I have a Tercel with 13 inches wheels and was wondering if it was possible to change the rims for 14 inches. Is it possible? Does it require a lot of work?
why do you want to do it?
You will need to find rims that match the lug bolts on the hubs/rotors.
The tires might rub on the undercarriage in the wheel wells if you hit a bump.
the speedometer and odometer will no longer read correctly, but you may be able to get an alternate gear to install in the speedometer output cable on the tranny (if this has a mechanical speedometer grear.)
No changes needed if new tires are same diameter as old tires.
yeah, but when you put the new tires on, you kinda have to tell the tire guy what outside diameter you want, so dont forget to do that if you change rims. I still dont see the advantage, unless say your old rims are badly destroyed and you have a llne on some oversize rims cheap somewhere.
One reason might be that there are very few choices these days in 13" tires that fit a Tercel, lots more with 14s.
ok then, sounds good to me. thanks for the tip.
Tire rack has a plus-sizing calculator to let you go with larger wheels without increasing the total diameter of the tire/wheel.
You own a Tercel ? Check the manual and/or Toyota on line sources for the 14" option tires sizes for your model. With the right combination of tire rim, you can improve handling substantially. But, you will be more prone to pot hole damage if you keep the same width especially. With a lower profile tire, you’ll need to increase the width. Once you have a 14 inch rim that works, you’ll need a tire dealer willing to do some trial fits if the sources I’ve mentioned are of little help.
If you can afford it, the “Terkel” needs all the help it can get. But, if I could afford it, I’d trade for a Corolla.
Tirerack says 185/60x14 will work, so not low profile, these days they’d be the base tires.
With a lower profile tire, certainly is lower than OEM.
155/SR13 to 185/60R14 seems like a good move. I’d still check fit.
I thought putting bigger tires (since I know some Tercel model came with 14 inches tires would improve the stability of my car on snow and make me avoid pot hole damages since smaller tires will get deeper in the holes than bigger tires. Also, I had to change my muffler because often when driving over those yellow security bumps (annoying) it will scratch the car. But from what you guys are telling me, it might not be a good idea for me… so if you guys have any advices, it’s welcomed (unless it’s telling me not to drive into pot holes, which I already usually don’t)
Thanks
Sorry, but if done correctly - and what has been posted here is the correct way to do it - the overall diameter of the tire is the same - ergo, your tires will sink into the pot holes the same amount!
HOWEVER, the amount of tire available to absorb the bump has been reduced, so the tire (and the rim) are now more prone to damage.
Frankly, it costs something to refit your vehicle with larger rims, and unless you’re looking for better dry cornering, you won’t get any other benefit. So if you can find 13" tires for your car, that would be the cheapest solution.
I thought putting bigger tires (since I know some Tercel model came with 14 inches tires would improve the stability of my car on snow and make me avoid pot hole damages Tires have several dimensions so “bigger” as a descriptive term depends upon the measurement you’re talking about. “wider” tires are more stable on pavement, provide better braking and traction in many conditions. The 185/60R14 would do that for you. The old 155/80R13 would give better deep snow traction. Whether they would be less prone to pot hole damage is not quite so obvious as they (13") would be more prone to pressure variations and could easily be damaged as well. 60 aspect ratio is not super low and with the added overall air volume with the wider width would be worth while IMO…
If you have the cash to convert. Tire availability is well worth considering I agree. How old and how many miles would be a big factor in the decision.