I wanted to try driving on lightweight forged wheels. As it turned out, VSMPO and SMK stopped producing forged wheels, literally. Of the living manufacturers, only Slik remains (there may also be KRAMZ, but in my opinion they are no different from slicks, plus they are not sold in the capital). For Niva in 15″ size they now make one version of wheels, model L87:
I don’t really like the design, and the most important thing is that it weighs 7.5 kg, which is a bit much for forging, for example, modern casting KiK Angara with a 40th radius weighs 7.040 kg (according to the manufacturer).
They are also much more interesting in design. It is clear that with a high degree of probability they are stronger than casting, but it is not a fact that much. I personally held in my hands the rather crooked Slik l22 and VSMPO Hellas. Don't believe those who say that forging doesn't bend. Accordingly, the option with l87 slicks was eliminated due to their weight and high cost (a set of new ones costs about 26,000, used ones are rare). There are only used versions of VSMPO left; there are quite a few offers for them, unfortunately, and the prices are sky-high (sellers have figured out that you can’t buy new ones). After several months of searching on forums and Avito, I found the VSPMO Taiga set (the actual weight of one disk is 5.1 kg), and in another city, 100 km from me. The guy sold them with 31 tires, which I didn’t need, but agreed to sell the wheels separately. In the photos in the ad, little was clear. I decided to go. It was a holiday, and the only tire repair shop in the seller’s town was not working, so I started calling in advance at a nearby, larger one. I got through to one, but the guy there was going to close early. He asked to wait for us if possible and moved there. The seller was late, fortunately the tire fitter waited. The paintwork on the discs was full of alles:
When choosing wheels for an SUV VAZ 2121, 21214 Niva, you should initially decide on the purpose of their installation. Some car enthusiasts like to drive their cars off-road, and some drive strictly in urban conditions, and installing new rims on wheels for them is another item of sophistication and luxury, but not practicality.
Having chosen suitable disks, do not rush to purchase them. To begin with, be sure to choose the right tires for them, so that the wheels grip the road as well as possible, and are reliable and practical. How to do it? You can find out the answer by reading this article.
What to look for when choosing off-road wheels
For such purposes of use, special samples are selected. Their main condition is the width, which will be slightly more than half the width of the tire. For example, for a rim whose width is 10 cm, a 12.5-inch tire is suitable. Such criteria are selected taking into account the fact that when driving off-road, the air from the tire will gradually be released, while increasing the width of the rubber on the sides. This effect is of great importance, as it increases the contact surface of the wheel and provides the VAZ 2121 and 21214 Niva with better traction.
Of course, nothing prevents you from installing off-road tires on narrower rims. But at the same time, the width of the rubber will decrease, and so will the contact plane. Although such a change also has its advantages. For example, when driving on a hard dirt surface, narrower tires will grip the road better due to the larger protrusion of the treads. But when driving through a swamp or other similar soil, they will go worse than a rim on wide tires.
What kind of tires come from the factory?
Currently, the manufacturer offers three tire sizes for installation on Niva Travel:
- 205/70 R15;
- 205/75 R15;
- 215/65 R16;
Tires are constantly the object of constant tuning among tire drivers. Car owners try to install wheels with a smaller diameter, but use tires with the largest profile. Of course, the heavier the tires, the more difficult it is for the Niva to drive. Still, the 1.7 liter engine does not cope well with accelerating the car. Therefore, when tuning, the car owner should think about how hard it will be for the car.
The standard tires that are installed on Niva Travel from the factory are Amtel Barguzin 4×4. In fact, the tires do not have outstanding performance either on asphalt or off-road. It looks like a road tire, it is very noisy on the asphalt, it worsens the car's handling, and it has a tread that is not suitable for off-road use. “Barguzin”, at the same time, is very expensive, but has a rather pleasant plus - a rigid sidewall, which will protect the tire from hernias and cuts.
What types of disks to choose and from which manufacturers
For the Niva off-road vehicle, forged or alloy wheels are most suitable. The most popular option for models 2121 and 21214 are alloy wheels from Suzuki Grand Vitara, Suzuki Jimmy, Kia Sportage, and even Volga cars, measuring at least 15 inches.
