Here's a few guidelines from TÜV/tyre manufacturers on suitable wheel/tyre combinations:

175/50-13 Max 6-13

195/45-13 Max 8-13 with minimum 36 psi pressure on 8-13

185/50-14 Max 7-14

195/45-14 Max 8-14

205/45-14 Max 8,5-14

215/40-14 Max 9-14

225/40-14 Max 9-14 (except Toyo's who can be fitted to 10-14)

255/35-14 Max 10,5-14

195/45-15 Max 8-15 (bridgstone B530 is allowed on 8,5-15)

215/40-15 Max 9-15

215/45-15 Max 9-15

215/40-16 Max 9-16

215/35-16 Dunlop max 8,5-16 (used to be allowed on 9-16, but approval has been withdrawn, not sure about Conti)

Club Polo offers the above information for reference only, it is your responsibility to ensure that your wheel/tyre combination is both safe and legal.

When you say "max" you mean minimum right?

When you say "max" you mean minimum right?

i think he means max stretch on that size rim whilst remianing safe

No...

175/50-13 Max 6-13

means

if your tyres size is 175/50-13 then your Maximum wheel size is 6inches by 13inches

Edited 13 December, 200619 yr by 2Fchris

what about 7-14's ????

what about 7-14's ????

Here's one more

185/50-14 max 7-14

I've got some 175/50 -13s on some 13 x7s minilights on my car. All companys that sell 13x7s for minis use 175/50 in wheel and tyres packages. I cant see that they would do this if it wasnt safe.

They dont even look that stretched!

No...

175/50-13 Max 6-13

means

if your tyres size is 175/50-13 then your Maximum wheel size is 6inches by 13inches

So if the wheel diameter is any bigger it won't be stretched?

Edited 13 December, 200619 yr by PoloGareth

Excuse me if I have mis-understood your question PoloGareth, but you are going to have trouble putting a 175/50-13 tyre on any wheel other than one with a 13" diameter!!

When you say "max" you mean minimum right?

175/50-13 Max 6-13

When I say max, I mean maximum width of wheel, eg 6,5-13 and 7-13 is not advisable to use with 175/50-13

In the nicest possible way, says who?

Would a 175/50/R14 be ok on a 6" wheel or could I stretch to a 165/60/R14? Is there more combinations on the website this came from?

Edited 14 December, 200619 yr by Paul 8v

In the nicest possible way, says who?

Here's a few guidelines from TÜV/tyre manufacturers on suitable wheel/tyre combinations:

Would a 175/50/R14 be ok on a 6" wheel or could I stretch to a 165/60/R14? Is there more combinations on the website this came from?

This did not come from any one website, but from years of traveling on German VW/Polo forums, reading TÜV-approval papers and other sources.

175/50-14 would be ok on a 6" wheel, but I would not recomend a 165/60-14. Not only is it too narrow, and the higher the profile, the less stretch it can take safely, even though you have a longer piece of sidewall to stretch it on. The sidewall is quite a bit "floppier" on the higher profile tyre.

As far as the Mini's and 175/50-13. There has been quite a few accidents in Germany where the combination of 175/50-13 and 7-8x13 rims has casused blow-out (RE: RTL Explosiv)

Cheers, hopefully that will fit on my mk3 then?

Excuse me if I have mis-understood your question PoloGareth, but you are going to have trouble putting a 175/50-13 tyre on any wheel other than one with a 13" diameter!!

lol yeah you misunderstood... I meant the 175 bit... not 13

I'm really confused now

Excuse me if I have mis-understood your question PoloGareth, but you are going to have trouble putting a 175/50-13 tyre on any wheel other than one with a 13" diameter!!

lol yeah you misunderstood... I meant the 175 bit... not 13

I'm really confused now

So if I put it this way around

6-13 at least 175/50-13 or wider

7-13 at least 195/45-13 or wider......

It does not take into account what is really stretched or not, it just takes into account what is safe and what is unsafe. A 195/45-13 on a 6-13 will not look stretched

If you want the stretched look safely,you wanna use these:

5.5x13s - 165x55x13

6x13s - 175x50x13

7/8x13 - 195x45x13s

Yes,the tyres do go on wheels an inch wider in each case,but its dodgy practice,even on the lighter Mini.Rover put 175x50 on 6x13s on the sportpack - vertical walls.

Incidentally,mine are 185x60 on the original flat-face starfish design 5.5x13s - but obviously i haven't gone for the stretched look.Its more the XR2 look

Edited 18 December, 200619 yr by MikeyMK

This is a good guide and while hopefully help loads! But for ref I have a 195/45/13 on a 9 inch wheel incase anyone wanted to do that

I'm just wandering about pressures cos I've got 175/50/13ss on a 7 inch rim and when they came back from the shop tthe tires were at 30psi, this was horrible as the car was riding on the centre of the tire and handled like a bowl of jelly. I tried 25 and that didnt help much so now there at 20 and its really good. I've hammered it round corners and nothings come off. Just the comment in brackets at the top of the list that says a minimum of 36psi in a similar tire worried me. Dont know how anyone could drive that!

Are there any guidelines available for 17's? with say 7.5" width

Same principle as smaller wheels as the profile is an aspect ratio of the width so doesnt vary with size. Just swap the 13 or 14 with 17 to get your answer...

Edited 6 January, 200719 yr by Fernandez

so my 8 incher wrapped in 185/50/14 is unsafe.

oh well

They used to be legal, but are not anymore.

Dietrich's first demo 6N back in 1995 had 8-14 Tramonts and 185/50-14 Sp2000 rubber

so if i was to get 175/50/14s on my 6x14s,what tyre pressure is recomended to be safe?

any idea on a stretched tyre on a 15x6.5 rim? couldnt see it listed...

many thankx in advance.

does 165/45/15 sound about right or should i b going 4a 50 profile???

sorted...165/50/15. thankx 4 you help.

Edited 24 April, 200719 yr by riskie