New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
When pulling out of the dealership yesterday, the light came on alerting me of a tire problem (not on before tire replacements). The new tires were replaced on the front of my vehicle plus they were aligned. The report said: 15 50 17 for the new tires. The old tires had been 15 60 17. Should the new be the same as the old ones and is that the problem of the warning light?
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
I would have the tire size double checked as a 60 series tire will generally be taller if the profile number does not change. The tire light is probably due to a failed tire monitoring system initialization which should have been carried out after the tires were replaced. You may want to have the dealership check out this issue as they were the last ones to work on it. They should be able to provide an explanation on the tire size change and properly initialize the tire pressure monitoring system.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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It doesn`t matter whether you get your alignment before or after having your new tires put on. Most experts agree that the only effect worn tires have on your alignment is a change to the vehicle`s ride height which, given today`s steering and suspension design, should be negligible.
Uneven tire wear is usually caused by improper alignment, overinflation, underinflation or a worn out suspension.
There is no limit on how long. The issue is that if your alignment is bad, then your new tires will wear out unevenly.
If your vehicle is not aligned properly, you risk prematurely wearing out your tires and creating some potentially dangerous driving hazards. When vehicles are out of alignment, the tires wear unevenly comparative to each other. Tires will begin to change in appearance by looking rough or torn.
The slightest wrong adjustment in camber will cause the car to veer to one side or the other. An inadequately aligned car may pull to one side because of camber, it can also have other steering problems because of caster, or the angle of the steering pivot.
Once new tires are put on your vehicle, they need to be balanced to your car, truck, or SUV`s wheels. Your wheels are an assembly with many parts. Tire manufacturers balance tires during the production process, but the balancing must be fine-tuned once the tires are placed on the wheels.
Things like hitting potholes, bumping curbs, or even minor accidents are all common causes of one or more of your wheels coming out of alignment. Second, normal wear and tear can all eventually cause your car to come out of alignment.
Asymmetric tyres effectively mix two different tread patterns on the outer and inner edge of the tyre to provide a dual benefit to the driver. On the outside edge, the tread pattern exhibits large tread blocks which are designed to provide good dry traction and handling thanks to a larger contact area with the road.
Excessive wear on one side of the tyre or patchy, uneven tyre wear patterns may indicate a problem with the vehicle suspension. This kind of wear can occur when the alignment or camber geometry of the wheel is incorrect or when suspension components such as bushes or dampers are in poor condition.
Driving on new tires without an alignment
Driving with misaligned wheels can cause your vehicle to pull to one side of the road, which can be dangerous. It can also lead to uneven tire wear, which can shorten tire life. Sometimes, alignment issues can damage your car`s suspension components, resulting in a rough ride.
Under normal circumstances, a wheel alignment will take an average of one hour, whether it`s a two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Bad alignment is not a problem that corrects itself without professional wheel alignment service and can damage your vehicle in the long run. Continuing to drive a vehicle with bad alignment will: Wear out your tires faster and even permanently damage them.
A slight amount of negative camber can increase the amount of lateral grip a car has at the limit, though too much negative camber can result in uneven tire wear, reduced grip, and premature tire failure.
Camber is the tilt of the tire from top to bottom. If the tire tilts in at the top (towards the vehicle), it has “negative” camber. If it tilts out at the top (away from the vehicle), it has “positive” camber.
Bent strut. Worn or collapsed control arm bushing. Bent control arm. Weak or broken spring.
Do All Four Tires Need To Be Balanced? If there is a vibration issue, all four tires are typically balanced at the same time. The reason is that it`s hard to tell which tire is the cause of the vibration. If the repair is done to only one tire, only that tire needs to be re-balanced.
Poor Vehicle Alignment
The tie rods help your vehicle to steer and track straight when your steering wheel is centered. Bad tie rods will allow the wheels to come out of alignment.
Consistent Shaking: Alignment issues will cause constant vehicle vibration, no matter whether you are braking, accelerating, or maintaining a consistent speed. Steering Wheel Pulling: You may also notice that your vehicle is “pulling” towards one side of the road or another rather than seamlessly steering straight.
Like directional tires, asymmetrical tires must be mounted with a specific side facing out, which will usually be marked on the side of the tire. Asymmetrical tires must be rotated with a specific side facing outward – usually marked on the sidewall of the tire.
Never mount both asymmetrical and symmetrical tires at the same time on your vehicle. The results can be dangerous. Mixing the two kinds of tires can make handling unbalanced and cause steering problems, especially on wet roads.
Tire cupping is an uneven wear pattern, which occurs due to irregular up-and-down motions of a wheel (bouncing).
Tire rotation is so important to increase tire life. Your front tires take the brunt of stopping and steering forces, so they wear faster than the rear tires. If you rotate them regularly, you can help guide all four tires wear more evenly.
