What size tires can be installed on a Chevrolet Niva?

Choosing the right tire size for a car means ensuring the longevity of all components and assemblies, as well as guaranteeing safety when driving on the roads. In this case, many factors must be taken into account: climatic conditions, road conditions, as well as your financial capabilities.

The tires installed on the car determine the cross-country ability, ground clearance, noiselessness and smoothness of driving on a broken road. When developing the car at the factory, taking these conditions into account, the following tire sizes were installed for various configurations:

The table shows that the wheel width for cars of different configurations is 6 and 6.5 inches. The diameter of the hole for mounting on the hub is 98.5 mm, fastening to the hub using 5 M12x1.5 bolts located at a diameter of 139.7 mm. All discs have a distance between the hub and the rim surface of 40 mm.

The tire designation means the following: 205 or 215 tire width in mm, 65 or 70 a value characterizing the height of the tire rim, otherwise it is called the profile. R15 or R16 tire inner diameter in inches.

What wheels were installed on different car bodies and configurations?

The ride comfort, the condition of the chassis and the further operation of the vehicle depend on the dimensions of the wheels and tires installed on the vehicle.

To ensure the correct operation of the above criteria, vehicle manufacturers provide the recommended parameters of parts, components and assemblies installed on the vehicle in the vehicle operating instructions. The same applies to the Niva Chevrolet.

AvtoVAZ recommends the following wheel and tire sizes with appropriate air pressure.

Advice. It is not recommended to install alloy wheels that are too large on a Chevrolet Niva; this may cause problems with the operation of the vehicle’s chassis.

The speed index is an important parameter when selecting tires. Depending on the speed at which the car moves, wheels with a certain index are selected:

• Q – up to 160 km/h;
• S – no more than 180 km/h;
• T – up to 190 km/h.

As for the load capacity of the car, before installing the wheels, you need to check the markings on the tire. It corresponds to 85, 88, 92. The minimum carrying capacity of the car is 515 kg, corresponding to index 88.

Tires, wheels for Chevrolet Niva

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• Tires, wheels for Chevrolet Niva

Chevrolet Niva has taken a leading position among SUVs on the Russian market. This car is rarely used for its intended purpose, as an off-road vehicle. The Niva is used as an everyday car in urban conditions, excellent for trips out of town and for driving on dirt roads.

What recommendations does KOLOBOX give regarding tire and wheel sizes for Chevrolet Niva?

The size of tires and wheels of a car depends on the year of its manufacture and modification. Chevrolet Niva was released in 2003, today in its only modification.

The manufacturer installs tires of various sizes depending on the vehicle configuration. Basic configurations are equipped with tires with formulas 205/75R15 and 205/70R15, i.e. Chevrolet Niva L and LC have tires with the following parameters: width 205 mm, profile (width to height ratio) 70 and 75%, radial design, diameter 15 inches.

The Chevrolet Niva LE is equipped with cast wheels made of light metal alloys. The marking of these tires is 215/65R16, i.e. tire width 215, profile 65%, diameter 16 inches, radial design.

The GLS and GLC trim levels are equipped with alloy wheels with tire size 215/65R15. The manufacturing plant positions this size as off-road, although most experienced drivers tend to purchase high-profile wheels for off-road use.

What tires are suitable for a Chevrolet Niva in the winter?

Many drivers refuse to purchase winter tire sets, citing their high cost. The purchase of winter tires is followed by the need to seek tire fitting services (removal of summer tires, installation of new ones, wheel alignment to preserve the tires). There are several reasons why even an SUV needs winter tires:

• A car with all-wheel drive has the same braking performance as a car with single-wheel drive. The only difference is the speed at which the vehicle accelerates.
• Due to not the best aerodynamic characteristics, an all-wheel drive vehicle is less stable in icy conditions.
• SUVs, being heavier than passenger cars, have a greater degree of inertia during braking.
• The misconception of many is that an SUV also exhibits its positive properties in icy conditions, which is a mistake.

Possible winter tire options for Chevrolet Niva are presented in the table.

What tires are suitable for a Chevrolet Niva in the summer?

