# Fitting the LTZ rims with tires



## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Hey guys, I just wanted to ask a few questions related to me wanting to put some OEM LTZ rims and the appropriate tires on the 2013 1LT Cruze I plan on purchasing. After some tire comparing on TireRack, I think I plan on purchasing the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires (225/45/R18) for the rims and wanted to get your opinions on a few things. 

Primacy MXM4 | Michelin Tires

1st: Will the LTZ rims fit these specific tires without any issues like gapping, rubbing, stretching, etc?

2nd: Will these tires poke out from the Cruze's wheel wells especially in comparison to if I bought the OEM LTZ tires? 

3rd: What kind of ride quality can I expect from the LTZ rims and these specific Michelin tires speed rated at V?

4th: What kind of complications might I run into with putting these bigger LTZ rims and tires on the car since the brakes and suspension of the 1LT's weren't intended for them and came with 16 inch wheels? Like:
*Will there be a need to re-calibrate the speedometer, get an alignment and things like that? 
*Will I find my MPG, speed and other trip related readings to be off/ inaccurate?
*Will ride quality,take off performance and braking distance suffer? 

Any answers to these questions and any other useful information regarding the possible effects whether positive or negative from putting these tires and the LTZ rims on a 1lt will be muchly appreciated! Thanks again!


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## seaux cajun (Jun 19, 2012)

You shouldnt have any issues with your first question as many of us have gone from the stock 16s to 18s with that same tire size with no issue. 
Second you shouldnt have any poking out because the offset of the LTZ wheels should be the same as the 16s which is +42 but if you are worried you can put the new numbers in an offset calculator and it will tell you about how much change there will be if any. 
Third, cant answer this one but i wouldnt expect your ride quality to be greatly affected.
4th- If you stay within 3% of the original diameter of the wheel and tire then there wont be a noticable difference but if your diameter is going to be greater than that difference you can get your ecu reprogrammed for the new wheel/tire size and that will solve that issue.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Thanks man, appreciate it! Would love other people's input too!


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## Kinmartin0789 (Feb 18, 2011)

i would say research the **** out of the tires but my experience with lower profile tires is you feel bumps and pot holes more maybe others can answer that have those rims currently


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## mcg75 (Mar 5, 2012)

The ltz rims come standard with the rs package here in Canada. I'm pretty sure my OEM tires are the same as the ones you have listed. They are a good tire with a low wear rating but nothing in that size will wear very well.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using AutoGuide.Com Free App


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## mcg75 (Mar 5, 2012)

mcg75 said:


> The ltz rims come standard with the rs package here in Canada. I'm pretty sure my OEM tires are the same as the ones you have listed. They are a good tire with a low wear rating but nothing in that size will wear very well.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using AutoGuide.Com Free App


I was wrong. It's the MXV4 that mine came with.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I was thinking of the Primacy MXM4's as replacements to the Eco tires. From the reviews I've read, they're supposed to be a great high-performance all-season that is decent on gas, too. 

Since they're OEM rims and you're doing OEM size tires, you won't have any issues with offset or fit. 

Your handling will increase, but the ride quality will suffer some. It definitely won't be as plush as the OEM 16" LT wheels/tires.


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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

Questions 1,2, and 4 were answered well. My input for number three is you will probably noticed more imperfections on the road, because simply, there's less tire to absorb shock. Even then, you will get used to it quick. I inflated my tires from 35 to almost 50. Same scenario with quality. I felt the bumps at first, but got used to it so quick that I don't even notice them anymore. Hope this helps!


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

sciphi said:


> I was thinking of the Primacy MXM4's as replacements to the Eco tires. From the reviews I've read, they're supposed to be a great high-performance all-season that is decent on gas, too.
> 
> Since they're OEM rims and you're doing OEM size tires, you won't have any issues with offset or fit.
> 
> Your handling will increase, but the ride quality will suffer some. It definitely won't be as plush as the OEM 16" LT wheels/tires.


What do you mean by them not being as plush?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Ride quality is generally improved by having more sidewall to the tire (the 16" vs 18" rims). As the 18" have less sidewall, the ride will suffer, but handling will be a lot better. 

The difference between the models with 15" and 16" tires on my old car was very noticeable. Unfortunately, I had the 16" with the sport pack suspension. Ride quality was just awful.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

sciphi said:


> I was thinking of the Primacy MXM4's as replacements to the Eco tires. From the reviews I've read, they're supposed to be a great high-performance all-season that is decent on gas, too.
> 
> Since they're OEM rims and you're doing OEM size tires, you won't have any issues with offset or fit.
> 
> Your handling will increase, but the ride quality will suffer some. It definitely won't be as plush as the OEM 16" LT wheels/tires.





