An excellent option would be alloy wheels.
Wheels, like any part in a car, may become unusable over time. But disks have another weak side. They might just get boring. When the question arises about finding a replacement for standard wheels on a Chevrolet Niva, one design solution will not be enough, you need to know several more important parameters, and the bolt pattern of the wheels on a Chevrolet Niva, even 15th or 16th radius, must be strictly observed.
What tires and wheels are suitable for cars of the Niva family?
When the wheels installed at the factory are worn out or tired, the question arises - what tires to put on the Niva?
And sometimes this question arises immediately after purchasing a new car. The plant used to install Vli-5, then they started installing K-136. With the abundance of rubber that we currently see, we can install something better. The car's handling, fuel consumption, steering effort, cross-country ability on a bad road, and finally, most importantly, the ability to quickly stop the car in a critical situation depend on tires.
On “classic” Niva models, the factory plans to install tires with a fit size of 16-inch wheels. On Niva - Chevrolet - 15 inches. Wheels of 15 and 16 inches can physically be installed on any car from the Niva family; they are interchangeable in mounting dimensions. Another question is how a “classic” car will behave on 15-inch wheels, and how the Chevrolet Niva will behave on 16-inch wheels.
The standard wheel (tire) for the “classic” Niva is designated 175x80 R 16, the standard disk is 5 J x16H2 ET 58. For the Chevrolet Niva, the standard tire is 205x75 R 15, and the disk is 6 J x15H2 ET 48.
We have placed a far from complete selection of tires in the table here .
conclusions
The right choice of wheels and tires is the key to a good ride.
Based on the marking features, it is now easy to choose a replacement for standard wheels for the Chevrolet Niva. It should be taken into account that the lower the ET offset value, the more the wheel will protrude beyond the wheel arches.
For Shnivy, normal values for offset are considered to be from 40 to 48 . The smaller the offset value, the higher the load on the wheel bearings and suspension elements.
Choose the right wheels, then the Chevrolet Niva will allow you to drive without choosing a road. Good luck with your choice!
Chevrolet Niva is an SUV designed for travel in light off-road and rough terrain. This model perfectly combines the maintainability of the domestic model, the quality and elegance of the Chevrolet. The Chevrolet Niva is an SUV designed for travel in light off-road and rough terrain. This model perfectly combines the maintainability of the domestic model, the quality and elegance of the Chevrolet.
Updated models and luxury versions of Niva are usually equipped with cast aluminum wheels, which are easy to split when hitting potholes on the asphalt or rocks off-road. In simple configurations, the car is available with stamped steel wheels and tires:
R15 6Jx15 ET40 5x139.7 DIA 98.5; 205/75 R15
R16 7Jx16 ET40 5x139.7 DIA 98.5; 215/65 R16
Factory steel wheels on Niva Chevrolet are subject to deformation due to the poor quality of the metal; They are a practically closed structure that has small holes around the disc, thanks to which air does not penetrate into the brake system.
ORW discs, on the other hand, have large diameter holes, which helps clean the disc from dirt and increases air flow to the brake disc.
Tuning a Chevrolet Niva begins with replacing tires with stock tires:
215/75 R15; 225/70 R15; 215/70 R16
Parameters and markings of tires and rims
What do the parameters mean in the designations of tires and wheels? The first number in the disc marking indicates its width in inches, the letter J indicates the type of rim flange design. The number after the “x” sign means the mounting diameter in inches, H2 means that the disk has two annular protrusions (hamps) for fixing the tire on the disk. ET is the disc offset, the distance between the plane passing through the center of the tire and the plane where the disc is attached to the hub. The shorter the reach, the wider the vehicle's track.
In Fig. 1 the disk has parameters Y J xd H2 ET Z
In the tire size designation AxB R d: A-width, B-ratio of the “height” of the tire h to its width, in percent
h=(Dd)/2, h=B*A/100
d is the bore diameter in inches.
Car owners often install tires on their cars that differ in size from standard ones. Install wider gaps on standard wheels. In this case, the behavior of the tire will not be the same as calculated by the manufacturer; it will behave worse.
Standard wheels for Niva and Niva Chevrolet cars are stamped from steel. There is a wide variety of light alloy cast wheels on sale. The advantage of an alloy wheel is that it is lighter than a stamped steel one, and the total weight of the wheel with the disk, the so-called unsprung weight, is less, which improves the smoothness of the car. The disadvantage is that if there is a strong impact, the alloy wheel may break. Light alloy wheels can be found in a variety of offsets and widths, while a custom stamped wheel can be difficult to find.
If the car has standard tires and standard wheels, the suspension parameters are normal. If you install custom wheels and tires, the suspension geometry changes.
What to consider when choosing tires and wheels for Niva cars
The classic three-door “short” Niva (“short” is the VAZ 2121, 21213, 21214, the “long” is the VAZ 2131 and extended Viso models) has a relatively small ratio of the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) to the track width. Such a car is called “short wheelbase”. A short wheelbase leads to poor vehicle handling if it skids. If the “short” Niva skids at a more or less decent speed, it is almost impossible to align it in a straight line using the controls; sometimes the car can make several 360-degree turns until the moment when it is possible to “catch” it with the steering wheel.
If you install low offset wheels on a “short” car, the track width will increase and the base to track ratio will become even smaller. At the same time, the car’s tendency to skid on a slippery road increases, and the driver’s ability to pull it out of the skid decreases. In addition, the expansion of the track leads to an increase in the load on the bearings of the front wheel hubs and the bearings of the axle shafts of the rear wheels and, as a result, their rapid failure.
