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I paid 4600 per tyre... i paid more probably but I didn't want to run around several shops.

These are all brands that are available in India.

I would not suggest going for the Goodyear.

No, the speedo calibration would be close to perfect with a 185/70 as the stock setup over-reports the speed by ~5% (When the Speedo shows you 100, you're actually going about 95.3). To go 100 in reality, the speedo would have to report about 105.

Since the 185/70R14 (Nominal Dia = 614.6mm) is ~5.4% larger than the 175/65R14 (the stock size; Nominal Dia = 583.1mm), it would outrun the speedo by about 0.4%. Accounting for some additional tyre compression due to the taller sidewall, it would be as close to perfection you can get without actually altering the calibration.

Lower Tyre Pressure
Better Ride
Increased Ground Clearance
Increased Tyre Life
Better Braking (Longer contact patch)
Better Damage Protection for Wheels
Availability of Wider Selection of Tyres (Since it is stock for the Swift/dZire/Ertiga/etc.)

??? I don't understand... how can the stock tyre have a scraping issue when an over size to even a 195/70R14 does not?

XM2 would have been better from what I have heard.

What is the recommended pressure specified by ford?
What is the Load rating of the Stock tyre?
What is the load rating of the new tyre?
At what pressure is the stock tyre rated for max load?
At what pressure is the new tyre rated at max load?
Once you know these tidbits... you can pro-rate the figures and 'calculate' the correct pressure. Much better than following arbitrary 'tyre shop' suggestions.

Again... It depends on the factors listed above. It makes sense to spend the 5 minutes to know for sure.

Done 42k on my 2.5 yr old red beauty. Off late there's lot of vibrations coming from the wheels and coupled with 3 punctures in the last 2 months (total 4 punctures till date) is a clear indications that I need to replace the stock tyres. The report card @ 40k service has indeed marked it as yellow, but I thought if I could stretch it out a little more on the MRF tyres (I know I am expecting little more :) ).
I was contemplating on upgrade in size, but apparently I am convinced that sticking to OE size is the best bet, beside not risking on the suspension warranty issues. Any other thoughts?
Thanks to this forum I almost shortlisted XM2, but I learnt its of soft compound type. As I go for lot of highway drives and on unknown bad roads as directed by my GPS, I am skeptical on going for XM2 though it would provide a better grip. Finally I am looking for Bridgestone Turanza AR20 model. I would really appreciate if some one can provide any review comments on it. I was quoted aprrox Rs.5K per tyre. Is it on a higher side. Any good shop near JP Nagar Blore?

1. OK that should have been bottoming out under full load, not scraping.

2. I'm sure the "arbitrary" value quoted by the tyre shop is backed by trial and error, after all its not rocket science.

1. A car with a stock tyre cannot bottom out and rub the fender liner under full load while going over a big pothole/bump even at higher than usual speed. A suspension system is designed and only certified to be roadworthy in most countries only when it passes such criteria as having a safety margin of an absolute minimum 10mm or 12.7mm in some cases, normaly the margins are even greater especially with tyre sizes approved for winter use (some countries need additional snow chain clearance too).
If your car does have this problem, the suspension buffer should be checked for damage and replaced if required. Furthermore, in the front suspension of most modern cars, the lower retention plate of the spring is normally easily visible. Any tyre that does not touch the underside of the plate itself cannot possibly touch the fender without literally breaking the suspension and its mount! The rear is a different story though and must be inspected for maximum travel before the clearance is correctly established. That said, in normal circumstances, the front and rear typically have similar clearances in the vertical plane.
In reality, an increase in width beyond the OEM spec is likely to cause more problems than an increase in diameter (within the said mechanical limits).
Here is a schematic of the front suspension setup and the retention bracket/plate I was referring to:


2. Well, it's just a matter of perspective. The 4 tyres are the final point on which every control aspect of the car are dependant. If hearsay is good enough for you without even an attempt at understanding the logic of what should be the correct pressure, then the whole discussion is a moot point in the first place. Still, you know you're on this forum simply because you want better than hear-say. You want the answer to the question 'why'!

If my first post did not explain the concept of pro-rated calculation, here is an example:

Say you replaced the stock 205/55R16 91V tyres of a Skoda Superb with 215/60R16 99V tyres, here is what the basic pro-rated calculation would look like:

Recommended Pressure by OEM: 2.4 bar or 34.8 PSI. FRONT; 2.5 bar or 36.25 PSI REAR. Note: 1 bar = 14.50377377 PSI.
Load rating in Kg of Original Tyre @ Pressure: 615Kg @ 51 PSI
Load Rating in Kg of New Tyre @ Pressure: 775Kg @ 50 PSI

Here the load in Kg is taken from the Load Index Table from the ETRTO Standards Manual, which can be reffered here:
Wikipedia - Tire Code - Load Index
The Max Load Pressure is taken from the tyre spec sheet and can also be seen on the tyre sidewall.

New Front Pressure = 2.4 x 615/775 x 50/51 = ~1.87 bar or ~ 27.1 PSI.
New Rear Pressure = 2.5 x 615/775 x 50/51 = ~1.95 bar or ~ 28.2 PSI.