If we talk about manufacturers who make wheels specifically for VAZ cars, then it is best to use products from KRAMZ. They have an anti-shock, stable design, and relatively light weight, thanks to the material from which they are made.
Is there an alternative to factory tires?
Of course, but any tuning should have moderation. Exceeding the permissible wheel sizes will negatively affect:
- on dynamic characteristics;
- chassis and suspension elements;
- on the steering part;
It is also worth mentioning that wheels that are too large will begin to touch the fender liners and wheel arches. This is especially noticeable in corners. Therefore, it was experimentally established that without serious intervention in the design of the car, with stock suspension and chassis parts, it is possible to install tires of the following size:
- 215/60 R17;
- 215/65 R16;
To use tires with more serious characteristics, you will have to install reinforced hubs, drives, silent blocks and other suspension elements, as well as increase engine power. The last point is important for maintaining dynamic characteristics on the highway and off-road.
Currently, two types of tires can be installed on the Niva:
- highway;
- mud;
The latter is distinguished by a large and hard tread, which will be unpleasant to drive on smooth roads. But in mud and snow this tire copes well. However, road tires have the opposite characteristics.
Popular tire brands for Niva Travel:
- Toyo
- Nokian
- BF Goodrich KO2.
- Continental
- Michelin
- Pirelli
When buying any tires from the list above, the car owner will definitely not go wrong.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the possible options, we can conclude: for the field, the most suitable option is alloy wheels, 15 - 16 inches in size, with tires whose width will be approximately 60% larger.
At the same time, the weight of the disks should not be too large so that when it falls into a hole, it does not become deformed. Therefore, choose KRAMZ wheels and be confident in your car, both on the road and in off-road conditions.
What kind of discs are given to the Niva “by nature”? Well, more precisely, the dimensions that are given to this car from the manufacturer. If you look at its “native” disk parameters, they look like this: 5J x 16 H2 ET=58, DIA=98, PCD=5 x 139, 7. In short, there is a complete confusion with the sizes of the “rollers”. Therefore, we will describe what each of what is written means:
- 5J - this means that a 5-inch wide wheel can be “stretched” on this disk. And “J” indicates the presence of one shoulder on the disk. The parameter is not “critical” and may vary (depending on the tire model).
- 16 is the diameter of the wheel rim, which is indicated in inches.
- H2 - means that the disk design is equipped with two hunts. A hunt is a ring-shaped protrusion that is located along the edge of the disk. Serves for reliable fixation of tubeless type tires during the displacement of the impact force on the plane of the working surface of the tire relative to its center. Or simply put, to hold the rubber on the skating rink during maneuvering. Since many models of off-road tires have a tubeless design, the presence of two handles for an extreme disc is mandatory.
- ET – this is the designation for disc offset and its size in millimeters. It is allowed to change the value from the standard downward, which does not exceed 10 mm. The smaller the offset value, the greater the distance between the wheels of your Niva.
- DIA is the millimeter diameter of the hub hole.
- PCD - indicates the number of holes for fasteners, and then the diameter of the circle in which they are located.
VSMPO forged wheels on Niva - review of legendary models
Putting forging on a Niva is simply a brilliant decision; the wheels from our Russian company VSMPO are some of the best and won’t break the bank. One disc weighs no more than 6 kg—you won’t find any castings with that much weight. Ifree casting - disc weight is around 7 kg. So forged wheels are the lightest and most durable. And if most nivovods decide to take forging, then only VSMPO. The decision is correct, but where to find them?
Yes, yes, it’s an ambush - VSMPO no longer produces forged wheels and this decision is incomprehensible to me - there is a considerable demand. People monitor Avito in the hope of finding used wheels of this brand. Some are lucky, some are not.
