Tire Size

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molund

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Winter tire season is coming. The OEM tires on the Niro EV are 215 55r17. I’ve seen some reviews saying that Kia put a 1” lift in the Niro EV (compared to hybrid and PHEV) because the battery is on the bottom. I’m wondering if I could fit some slightly bigger winter tires without modifying the suspension? I don’t really care about a small loss in range, but I wouldn’t mind a bit of extra surface area and ground clearance in the snow.

Here’s the OEM tire dimensions (D=diameter / W = width):
Code: 
215/55R17	      26.3"D	8.5"W

Here are my possible alternatives:
Code: 
225/55R17	+1.5%. 26.7"D	8.9"W
225/60R16	+1.1%   26.6"D	8.9”W

I’m leaning toward the 16 inch option.

I did some feeling around in the wheel wells. There isn’t a ton of space in the front when the steering is turned as far as it can go. But there is space for a fingertip.

Has anyone tried this already? Or are there any ex-Subaru guys here who can tell me what to watch out for?



Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
molund said:
Winter tire season is coming. The OEM tires on the Niro EV are 215 55r17. I’ve seen some reviews saying that Kia put a 1” lift in the Niro EV (compared to hybrid and PHEV) because the battery is on the bottom. I’m wondering if I could fit some slightly bigger winter tires without modifying the suspension? I don’t really care about a small loss in range, but I wouldn’t mind a bit of extra surface area and ground clearance in the snow.

Here’s the OEM tire dimensions (D=diameter / W = width):
Code: 
215/55R17          26.3"D    8.5"W

Here are my possible alternatives:
Code: 
225/55R17    +1.5%. 26.7"D    8.9"W
225/60R16    +1.1%   26.6"D    8.9”W

I’m leaning toward the 16 inch option.

I did some feeling around in the wheel wells. There isn’t a ton of space in the front when the steering is turned as far as it can go. But there is space for a fingertip.

Has anyone tried this already? Or are there any ex-Subaru guys here who can tell me what to watch out for?



Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...
 
I have done some research regarding winter wheels and tires, and the concensus opinion is that smaller/thinner wheels and tires are better in snow because they have lower rolling resistance. So, a step down to 16" would be better in snow...
 
If you go 16", you still need to stay with the stock diameter, meaning that you will need the higher sidewall. Best to stick with stock OEM size wheels. If you go smaller, might have trouble fitting them over the front brake calipers (inadequate clearance, or worse, interference), depending what type of wheel and offset you choose.

But you are right, smaller width (not diameter) can be better on ice and snow. It's not just rolling resistance through snow, but the PSI of the tire to the terrain surface. But you can get narrower tires in 17 and 18", too, just with a lower sidewall to retain the stock diameter.

In other words, you can go smaller width, but not outside diameter.
 
R P said:
If you go 16", you still need to stay with the stock diameter, meaning that you will need the higher sidewall. Best to stick with stock OEM size wheels. If you go smaller, might have trouble fitting them over the front brake calipers (inadequate clearance, or worse, interference), depending what type of wheel and offset you choose.

But you are right, smaller width (not diameter) can be better on ice and snow. It's not just rolling resistance through snow, but the PSI of the tire to the terrain surface. But you can get narrower tires in 17 and 18", too, just with a lower sidewall to retain the stock diameter.

In other words, you can go smaller width, but not outside diameter.
Click to expand...
Agreed. My understanding, though, is that it is preferred to go one size down, with higher side walls, than one size up with shorter ones, even though that seems to be the current trend in "performance" trims. Provided they fit with the brakes, of course...
 
MartyDow said:
Agreed. My understanding, though, is that it is preferred to go one size down, with higher side walls, than one size up with shorter ones, even though that seems to be the current trend in "performance" trims. Provided they fit with the brakes, of course...
Click to expand...
Yes, lower sidewall provides crisper handling, but harsher ride. But 215/55/R17 is a decent compromise, and what this car is designed for. The only advantage of 16's is maybe lower priced and better selection of winter tires. That was probably more true in the past, but not now with 17's being a very popular tire choice these days.

