined alloy. They are distinguished by the highest strength and ability to quickly recover when damaged.

On a Chevrolet Niva, the wheel size is usually 15 inches (R15). Typically, car owners install alloy wheels on their cars. They enjoy deserved popularity due to their low price and more beautiful appearance compared to stampings. Due to their low weight, they provide faster acceleration and provide shorter braking distances due to reduced inertia. Also, the installation of such discs allows for more efficient cooling of the front brake discs, allowing a large air flow to pass through. This is especially true in hot weather because standard stamped discs provide virtually no air flow to the brake system, causing severe overheating during braking.

Aluminum and steel rims are installed on vehicles from the factory, depending on the configuration. However, their appearance is absolutely the same. Therefore, when purchasing, it is not necessary to choose a more expensive package. You can additionally purchase any rims you like, the main thing is that their diameter and mountings match the recommended parameters.

Wheels for Niva Chevrolet

To correctly replace wheels on a Chevrolet Niva, you need to know the basic parameters of the wheels of the car brand. The first thing you need to look at is the bolt pattern (PCD). She shows:

• number of mounting holes;
• the radius along which the centers of the mounting holes are located.

Thanks to the bolt pattern, it becomes clear whether the disk can be suitable for a particular car, if we take into account the technical side.

For Niva, the PCD parameter values ​​can be as follows:

• 5x139.7 with a reach of 40 mm;
• 5x139 with a reach of 48 mm.

Today you can install 4 variants of disks on the Chevrolet Niva:

• stamped;
• cast;
• forged;
• prefabricated (forged rim and cast disc).

They differ not only in manufacturing method and appearance, but also in materials. Discs can be made from:

• Stamped steel. They are created by the manufacturer. The cheapest wheels that have the same appearance. Once they fail, they can be repaired.
• Aluminum. They are also called cast, so the shape and appearance are decorative. Light weight compared to steel. They are highly resistant to corrosion.
• Magnesium alloy with the addition of titanium. The hot stamping method is used for manufacturing. Light weight, high strength. It is very difficult to bend such a wheel, unlike previous materials.

"Niva Chevrolet" with or with "casting". Which wheels are installed depends on the vehicle configuration:

• L and LC - steel wheels with a radius of 15 inches;
• GL and GLC - light alloy wheels with a radius of 16 inches.

In 2015, a luxury version LE+ appeared, which is equipped with black alloy wheels “Camelot” (K&K) size 7Jx16H2 and Continental Cross Contact tires.

Thus, the size of Chevy Niva wheels is clearly defined by the manufacturer - it is either R15 or R16. In this case, in the first case there will be “stamping”, and in the second - “casting”. Many drivers prefer alloy wheels, since with them the car picks up speed faster (they are lighter than stamped ones), while the braking distance is shorter. There are small holes all around the disc, which plays a positive role in the summer when it’s hot, as there is additional airflow into the brake system.

How many bolt holes are there on Niva wheels?

Drilling requires 5 holes for five bolts. For a 4x4 field: 5 and 139.7 diameter of the holes in the field. The dimensions are presented in the table:

The first column shows the number of bolts and the diameter of the circle for each car, the second column shows the rim width, and the third column shows the diameter of the hole.

Many drivers do not always pay attention to the specified drilling of Niva disks when choosing wheels. You can allow the dimensions to be inaccurate, a few millimeters may “walk”, and therefore the wheel will not fit tightly. You need to make an accurate calculation, because this is safety!

All wheel parameters

In each catalog, in addition to the beautiful design, cast, stamped or forged disks are marked with indexes and sizes.

Compliance with the recommended parameters will allow you to choose the right wheel rim.

The disk for a Chevrolet Niva can be designated as follows: 6Jx15-5×139.7-ET40-DIA98.5 .

Let's chew on each of these indexes separately:

• 6J is the mounting size of the disk, expressed in inches, J indicates the type of flange profile on the disk;
• 15 — diameter of the ring part of the tire;
• 5 — number of mounting holes;
• 139,7 — the diameter at which the centers of the mounting holes are located;
• ET40 - disk offset, that is, the distance in millimeters from the hub mating plane to the geometric center of the disk in width;
• DIA 98.5 is the hub fit size, respectively, the size of the central hole on the disk.

Dimensions of standard wheels

A peculiarity of domestic car models, including the Chevrolet Niva, is the lack of individual wheels for a specific year of manufacture of the car.

Common wheel sizes for Niva Chevrolet:

• rim width 8 inches;
• rim diameter 15 inches;
• offset ET40 – distance between the plane of fastening and symmetry.

Failure to comply with these parameters may result in:

• rapid wear of mechanical parts and components of the vehicle chassis;
• Excessive load on the wheel arches of a car and their breakdown, for example, the use of wheels with a dimension greater than R16 and a high rubber profile, will negatively affect the condition of the fender liner. Its surface will be erased. On the Internet you can see a large number of photos devoted to this topic.

Another important parameter is the bolt pattern or drilling of the disk. It is designated by the Latin letters PCD. For Niva Chevrolet it is installed by the manufacturer with dimensions 5x139.7. The number 5 means that the disk is fixed to the hub with five bolts, which are located on a circle, and the distance between adjacent fastening bolts corresponds to 139.7 mm.

The center hole (DIA) of the rim is 98.5mm

Therefore, when choosing a wheel, you need to pay special attention to this parameter, since a discrepancy from the standard even by 1 mm will certainly affect the quality of the disk fastening to the hub. After some time, due to a loose fit, the hub will simply wear off

And the last no less important parameter is the ET offset, which should not exceed a value of 40. Otherwise, this will lead to failure of the internal bearing. The most acceptable offset for the Niva Chevrolet is ET35.

Therefore, a larger thread pitch will not work. Factory original nuts are made using a special technique. When screwed onto the studs, they come out on the other side, and the internal cavity has the shape of a cone. It was the use of cone nuts that made it possible to achieve a certain result:

• the hole is centered;
• The wheel rim fits tightly to the hub.

Nuts on a Niva car are:

• Open – with a through hole.
• Closed – eliminate the possibility of the studs passing through the internal cavity of the nut.

For Niva Chevrolet, closed type fasteners are used. They are tightened with a regular 19 mm wheel wrench. Standard products are chrome plated and made of steel with carbon components.

Some car owners strive to install beautiful wheels of a larger size on their car than those supplied by the manufacturer. The Nyva Chevrolet body allows this to be done thanks to the design of the car's wheel arches. Wheel sizes that do not require modifications to the body are considered 215/75 with a minimum offset of 35.

If the driver has installed a tire with a profile over 215mm, then the arches will have to be trimmed a little, and the ET offset should exceed 58mm. The most optimal reach size is 40-45. Therefore, when planning the installation of new wheels and tires, you need to carefully study this issue. To do this, special websites are offered to help the car enthusiast, where on videos and photos you can see in detail the entire procedure from choosing a wheel to replacing it.