That said, there are a lot of other factors at play in tyre pressure computation, the main aspects of which are:

a) If sidewall increases, tyre pressure typically increases.

b) If sidewall height decreases, tyre pressure typically reduces till upto a sidewall height of about 100mm / 4". Ultra low profile tyres with sidewalls lower than 100mm typically need increased pressure.

c) No tyre should be inflated less than 22 PSI or over 36 PSI for Standard Load Tyres and over 42 PSI for Extra Load Tyres to carry the vehicle in partial load operation, unless approved by the vehicle OEM.

d) No tyre should ever be inflated beyond the recommended Max Pressure published on the sidewall (Typically this pressure is 44, 50 or 51 PSI).

e) Increased rim width for the same tyre normally needs a slight increase in pressure.

All in all, from what I have gathered from a lot of reading, in normal circumstances, an increase in the volume of air in the tyre normally needs an INCREASE in tyre pressure and vice versa (I know this may seem counter-intuitive).

Also, it is better to keep the load rating changes in a close range as far as possible and a reduction in load rating should be entirely avoided if possible.

In the example, since the sidewall is a fair bit taller, I would keep the pressure at 27.5 PSI & 28.5 PSI (front & rear) and observe the tyre contact to see if any tweaking is required.

Hello All,

Not sure if this has been answered earlier.

I'm looking for a reliable tyre dealer of Yokohama and Michelin in and around Sarjapur Road area, Bangalore.
This is for a Figo Zxi Petrol.

Many thanks
Sun'J

Hi everyone.
I have a June 2012 Figo Tdci Zxi with company fitted 14" alloys. I have clocked 66000 kms in almost 3 years and my stock tyres were long overdue for a change.

I finally got the new set of tyres. The new ones are an upsize i.e. Bridgestone 185/65 R14 instead of the stock 175/65 R14.

A few observations over the last week since the change:

1. The ground clearance seems to have increased a bit after this change and it feels good for sure.
2. The handling was a little odd for the first 2 days - but possibly due to I was driving a worn out set of tyres for some time now. It seems ok now.
3. The breaking has improved. But today, I was on the expressway and breaking at high speed was a little odd and felt not in total control. Wondering why could that be? Can anyone help ?
4. Does upsizing from the stock size affect the handling and maneuvering at high speeds on highways and / or curvy hilly roads? (Somebody told me so)

Would need some more insights on this upsize please.

Thanks

185/65 R14 is correct upsize for the Figo. It will not negatively affect the handling or steering. Let the tires run in for few days and then check.

That's the correct upgrade as far as Figo is concerned. You just need to get used to the new handling. However expect some little variations as the chassis is calibrated with the stock OE size.

Finally changed the tyres of my 2011 Figo TDCi. My stock Goodyear tyres had run 42k kms, and had become very noisy. I bought Michelin XM2 (185/70 R14) for Rs. 19,000. I wanted to buy 185/65, but those they were manufactured in Dec '14. 185/70 were manufactured in Mar '15. So took a chance and thought I'll enjoy the grip of extra 5mmstupid:.

The first impression from the tyres is that they are very silent. I hope the upsize doesn't bring down my mileage. Will keep this thread posted.

Congrats.. :thumbs up

How is the steering feedback with 185/70? Are the driving dynamics affected?

I haven't driven much yet. I have a 100kms ride tomorrow, I'll post my feedback post that.

After running 46K on stock MRFs, I encountered slight bulging on my front left tyre. Just the drive home from office, escalated the issue from a slight bulge to a massive hump!
A little reasearch later, settled on the Michelin XM2. Called up Sai Enterprises at Baner, Pune and got a quotation for 4 sets of 185/70 R14's for Rs. 19,000/- including service taxes with free balancing, alingment and Nitrogen Filling.

Went there and half and hour later had the smoothest drive ever in my Figo!
All aspects were now hugely improved:

1. Immense Grip
2. Reduced Road Noise
3. The Comfort!... oh! the comfort!
4. Fractionally better fuel efficiency, although that could be just a placebo effect.
5. Steering feedback is a little muted, but not greatly different than before.

Highly recommended!

Hello all,

I opted for Bridgestone Turanza ER 60 after running 44k on stock tires. The ODO is now 1.07 lakh kms and its time for replacement again. The bridgestones served me for more than 63,000 kms and it's obvious for me to go with them again. I called up few dealers in the last week and almost everyone said they don't have them in stock and few of them suggested different series as the company has discontinued the ER 60 series. Not sure how much of its true. I checked the website and ER60 is listed among the available products.

Now my query is, can i upgrade the size to 185/60/R14 from the existing 175/60/R14? Will there be any significant difference in the GC from this up size? The main reason behind this question is, one of the dealer nearby is having the 185's at lesser price than 175's. But, they are more than 6 months old. Would it be wise if I opt for them or should I stick to my original decision of the same size tires? The car will be used primarily for city rides with occasional highway runs.

Please advise. Thanks!!