But like I said before the bigger problem may be fitment, as newer heavier cars (big battery) come with larger front brake calipers. And might have a hard time finding that size wheel with adequate clearance and with the proper OEM spec offset so you don't have poke (tire sticking out).
 
R P said:
Yes, lower sidewall provides crisper handling, but harsher ride. But 215/55/R17 is a decent compromise, and what this car is designed for. The only advantage of 16's is maybe lower priced and better selection of winter tires. That was probably more true in the past, but not now with 17's being a very popular tire choice these days.

But like I said before the bigger problem may be fitment, as newer heavier cars (big battery) come with larger front brake calipers. And might have a hard time finding that size wheel with adequate clearance and with the proper OEM spec offset so you don't have poke (tire sticking out).
Click to expand...
You've convinced me to stick with OEM spec 215/55/R17 winter tires. What wheels would you recommend?
 
MartyDow said:
You've convinced me to stick with OEM spec 215/55/R17 winter tires. What wheels would you recommend?
Click to expand...
Best wheels are the ones you have,... haha. What I have done with past cars when looking for another set of wheels to mount winters, is to look at Craigslist. It is surprising how many people are selling their OEM wheels for cheap, because they went out and bought a new set of "fancy" wheels, often to get a more aggressive look with A/T tires. Only problem you might have is this EV model is still pretty new, and not sure if the wheels are the same as the ICE versions. If they are, then you will be in luck.

Just be sure when buying used wheels (or any wheels) is to test mount them on the front, to ensure fitment. Also, of course, check specs, like offset, stamped on the inside.

You might also check other Kia/Hyundai cars, and find compatible wheels. So the used market might be quite a bit larger than just your specific Niro EV. And your "friendly" service guy could be a big help with this info as well.
 
I am not happy with most of post in this thread. I don’t exactly disagree with them but they don’t really answer the question. There are times when an extra inch or two of ground clearance would be really helpful.

Back in 2010 I got stuck on the highway for 12 hours because a foot of snow dropped in about an hour. I was driving a 2004 Mercury Sable with front wheel drive. I saw lot of high ground clearance vehicles go around me that had no trouble with the deep snow.

A couple of weeks ago I was doing a little light off roading in Colorado in my Niro EV. The Niro EV did extremely well on those steep mountain roads but I had to turn around when I got to an area of large protruding rocks. An extra inch or two of ground clearance would have been really handy on those roads and might have kept me from having to turn around.

The Kia Niro is generally referred to as a CUV and is often referred to as a SUV. It’s only a matter of time until people start jacking it up for some serious off roading. I’m not really interested in installing a lift kit on my Niro EV but I would like to have an extra set of rims and tires laying lying around that give me a little more ground clearance and give me a little better off road traction for when it snows or for when I want to do a little off roading.

The Audi eTron can increase its’ ride height by 3 inches. There should be aftermarket kits that will change ride height on the fly and will work with the Kia Niro. It might be a little expensive but I think that would be a kit many Kia Niro owners would like for when they want to do a little off roading.


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Well the op wanted more clearance and more tire.

Some really good comments about a wider tire is actually worse in snow and ice.... that is a great discussion, helps the OP understand that part.

The extra clearance was not addressed other than ride harshness, which I believe the OP could care less about.

I like more clearance, but getting 1" more makes a 2" increase in diameter, don't know if that would throw any electronics off, it would on my Audi. But comparing my 6 figure Audi to this car is not really reasonable.

If I wanted this to be an offroad vehicle, I would get a different vehicle that already was set up for differences in ride height, the cost to modify does not seem to be justified.

Greg
 
Concur. Marketing to the contrary notwithstanding, the Niro EV is a FWD hatchback wagon, with just enough lift in the springs to get some clearance for the battery. It is a relentlessly practical daily driver and travel car, but it is not an off road vehicle. That said, a spring kit could be used to jack it up, the same way Subaru does with their cars. But theirs are symmetrical AWD vehicles, and the Niro is not. Increasing the net circumference of the wheels to get a higher ride will almost certainly create problems with clearances in the wheel wells. You may want to consider a Tesla Cybertruck; it meets the requirements identified...
 
