My 2003 Zetec Estate has 18" alloys and as advised by HJ I want to change to 16" wheels.
Can I just change them over or is any modification required?
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As long as you ensure that you are using the correct 16" tyre and wheel combination to give the same circumference then you should be fine.
Are you looking at fitting Ford OE 16" wheels?
PP
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Why do you want to change, while some cars are noticably harsher on ultra low profile tyres I have driven a Mondeo on 225/40 18's and 205/55 16's plus my own Ghia X is on 205/50 17's and find that they all ride well.
Is it a Zetec or Zetec S?, the latter might look a bit strange on 16" wheels due to the body kit.
Are the wheels 5 spoke or 10 spoke split rim style, if the latter I might be interested.
Regards.
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Thanks for your help.
It is a Zetec Estate with 225/40 18's. The main problem is tramlining causing the car to wander on the country roads around here.
I was tempted by the Jag S Type wheels currently on ebay but am I right in saying that the Pirelli 6000 225/55 are specially designed for Jags?
Yes cheddar, they are 10 spoke design but on 2 of the wheels the laquer has lifted on the rims allowing moisture to get underneath
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To maintain the correct rolling ratio you need 205/55's on 16" wheels, 225/55's will be to large a circumference.
How much do you want for the 18's? Are the tyres good condition?
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Re tramlining different tyres may help.
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Thanks Cheddar
I think that I will try different tyres when I come to replace them.
ATM I have Pirrelli Pzero Rosso on the front and the rears are Continental Sportcontact 2. Any recommendations for replacements?
regards
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Hi,
I had Sport Contact 2's on my Mondeo from new, replaced them with Sport Contacts (i.e. not 2's) which I thought were better (Conti make/made both at the same time). Since changed to Bridgestone which seem to grip well though subjectively I slightly prefered the Conti's.
Re tramlining have you had the wheel alignment checked?, too much toe out can exagerate tramlining, it will also show wear on the inside of one or both of the front tyres.
Regards.
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My Mondeo suffered with tramlining even on the Zetec 16" wheels with Dunlop SP Sport 2000 tyres on the front. Since changing these for Michelin Pilot Primacy the tramlining has disappeared, the ride is a bit better, it doesn't spin the wheels anywhere near as frequently and the road noise has reduced. They also look like they will last significantly longer than 13k which is all the Dunlops did.
I've driven a few Mondeo's and the 18" wheels don't make a huge amount of difference to ride - it doesn't suffer anywhere near as much as a lot of other cars.
Getting the alignment checked is a good idea, but even when setup correctly Mondeo's on 18's do tend to wear the inside edges of the tyres quicker.
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My Mondeo suffered with tramlining even on the Zetec 16" wheels with Dunlop SP Sport 2000 tyres on the front. Since changing these for Michelin Pilot Primacy the tramlining has disappeared, the ride is a bit better, it doesn't spin the wheels anywhere near as frequently and the road noise has reduced. They also look like they will last significantly longer than 13k which is all the Dunlops did.
13k is poor, the first three sets of fronts on my Mondeo lasted 25k/30k/25k a set, they were Conti SP 2/Conti SP/Conti SP, alignment is important, as I have said on these forums before I adjust the alignment myself by the way the car drives feels and get better than average wear.
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