Thus, when choosing wheels and tires, you should strive to ensure that the center of the wheel being installed is at the point where the center (contact patch with the road) of the standard wheel was. If the wheel being installed is wider than the standard one, the disk must be selected with an increased offset. For standard wheels, the use of disks with a short offset is impractical and even dangerous, especially on “short” cars.
Wheels for Niva - from small to large
Absolutely every driver has at least once had the thought that it’s time to get bigger wheels. Because the stock Nyvka is, of course, good, but as they say - more wheels - more possibilities. Therefore, let’s figure out what a driver will have to face in order to install tires of a larger diameter and, in general, whether it’s worth doing. Here we will try to present everything as simply and clearly as possible, because looking for answers on forums is long and painful for many)) Because many people are absolutely not happy with driving the Vli-5))
Basically, here we will collect all your questions and answers to them.
Is it worth switching to 15-inch wheels?
I think you know that most tire drivers are switching from standard 16″ wheels to 15″ ones. For what? The answer is prosaic - the choice of tires with a 15″ fit is many times greater than for 16. That’s why they switch, because they want to install a meaner rubber, but with 16″ options the cat cried. No, of course, if you drive a Kama Flame, then leave the standard wheels. But I think you will soon feel that you should at least install Cordiant.
In general, then I’ll write a separate article about normal 16″ tires for the Niva. In the meantime, I recommend these cool “slippers” K-139 - they will fit on the Niva without modifications, they row perfectly and you don’t need to think about buying 15 discs. Although the choice of 15 tires is simply gorgeous, here you will also find Goodrich, Mudrichi, Hankuki and other well-known mud tires.
What is the maximum tire size for a Niva without modifications (lift, cutting arches)?
If the car is new, then few people will want to cut the arches - this is a fact. So the answer is this: the maximum you can set is 215-75-R15. I have this one on my Shevik, which is stock, by the way. However, there’s an immediate counter-question here: what kind of wheels to take for these tires, because everything is right next to each other, and if you get smart about the takeoff, the tires will rub against the wheel arch liners. The answer is that you need to take wheels with an offset of 40, or at least 35.
So if you are looking towards 235 tires, then get ready to prepare the car, cut arches, lift, change the main pairs, etc. Do you need it? An increase of 1.5 cm in ground clearance, and work per million. It makes sense to use 235 tires only when you are planning to seriously offroad. And if you simply want to put the biggest wheels possible on your Nivko without any modifications, then your choice is 215-75-R15.
What disc offset will be optimal for Niva chassis parts?
The basic rule is “wider and larger wheels - less offset”, but within reasonable limits. Because many people like to set the offset to zero and the car will be very unstable on sharp turns and big tires. Maintain balance))
Everything will depend on the size of the wheels. As you know, the factory recommendation is offset 58. Therefore, the closer the offset of your disk is to this indicator, the better. ET 58 is recommended because the wheels from the factory are very small; K-156 tires seem to be 185-75-16 in size. For such small wheels the reach is appropriate, maybe more.
Therefore, if you decide to change the stock wheels (and this is what 99 percent of drivers decide to do after their first rides), then you will have to take different wheels, with a smaller offset. Larger tire diameter means shorter disc offset. But you need to maintain a balance, strive to be closer to ET58. Why is this necessary? The answer is the closer the offset is to ideal, the better for your suspension and bearings.
And therefore, on wheels 205/70/R15 (most often nivovods install Cordiant Off Road in this size and do it right) you need wheels with an offset of 48. You can put thirty-fifths, but these will be better. The car will be intact.
Well, if you decide to set the maximum without modifications to 215/75/R15, then reduce the ET to 35 and it will be normal. If you put it on wheels with forty-eighth, there is a possibility of wiping.
I want to install 215/65/R16 tires - what wheels are suitable?
“Sneakers” of this size are considered almost ideal for a stock Niva - there is no need to take separate wheels, the dynamics are normal, the size is slightly larger than the standard one, there is no need to cut/lift anything. If you are not going to do much “bezdorov”, but purely for mushrooms, berries, fishing, hunting, and not particularly drilling, then the choice can be considered ideal.
As for the wheels, the answer is 40-45 offset, forty-five is better, of course. Closer to the recommended one is better for the machine. Put more and it will wipe with the steering wheel turned out.
Is it possible to install 16-inch wheels on a Chevrolet Niva and 15-inch wheels on a Niva?
You can often see a Chevrolet Niva on wheels with a seat size of 16, and the “classic” one on 15s. Again, the main thing here is to choose the wheel geometry so that the contact patch remains in the same place and the distance between the centers of the tires remains the same.
The option of installing 15-inch tires with the corresponding wheels on the “classic” Niva does not make sense. You can choose tires whose diameter will differ little from the “original” wheels with a seat size of 16 inches, but the price of 15-inch tires is usually lower.
Parameters of forged wheels on a Chevrolet Niva with zero offset and their choice
Forged wheels are the most expensive, but if they are hit, they do not break, but bend, so the driver can return the damaged disk to its previous appearance. As already mentioned, buying a Chevy is not very profitable due to the high cost of one set, but some drivers want to stand out in the crowd, so they spend additional money on car tuning. In addition, “forging” has another undeniable advantage - the weight of one disc rarely exceeds 5.5-6 kilograms.
It is enough to simply find wheels with a radius of 16 inches. Makes forged products. As for light alloy products, you can use KRAMZ brand products. She also makes “Bahran” wheels, which are forged. There is also the Magnum brand, which offers the same products.
The easiest size to choose is 15 inches in diameter; R15 wheels are the most popular on Chevy. If you need inexpensive products, then for just a few thousand rubles per disc you can buy a good sample from.
Almost no one installs R17 or larger wheels on the Chevrolet Niva, because this would require reworking the chassis. And if you need to increase the ground clearance for off-road use, then simply install high-profile tires.
