17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci

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Sat 17 Apr 2010 15:42
17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci - ed81

Hi

I drive a mk2 Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci Zetec with 17 inch alloys 205/50 tyres. I went into a pothole not long ago and since then the car (in particular the steering wheel and dashboard) shakes at over 60mph. I had wheel balancing and trackings done 4 times already (yes 4 times) since then and I think I've wasted enough money on them. Apparently there is a flat spot on one of the alloy and to be honest I find the ride a bit harsh on these wheels. I am not sure what else can I do to solve this problem?

I am thinking of changing these to 16 inch alloys with 205/55 tyres, would these fit ok?

Thanks in advance.

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Sun 18 Apr 2010 12:21
17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci - veryoldbear

Not directly comparable, but I have had Saab 95 Estates with both 16-inch and 17-inch rims and for my taste the 16-inch wins hands down. The 17-inchers feel all the bumps and knock yer teeth out.

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Mon 19 Apr 2010 10:07
17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci - mustangman

I had 17" wheels on an 06 Focus that I sold a year ago. I'd agree that it had a "fidgity" ride on our poor roads. The main problem was the alloys wheels, they had machined rims that started to corrode within months. I had them replaced under warranty and the new set were just as bad after a couple of years. 17" tyres are also more expensive to replace.

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Mon 19 Apr 2010 20:37
17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci - hillman

"17 tyres are more expensive to replace"?

Why should this be so ? Surely there is a lot more material in the 15 in and 16 in tyres.

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Mon 19 Apr 2010 21:22
17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci - ed81

17" tyres are more expensive for some unknown reasons. I've decided to go for 16" wheels, 15" wheels are almost impossible to get hold of. There are plenty of used or nearly new 16" alloys for sale out there. Look forward to more smooth ride, thanks everyone.

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Mon 19 Apr 2010 21:57
17 inch wheels to 16 inch, any advice? - Ford Focus 1.6 Tdci - NARU
I'm sure that if you post on one of the focus forums you'll find someone willing to do a straight swap.

Or you could pick up a set of 15" or 16" wheels on ebay or from a breaker and keep your 17" ones for when you're ready to sell.
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