The reason for this is that a differently sized tire can confuse your speedometer and even cause damage to your vehicle`s anti-lock braking systems and stability system calibrations. This applies to switching to both smaller and larger tires.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
ANSWER : I would have the tire size double checked as a 60 series tire will generally be taller if the profile number does not change. The tire light is probably due to a failed tire monitoring system initialization which should have been carried out after the tires were replaced. You may want to have the dealership check out this issue as they were the last ones to work on it. They should be able to provide an explanation on the tire size change and properly initialize the tire pressure monitoring system.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
Still vibrating after new tires, re-alignment, and balancing when I go over 70 mph
ANSWER : Hello. If this is still occurring then you have an issue with something that is not spinning true or is out of round on the vehicle. If the vehicle is this new then it is usually caused by a wheel hub that is defective or a CV axle that is bad. From what you are explaining, it sounds like there is an issue with one of the axles. It may have lost a weight of its own or it may have too much play in the axle joint. I would usually get the vehicle in the air to inspect these areas for issues. I would also loosen the engine mounts to allow the engine and transmission to align themselves as there may be some binding there also. Since the vehicle is still under warranty you need to take it back to the dealer to have these issues checked.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
I need to know about tire size.
ANSWER : If you are wanting to change all the tires to a different size then I would recommend putting the replacement next to the correct tire to see the difference in height and width of the tire. You will see that the tire you want to install is a lot larger of tire than what you had. It is not advisable to install an incorrect tire size on the vehicle. You may want to try and trade them in for the correct size tire for your car. The incorrect tire may rub on the fenders and effect the steering and handling of the vehicle. It will also cause the speedometer to not be accurate and transmission to not shift correctly.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
Can I replace my 225/45R18 tires with 215/55R17 tires? The 215’s are what ALL tire sites say are original factory size
ANSWER : I owned a 2008 Sonata and currently own a 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T Limited. With your generation as well as my 2015, the Sonata with the 2.0T engine has larger brakes so the 18 inch wheels make more room for them. Since yours is a 2.4 Limited, it only has the 18 inch wheels for appearance as all 2.4 ltr versions whether Base or Limited, have the same size brakes. I do not recommend a 215mm section width with the 18 inch wheels. The ride and handling will deteriorate badly. If you are sticking with the 18 inch wheels, then stick with the 225/45R18 tires. You can most certainly change down to the 215/55R17 tires AND wheels. Any 17 inch wheels listed for the Base, SE, GLS, etc will fit fine. The ride and handling will be different. It will ride a bit smoother as you are increasing the sidewall aspect ratio – 55 vs 45%. The will also be narrower – 215mm vs 225 mm. It may not grip as well in dry weather but you may notice a little better traction in wet and snowy conditions as there will be more weight concentrated on a narrower tread area. Your speedometer may be slightly off however. The average overall diameter of a 225/45R18 tire is 25.9 inches. So that makes for roughly 802 revolutions per mile. The 215/55R17 will have an average diameter of 26.3 inches and approximately 790 revolutions per mile. A slight difference that may only cause your speedometer to be off by 1-2 mph. On the up side, you may get a slight bump in miles per gallon. The taller tire will reduce engine rpms at highway speeds slightly. So if you are willing to reduce the wheels from 18 inch to 17 inch, then go ahead with the 215/55R17 tires. If you are keeping the 18 inch wheels, then stick with the 225/45R18 tires.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
Cupped tires
ANSWER : Hi there:
Cupping on a tire is one of the more difficult items to diagnose; due to the multiple causes of cupping. In most cases, cupping is caused by suspension components like struts that are worn out; causing the tire to absorb more shock than it should. When you combine this with low air pressure, poor tire quality or certain driving methods; the tread on the tire will separate, causing the tire to "cup". The best way to pinpoint why your tires are cupping is to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a cupping on tires inspection.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
Does the size difference matter when changing tires and rims?
ANSWER : Hi there. The rim size for you have included are good and the same. The numbers that are for a tire as displayed as the following:
The first number (ie: 215, 225) is the width of the tire tread
The second number (ie: 60) is the side wall distance of the tire, the height of the tire
The third number (ie: r16) is the radio construction and rim size of 16 inches
Your new rims and tires are good just a little wider, of about 1/2 inch. Just make sure that after installing the tires onto the vehicle that the tires will not hit the fender or frame. Other than that, the rims and tires will fit. If you need further assistance with your tire installation, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
One of my front tires is angled different now that I hit a rock. Could an alignment fix it? 2007 Mercedes C230
ANSWER : Hello – you are correct, an alignment is not going to properly repair this damage. There may be a bent or otherwise damaged suspension control arm (lower) or tie rod. I recommend a steering and suspension inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs. After this damage is repaired, you will need to get the front end re-aligned with the new parts.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
After new front bearings/hubs, Lexus still making noise and shaking
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Feeling steering and suspension issues in the steering wheel is very common. While everything you have done is within reason, there are several components that need to be inspected or tested. You will want to make sure the steering linkage is clean, dry, and tight. In particular, check from the gear box, down the rack and pinion, and over to the tie rod ends. If they look bent, loose, have work seals, or dirty seals, then you want to replace the whole unit. Secondly, you want to make sure your brakes are not dirty, worn, or have debris stuck in them. If they are out of round they will cause issues similar to what you describe. Lastly, with the vehicle in the air, you can manipulate the tires back and forth, and up and down checking for excess play. For more help with diagnostics, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
Read Full Q/A … : New front tires and aligned, but tires are different sizes