The choice of summer tires for Chevy Niva is not limited to just following the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the tire size. It is necessary to take into account the terrain in which the car will be operated. This car is not used for its intended purpose (as an SUV), but it is a suitable and reliable companion for trips outside the countryside, on dirt roads.

When choosing summer tires, the most important thing is the choice of tread pattern. It is necessary to pay attention to it and compare it with both road conditions and driving style. There are several types of protectors:

• A symmetrical pattern (without direction), which is considered standard, is used by the manufacturer. Suitable for driving on city roads and sudden exits to the highway. Often used for budget tires.
• A symmetrical pattern with a specific direction quickly removes moisture from the surface of automobile rubber. Suitable for fast driving not only on dry asphalt, but also in rainy weather. The inconvenience is that installing such a tire on any car hub is impossible. Such tires have precise directionality; they are installed according to the markings on the cord.

The asymmetrical tread pattern is suitable for both dry and rainy weather. Both family cars and SUVs are equipped with such tires.

What wheels are recommended for a Chevrolet Niva?

Many owners of this car note their desire to replace the factory wheels with others due to their fragility and external characteristics. New models, luxury versions of Chevrolet Niva are equipped with aluminum (cast) wheels. They become chipped from stones during off-road driving and due to uneven asphalt road surfaces.

Steel wheels for this machine are distinguished by the fact that they are made from low-quality metal. These discs look like a closed, solid structure, through which air is passed only through small holes. Oxygen gets there in small volumes, almost insignificant, which is why the original disks need to be replaced with more durable models.

What pressure is recommended for Niva Chevrolet tires?

For tires with a diameter of 15 inches (marked 205/75 R15 and 205/70 R15), a pressure of 2.1 atmospheres is recommended for the front and rear wheels.

For tires with a diameter of 16 inches (marked 215/65 R16), a pressure of 2.2 Atm is recommended for the front and rear wheels.

What effect does tire and wheel size have on vehicle performance?

Consider the impact in the table below:

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.

Advice. Before purchasing a new wheel, it is better to consult an experienced specialist.

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.

Owner reviews

Vladimir, 42 years old

I discovered the STT Discoverer for the first time this year. Now I’m driving happy, because the tires paddle perfectly even in serious mud. Yes, at high temperatures and long driving on the highway they float a little, but the Niva is not created for this. Besides, I rarely travel like this. Some will say that the price is high. But if you count two sets (summer + winter), then the claim becomes unclear.

Evgeniy, 37 years old

I’ve been driving the Amtelach Nord-Master for three years now. In winter, of course. Very good tires, especially considering their cost. Because for 12 thousand you can put shoes on a car for five years. And even driving on ice is very confident. When fishing, I feel simply irreplaceable - where others give up, my Niva drives very confidently. Yes, there are problems with noise, but in the Chevrolet line this is not the most comfortable model, and it was created for something else. So I'm willing to put up with these disadvantages in favor of the advantages.

Parameters of standard nuts

A special feature of wheel nuts is their special thread, which differs from standard ones. For Niva Chevrolet, M12x1.25mm nuts are provided. Due to the slight discrepancy with the standard pitch (1.75), a self-tightening effect appears when the wheel rotates.

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.

What kind of disks can be installed?

The manufacturer recommends installing R16 standard wheels. It is allowed to mount smaller wheels R15 on the car. It’s easier to choose tires for this size; there are plenty to choose from compared to 16-inch wheels.

The depth of the body arch of the Chevrolet Niva allows the driver to install 17-inch cast wheels on the car. Correct installation of wider wheels will allow you to:

• improve directional stability and vehicle control;
• reduce braking distance in case of unexpected braking;
• increase the vehicle's maneuverability in off-road conditions.

It is worth noting the negative aspects of such a replacement:

• the likelihood of damage to the integrity of the disc increases when the tire is damaged, for example, from a side impact;
• the smoothness of the ride decreases, the movement on it becomes harsher, and vibration increases.

Maximum and minimum possible parameters of non-standard disks

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.

Properly selected wheels and tires are the key to stable vehicle performance on the road.

How much do tires cost on a Chevrolet Niva?

Below is a table of options with prices, including both the cheapest and most expensive models.