MartyDow said:
Concur. Marketing to the contrary notwithstanding, the Niro EV is a FWD hatchback wagon, with just enough lift in the springs to get some clearance for the battery. It is a relentlessly practical daily driver and travel car, but it is not an off road vehicle. That said, a spring kit could be used to jack it up, the same way Subaru does with their cars. But theirs are symmetrical AWD vehicles, and the Niro is not. Increasing the net circumference of the wheels to get a higher ride will almost certainly create problems with clearances in the wheel wells. You may want to consider a Tesla Cybertruck; it meets the requirements identified...
Click to expand...

Some of us would prefer not to spend six figures on a car but would like to be able to do a little bit more with the cars we have. The Niro EV never ceases to surprise me with what it's capable of, I never expected that a Class III trailer hitch could be mounted on the Niro EV nor that the Niro EV could routinely pull 3,000 pound trailers but this has happened. I'm seriously thinking about putting a Class III on my Niro EV so I can pull my 3,000 pound boat.

It sounds like you have never even seen a Niro EV up close. The fender wells of the Niro EV are huge for the tires that are on it. It really looks like Kia put the wrong tires on the car.

I bought a set of tire chains for the 2018 Nissan Leaf that I traded in on my Niro EV. The fender wells on the Leaf were so tight that I could hardly get my hand in to install the chains. I bought tire chains for the Niro EV and I can easily fit my hand in the fender wells to install the tire chains.

People put different size tires on cars all the time, there is nothing new about this. If someone wants to put different tires on their car we should be support. It would be nice if we got some knowledgeable posts on what can be done instead of just opinions on why it shouldn't be done.

Many vehicles, like the Ford Explorer, come as front wheel drive and would not be considered as anything but an SUV. Front wheel drive vehicles actually have better traction capabilities than rear wheel drive vehicles because of the weight distribution. To suggestion that the Niro EV isn't off road capable or can't be called an SUV because it is front wheel drive is ludicrous.

Roads that are generally restricted to high ground clearance vehicles recommend that the vehicles have at least 8-inches of ground clearance. The Niro EV already has 6-inches of ground clearance. Adding another 2-inches of ground clearance, either through larger tires, lift kits or both, would technically make the Niro EV appropriate for high ground clearance roads.

A lot of web sites offer suspension lift kits, I found one website that offers suspension kits specifically for the Kia Niro, https://www.4wheelparts.com/v/kia-niro-2019/suspension/air-ride-suspensions/_/N-2dytpZcm5hx and one website with up to 1.89-inch lift kit for the Niro, https://www.spaccer.com/en_US/makes-and-models/kia/niro/. Hopefully this post will inspire some more intelligent discussions on how to increase the ride height of the Niro EV. I also hope that this post persuades people to curtail their negative, non-supportive opinions.
 
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I was mentioning the Audi, since it uses tire rotation speed to sense low pressure in tires, and it does not take kindly to a change in overall tire diameter. I mentioned the 6 figures as an example with what you can do with a lot of computing power and spending money on software development.

I have an Audi and a Niro. They are different cars for different purposes, and to the point, I have different expectations of them.

Honestly, as I have also done my share of off-roading, I would never use a vehicle with a battery on the bottom without a substantial skid plate protecting it, and I mean 1/4" plate sufficiently reinforced, and spaced away so that a dent in the skid plate could not touch the battery housing.

To me, it really makes little sense for the electric vehicle. The gas vehicles, that could stand an occasional hit from below, sure, although I would look askance at the structure of the vehicle, strength of the suspension, etc. before I invested money to convert it.

Greg
 
molund said:
Winter tire season is coming. The OEM tires on the Niro EV are 215 55r17. I’ve seen some reviews saying that Kia put a 1” lift in the Niro EV (compared to hybrid and PHEV) because the battery is on the bottom. I’m wondering if I could fit some slightly bigger winter tires without modifying the suspension? I don’t really care about a small loss in range, but I wouldn’t mind a bit of extra surface area and ground clearance in the snow.

