I was thinking of putting differant tires and wheels on my 06 HHR. I don't like the way the low profile tires ride. Is there any other like 15" wheels that will fit with the right tire size to get the same tire diam and width. I would think these would ride better. Has anyone done this?? thanks for any help

 

What size and (load rating .. ie 94H etc) do you currently have on your HHR?

SF

 

SilverFox,
Thanks for reply, the tires on the car now are 215-50R17 91H, Do you think 15" tires would ride better? Thanks
steve

 

More rim/less sidewall=stiffer ride because of the lack of sidewall....what suspension do you have?

 

I think if you can find a 15 inch rim with a 5 x 110 bolt pattern you can find a tire size to keep it close to the overall factory tire size.

However the hhr was never sold with 15 inch rims, so, I am not sure about whether they would even fit over the brakes on the front.

They factory 16 inch size is 215-55-16. This will help with the roughness of the ride some. I have noticed a difference in ride when going from my 17 in wheels to the 16 in wheels I run in the winter.

 

I take it you have a 2LT HHR

That means you have the Sport Suspension which delivers a firmer ride and a more noticeable thump when you go over bumps and the like.

There is a 15" wheel application available but I would have to go back and check the posting I saw it on. I didn't particularily care for the looks of the wheel though.

If you really want to improve your ride quality you can take 2 directions.

1. Change to 16" wheels and 205/60R/16 standard load tires with 31lbs cold in the front and rear.

2. If that is not enough you can convert to the Standard FE3 Suspension, but that will make to total fix expense very pricey.

3. You could get back some of your expense by selling your 17" wheels and tires.

Now here is a valuable option. I just did this myself to one of my 2LT HHR's.

Buy a new set of OEM 16" 5 spoke steel wheels. If you buy used you take the risk of 1 or more bad wheels.
There are a lot of choices in wheel covers including Chrome if you go on E Bay and look around. They cost far less then Custom Wheels in this case. Make sure you buy the correct application to fit these 5 spoke wheels.

I see you live in Maine so this could fit into your strategy just fine.
Buy a new set of 205/60R/16 Michelin Ice 3 tires.
Use the air pressures I mentioned earlier.
I went to Costco when they had an extra deal on but I also like that they inflate with nitrogen and will refill low tires for free and fix flats free.
This application made the whole issue of rougher ride tollerable.
They ride softer and are they extremely quiet. I am extremely happy with this choice.
I have done nothing so far to the suspension.
I plan to leave them on all year and take a small hit on the reduced mileage, but on the other hand you will be prepared for winter driving whenever it appears.
You do not have to mount and demount/balance your snow tires every year.
You also do not have money invested in to 2 separate tire systems.
You also do not have to store your snow tires with or without wheels in the garage taking up a lot of valuable space.
The only downside I see is if you are a high speed driver or in a hot climate, it may not be adviseable to leave them on.

SF

 

There's also the factor of over inflation or tire type or manufacture! What one type of 215 x 50 x 17 may ride like crap another brand may ride like your on air! Also worn tires will make your ride less comfortable! Bumping up to a 225 x 50 x 17 may help your ride! Also read all the reviews like on tirerack ..

 

All good points, but what I have experienced is the Personal Effect.

All these reviews just leave me with more questions. Only people who have a handle on how to make complete and fair comparrisons matter.
Also Reviews are comparing a "particular tire" on many different cars and not neccesarily the car you have.
They are also comparing all different sizes/ air pressures, and even load ratings in some cases. Not an accurate review in my opinion.

I consider myself knowledgeable on tires as I was in the business for years.
Yes tires have changed since then, but I value my opinion far more then some housewife or someone who really knows very little about the tire industry and tire construction and performance. For that matter someone that doesn't even know what an HHR is.

It would make it far easier and less expensive if we could get the real honest and professional test facts on all these applications out there, but I still find it is mostly trial and error.

I have read several reviews where the tire listed was not the tire being reviewed. How confussing is that?

SF

 

I could tell by your replies that you have a solid knowledge of the tire business ..... what I know is more from being a car guy / consumer .....

 

Silverfox, just a point......

In your point #2 above you mentioned he could change TO FE3 suspension. He already has the FE3 suspension if he has the 2LT. Did you mean the FE1 suspension, which is the "softer" ride?

I guess it would help if we knew what model of HHR SteveMaine has. Although we could SUGGEST it is a 2LT because of the tire size.