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DesertTortoise · 09-17-2011, 06:20 AM

I've tried to add a photo which appears at the following site. It's helpful in this whole tire size discussion.

TireRack dot com slash tires slash tiretech slash techpage.jsp?techid=7]Tire Tech Information - Calculating Approximate Tire Dimensions[/url]

I simply want someone to authoritatively tell me the limits of tire size to fit a Metro/Swift/Firefly - the maximum tire height (or diameter) and overall width. Don't want to talk about wheel size. I don't believe that really matters. I can use the 12" or preferably the 13" wheels which I already have, or get some used 14" or 15" (yeah, 4 x 4½).

As tire height and width are readily available for any tire, knowing the limits allows me to determine what tires would be a suitable fit. Obviously I'll look at more than simply these two numbers, but they're a significant component in evaluating my options and making a decision. I don't necessarily want to go to the max, especially on width.

I live off grid in the Mojave Desert in southern California. My home sets atop a rocky hill and provides me with views for as much as 50 miles. I love it. However, the "driveway" is bad news. I need a tire with a larger footprint and better traction without sacrificing mileage. Snow and ice will appear only once or twice in five years and be gone quickly, so that is a non issue. Rain shows up only slightly more often ;-) but it's not much of an issue either. But the driveway is steep with a combination of gravel and dirt that is the consistency of powder. And it tends to become rutted both vertically and horizontally over time and between too infrequent visits by the tractor or bulldozer guy. It's never been an issue with my old 4WD 4Runner, but it can be hell with the Metro. The name should have told me that it's a city car, not a mountain goat.

Any help U can offer is very much appreciated.

BTW, this is not any sort of endorsement of TireRack dot com, but the graphic is quite good. I'm sure they're very nice people over there, but I've never done business with them. I've been using DiscounTire dot com (AmericasTire dot com here in California) for 25 years now, and they've always gone to great lengths to treat me well. And if they have the chutzpah to set up shop in Costco's front yard (as they have at their Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert store), it tells me they're not afraid of stiff price and service competition.

09-17-2011, 06:20 AM	#13 (permalink)
DesertTortoise EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Landers, CA Posts: 2 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Size matters, really. I've tried to add a photo which appears at the following site. It's helpful in this whole tire size discussion. TireRack dot com slash tires slash tiretech slash techpage.jsp?techid=7]Tire Tech Information - Calculating Approximate Tire Dimensions[/url] I simply want someone to authoritatively tell me the limits of tire size to fit a Metro/Swift/Firefly - the maximum tire height (or diameter) and overall width. Don't want to talk about wheel size. I don't believe that really matters. I can use the 12" or preferably the 13" wheels which I already have, or get some used 14" or 15" (yeah, 4 x 4½). As tire height and width are readily available for any tire, knowing the limits allows me to determine what tires would be a suitable fit. Obviously I'll look at more than simply these two numbers, but they're a significant component in evaluating my options and making a decision. I don't necessarily want to go to the max, especially on width. I live off grid in the Mojave Desert in southern California. My home sets atop a rocky hill and provides me with views for as much as 50 miles. I love it. However, the "driveway" is bad news. I need a tire with a larger footprint and better traction without sacrificing mileage. Snow and ice will appear only once or twice in five years and be gone quickly, so that is a non issue. Rain shows up only slightly more often ;-) but it's not much of an issue either. But the driveway is steep with a combination of gravel and dirt that is the consistency of powder. And it tends to become rutted both vertically and horizontally over time and between too infrequent visits by the tractor or bulldozer guy. It's never been an issue with my old 4WD 4Runner, but it can be hell with the Metro. The name should have told me that it's a city car, not a mountain goat. Any help U can offer is very much appreciated. BTW, this is not any sort of endorsement of TireRack dot com, but the graphic is quite good. I'm sure they're very nice people over there, but I've never done business with them. I've been using DiscounTire dot com (AmericasTire dot com here in California) for 25 years now, and they've always gone to great lengths to treat me well. And if they have the chutzpah to set up shop in Costco's front yard (as they have at their Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert store), it tells me they're not afraid of stiff price and service competition.