Starks8 said:


> What do you mean by them not being as plush?


Any little imperfections in the road surface will be more noticeable with the 18's. You're taking 1 inch of shock-absorbing rubber sidewall away going to 18's from 16's. The ride will go from fairly stable and serene over rough surfaces to a little bouncier and less stable. The mechanical bits of the suspension will be doing more of the work done by a larger tire sidewall, and that will make the ride less isolated from the road surface. Also, the 18's will likely have a higher speed rating than the 16's. Higher speed ratings generally mean the ride will suffer a bit for better handling since the tire is generally built stiffer to cope with higher speeds. 

I noticed a difference going from 215/60-16 winter tires to 215/55-17 all-season tires. That's removing 4/10" sidewall, and a significant jump in speed rating. Bumps the winter tires glided over without upsetting the car caused some body movement with the all-seasons. The handling of the all-seasons was noticeably better, though. The first time driving the car on winter tires was an adjustment since the car couldn't corner as quickly, and was more upset by high-speed maneuvers. The ride quality was superb, however. 

That's what I meant by not as plush.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

sciphi said:


> Any little imperfections in the road surface will be more noticeable with the 18's. You're taking 1 inch of shock-absorbing rubber sidewall away going to 18's from 16's. The ride will go from fairly stable and serene over rough surfaces to a little bouncier and less stable. The mechanical bits of the suspension will be doing more of the work done by a larger tire sidewall, and that will make the ride less isolated from the road surface. Also, the 18's will likely have a higher speed rating than the 16's. Higher speed ratings generally mean the ride will suffer a bit for better handling since the tire is generally built stiffer to cope with higher speeds.
> 
> I noticed a difference going from 215/60-16 winter tires to 215/55-17 all-season tires. That's removing 4/10" sidewall, and a significant jump in speed rating. Bumps the winter tires glided over without upsetting the car caused some body movement with the all-seasons. The handling of the all-seasons was noticeably better, though. The first time driving the car on winter tires was an adjustment since the car couldn't corner as quickly, and was more upset by high-speed maneuvers. The ride quality was superb, however.
> 
> That's what I meant by not as plush.


Got cha, thanks man!


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Does anybody know if I was to buy a new 2013 Cruze 1LT from a dealership if they would be willing to swap out the OEM 16" rims and tires for a set of the 18" LTZ rims and tires if I said I wanted them as the condition to seal the deal? If not a swap, would a dealership maybe be open to ordering/purchasing the LTZ rims, bolts,center caps for me in place of me accepting any free accessories or free services? Thanks if anybody knows!


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## Kinmartin0789 (Feb 18, 2011)

Starks8 said:


> Does anybody know if I was to buy a new 2013 Cruze 1LT from a dealership if they would be willing to swap out the OEM 16" rims and tires for a set of the 18" LTZ rims and tires if I said I wanted them as the condition to seal the deal? If not a swap, would a dealership maybe be open to ordering/purchasing the LTZ rims, bolts,center caps for me in place of me accepting any free accessories or free services? Thanks if anybody knows!



i know for a fact they arent jsut goign to strip it off another one, so it will have to be ordered. Now as to if they will deal any i have to doubt it but i cant say for sure. They will have to order all of that for you so it will be a cost to them. They may take a decent amount off since you are trading in the rims that wiould come stock.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Kinmartin0789 said:


> i know for a fact they arent jsut goign to strip it off another one, so it will have to be ordered. Now as to if they will deal any i have to doubt it but i cant say for sure. They will have to order all of that for you so it will be a cost to them. They may take a decent amount off since you are trading in the rims that wiould come stock.


Just crush my dream why don't cha?! Hahaha/jk


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Every tire dealer I visited would only put on the tires specified on that door label. I even had a battle with one, their exact same tire was a half an inch smaller in diameter than the so called standard tire size. Let me call the factory and get permission to go up one size so my odometer and speedometer would read correctly.

Some trucks had provisions to change the settings, but not even sure about the Cruze as to whether this can be programmed for different tire sizes. Mine is dead accurate.

This seems ironic to me, can buy a 15 buck speedometer/odometer for our bicycles and program that to better than one part in five thousand. But can't do that in these way overpriced vehicles.

Today, when I buy tires or a battery, always bring a measuring stick with me. Can your dealer reprogram the Vss pulses so your speedometer reads accurately? A good question.


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