Here’s the OEM tire dimensions (D=diameter / W = width):
Code: 
215/55R17          26.3"D    8.5"W

Here are my possible alternatives:
Code: 
225/55R17    +1.5%. 26.7"D    8.9"W
225/60R16    +1.1%   26.6"D    8.9”W
Click to expand...

The first number is the tread width in millimeters and the second number is the aspect ratio. The 55 aspect ratio gives a sidewall height of 118 mm or 4.6 inches with a 215 mm tread width. A P215/65R17 tire would give you a 140 mm or 5.5 inch sidewall which would increase your ride height by 0.9 inches.

Also, P is for passenger vehicle. If you plan on putting a lot of heavy loads in your Niro EV or if you plan on towing a lot with it you might want go to a LT or light truck rated tire. Someone that barrowed my boat put P tires on it and they both blew out while the boat was parked.
 
Greg Elmassian said:
Honestly, as I have also done my share of off-roading, I would never use a vehicle with a battery on the bottom without a substantial skid plate protecting it, and I mean 1/4" plate sufficiently reinforced, and spaced away so that a dent in the skid plate could not touch the battery housing.
Click to expand...

You know, I have never heard of a battery pack getting hurt by driving over something. I'm sure it can happen and those battery packs are pretty expensive to replace but those pack housings probably a lot stronger than we give them credit for. Unless you are really being reckless, I don't there is much danger of hurting a battery pack with some light off-roading.
 
Sorry, I disagree, I've done a fair amount of off roading, my last one was a lifted 3/4 ton GMC Suburban with 38" tires, and giant skidplates.

Hidden rocks, puddles you don't know how deep, etc., it's easy to get damaged "light" or not. With the short wheelbase of the Niro ground clearance (high centering) is not as important.

But again I gave my opinion that I would not risk it. I gave my opinion about the strength and suitability of the chassis and suspension. It's not 4 wheel drive.

If you held a gun to my head, I would first have a custom skidplate fitting the length of the battery underneath.

Greg
 
If you can turn the front wheel drive Kia Forte Koup into an off roader, https://www.carscoops.com/2015/10/this-kia-forte-koup-thinks-its-off-road/, https://carmanscorner.co.za/2015/11/14/kia-celebrates-american-road-trip-at-2015-sema-show/you can also make the Kia Niro EV into an off roader. Adding a little lift also has some benefits for towing. The lift would raise the hitch adding more clearance going in and out of driveways and would make the hitch align better with the trailer.

The tires on the Forte Koup in the link above look massive but they are only 28 inches in diameter. The P215/55R17 tires on the Niro EV are already 26.3 inches in diameter. So the tires in the Forte Koup would need less that an inch of clearance beyond the P215/55R17 tire to fit on the Niro EV, which the Niro EV clearly has.

The hitch would also have some benefits for off roading and it looks like adding a trailer hitch and some lift would be a good combination on the Niro EV. The hitch loops would provide convenient connection points for getting the Niro EV or someone else' car un-stuck. Also the tow loop for the front that comes with the Niro EV would provide a convenient connection point on the front of the car.

Even though I like them very much, I have to say that the efficiency of the Audi eTron and the Hummer EV is obscene compared to the Niro EV. Buying an Audi eTron or Hummer EV, when a Niro EV with a little modification would do the job, borders on being socially irresponsible. Personally I've got other things I would rather do with the tens of thousands of dollars it would cost to upgrade to an eTron or Hummer EV but, hey if you just have the money laying around, go for it.
 
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Yes, you CAN... reading the article "highly customized" , "hand built"... just because Kia can do it, does not mean that anyone can do it, or it makes sense structurally, or cost wise.

Sure, changing the intent from off roading to "more clearance for driveways", and "better aligned trailer hitch", completely reasonable.

It really goes to the old adages, "you don't get something for nothing", or in racing or performanc: "bucks in equals performance out".

I'd be most concerned though about traction, especially when you are raising the center of gravity of the car... maybe in a few more years there will be an inexpensive all wheel drive EV that would be suitable.

Greg
 
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