In this short review in pictures, I will show you the most popular models of forged wheels - “Taiga” and Hellas.” Absolutely every one of the nivovods, at least in our city, dreams of buying them. Because they fit the Niva perfectly in terms of parameters. Just keep in mind, size R15. But this is even better, if you forked out money for forging, then take normal tires, and in size 15 there is a wow choice))
"Hellas"
The legendary model of forging on Niva is no longer produced, but can still be found in some places. I recently saw it on Avito, although the wheels were sold together with the Niva, but no matter, you can take it anyway, there is no such thing as a superfluous Niva))
The Hellas parameters are as follows: 6.0×15/5×139.7 ET45. As you can see, there is only one modification on the R15. This is correct, since the choice of R15 mud tires is many times larger than R16.
For the money, a used one in good condition can be found for 4-5k rubles. An excellent price even for bush discs, since the quality is top notch. By the way, this model weighs only 5.7 kg. According to reviews - Nyvka becomes quick, accelerates noticeably faster, and you don’t have to be afraid of potholes and bumps, because forging is forging - you won’t break it))
"Taiga"
The second legendary Nivov forging model R15. There are already 2 modifications, the difference in which is insignificant:
— 6.0(6.5)R15 — 5×139.7 — ET45
Available with wheel widths 6 and 6.5. Choose what suits you best for your tires. "Taiga" is more popular than "Hellas". Well, you can see it more often on the Chevrolet Niva, the size is perfect))
The biggest fire is the weight of the disc, it is only 5.5 kg. I think you yourself know what the reviews are - enthusiastic, people are looking for them like sausage during the shortage in the Soviet years. If the plant would now put the capacity back into producing these discs, many farmers would be happier) And they would earn money normally. There would be more pre-orders than for iPhones))
"Helios"
The last of the “three” Niv models. True, there are a lot of modifications here with different reach and other parameters; there are a lot of photos of various blouses on Helios on the Internet. But we need it for Niva and Chevy))
And here is what you need - 6.0×15/5×139.7 ET45
The disc weighs 5.5 kg, light and incredibly durable. True, if we had to choose from three models, then for the Niva I would rather take “Hellas” - the classic style of 5 thick stars, they will be stronger than thinner rays. Although even trying to break them is still a task))
This model is more elegant, I would say, which is why you can often see it on Sheviks - beauty in one word))
So whoever didn’t get the wheels, let’s get together and write a petition to the factory so that they immediately start producing at least one of these three models. Super durable and light wheels with a sky-high price - recommended by nivovods)) The main thing is to find them on sale. Although I have not considered other models that can still be easily found on sale, perhaps you can choose something from them for Nyvka. Well, if you haven’t found forging, then take the popular Kik casting, for example.
Factory wheels
Wheels also play an important role, but they will have much more parameters than tires. Therefore, when purchasing disks, carefully study the very important parameters:
- PCD – 139 7x This is the hub mounting diameter. Be careful, the Niva has the largest one, so the wheels need to be selected based on the car’s hub.
- Disc width – 7 mm. And the offset is 40 mm. The wheel nuts are tightened with a torque of around 100 Nm.
The diameter of the disks is limited by the wheel arches of the car and its wheel arches. Therefore, it will not be possible to install too large wheels, although there were cases when Niva used as many as 17-diameter wheels with low-profile tires.
How to choose new tires and wheels for Niva Travel?
To make the right choice, you must first understand for what purposes the car will be used. If you plan to use the Niva on the highway, then the best solution would be wheels with a diameter of 17 inches on tires with a minimum profile of 60. The smaller the rubber profile and the larger the diameter, the better the car’s handling on asphalt. However, this will be to the detriment of comfort and will definitely have a negative impact on off-road driving.
A high tire profile with a smaller diameter is the best option for those who want to get a full-fledged SUV. Here everything is the opposite of the previous option.
One more feature of the selection of wheels and tires should be taken into account - the diameter of the wheels seriously affects the dynamic performance of the Niva Travel. The basic equipment of this car is equipped with stamped R15 wheels - these are the smallest wheels.
However, there is a pleasant feature - they have the least weight and the acceleration dynamics of an SUV on such wheels are better. The same cannot be said about R17 wheels. But this condition will apply in the case when the profile and width of the tire correspond to the factory specifications.
