The Niva became a legendary people's SUV back in Soviet times. Today it is called Lada 4x4. But in fact it is still the same Niva. The creators have developed an SUV, which in terms of cross-country ability can only be inferior to a tractor.
The use of special rubber, for example, mud rubber, significantly improves off-road performance. Of course, a standard set of all-season tires cannot help you conquer mud, swampy terrain and other realities of our roads. Therefore, many “nivovods” try to responsibly approach the issue of choosing tires in order to turn the car into a full-fledged all-terrain vehicle that can leave many foreign SUVs behind.
What tires and wheels are suitable for cars of the Niva family?
When the wheels installed at the factory are worn out or tired, the question arises - what tires to put on the Niva?
And sometimes this question arises immediately after purchasing a new car. The plant used to install Vli-5, then they started installing K-136. With the abundance of rubber that we currently see, we can install something better. The car's handling, fuel consumption, steering effort, cross-country ability on a bad road, and finally, most importantly, the ability to quickly stop the car in a critical situation depend on tires.
On “classic” Niva models, the factory plans to install tires with a fit size of 16-inch wheels. On Niva - Chevrolet - 15 inches. Wheels of 15 and 16 inches can physically be installed on any car from the Niva family; they are interchangeable in mounting dimensions. Another question is how a “classic” car will behave on 15-inch wheels, and how the Chevrolet Niva will behave on 16-inch wheels.
The standard wheel (tire) for the “classic” Niva is designated 175x80 R 16, the standard disk is 5 J x16H2 ET 58. For the Chevrolet Niva, the standard tire is 205x75 R 15, and the disk is 6 J x15H2 ET 48.
We have placed a far from complete selection of tires in the table here .
List of the best winter tires for Niva
The purchase of winter tires should be based on the area of use of the vehicle. If the machine is used primarily for hunting and fishing, you will need an aggressive model installed on standard stampings. Serious lugs combined with rolled steel provide decent grip and minimal likelihood of damage to the sidewall when hitting an obstacle.
If you use a car in urban conditions, there is no need to buy aggressive winter tires. Here it is better to use European-type winter models. Thanks to the 4x4 drive, the car quickly gets out of the way and does not slip on ice. And if you put it on alloy wheels, it will add an excellent appearance.
The most popular solutions for 3 and 5 door Niva on the market are the following tires:
- KAMA Euro LCV;
- Rossava LTW;
- Good Year Cargo Ultra Grip;
- NOKIAN WRC3;
- Gislaved Nord Frost 100;
- Kumho KW 7400.
Is it necessary to install studded tires on a Niva?
It's another matter when the car is racing in deep snow. Here the presence of metal inserts will not be unnecessary.
Parameters and markings of tires and rims
What do the parameters mean in the designations of tires and wheels? The first number in the disc marking indicates its width in inches, the letter J indicates the type of rim flange design. The number after the “x” sign means the mounting diameter in inches, H2 means that the disk has two annular protrusions (hamps) for fixing the tire on the disk. ET is the disc offset, the distance between the plane passing through the center of the tire and the plane where the disc is attached to the hub. The shorter the reach, the wider the vehicle's track.
In Fig. 1 the disk has parameters Y J xd H2 ET Z
In the tire size designation AxB R d: A-width, B-ratio of the “height” of the tire h to its width, in percent
h=(Dd)/2, h=B*A/100
d is the bore diameter in inches.
Car owners often install tires on their cars that differ in size from standard ones. Install wider gaps on standard wheels. In this case, the behavior of the tire will not be the same as calculated by the manufacturer; it will behave worse.
Standard wheels for Niva and Niva Chevrolet cars are stamped from steel. There is a wide variety of light alloy cast wheels on sale. The advantage of an alloy wheel is that it is lighter than a stamped steel one, and the total weight of the wheel with the disk, the so-called unsprung weight, is less, which improves the smoothness of the car. The disadvantage is that if there is a strong impact, the alloy wheel may break. Light alloy wheels can be found in a variety of offsets and widths, while a custom stamped wheel can be difficult to find.
If the car has standard tires and standard wheels, the suspension parameters are normal. If you install custom wheels and tires, the suspension geometry changes.
Wheel size for white Niva 4×4
Since 2006, a more advanced model of the VAZ 2121, the Lada 4×4, has become available to the population, which has plug-in all-wheel drive without locking the center differential clutch. Fans of the brand began to actively look for this modification, and more often in the traditional white color. Around this time, specialized wheels with the following characteristics began to be produced for it:
- The main size installed in the basic configuration was stamped black wheels with parameters 5Jx16 ET58 5x139.7, which was suitable for tires with dimensions 175/80/R16. The central drilling and bolt pattern remained unchanged compared to models of previous years - the wheel was traditionally mounted on a hub with 5 studs of 139.7 mm each.
- The owners of these cars often tried to change only the width of the seat on the rim for mounting the tire, and almost never changing the radius, because the target audience of the brand was completely defined - the SUV was used for its intended purpose. Thus, the most popular wheel sizes installed on Niva 4x4 are 6.5Jx15 ET15, 6.5Jx15 ET35, 7Jx15 ET15, 7Jx16 ET15, which corresponded to wheel widths of 185, 195, 2022, 215 and 225 mm, and the profile at the same time it remained within 75-80 mm for better cross-country ability.
Exclusive wheels for the Niva
Of course, every car owner wants not only stamped, but also cast wheels for his white Niva, which, in principle, is available, since there are many domestically produced products on the market, and their cost starts from 3 thousand rubles. * In addition, a number of wheels are available in black or white, which perfectly matches the body color.
Also, car enthusiasts often turn to paint shops, where their alloy wheels are professionally painted by craftsmen in the required color both over the entire surface of the steel and locally. The driver just needs to drive the car, agree on a paint sketch with the designer or offer his own, for example, from a catalogue, designate the required color (usually black or white), and the next day pick up the finished product and use unique wheels.
Also interesting: Pump for Chevrolet Niva - Auto workshop online
What to consider when choosing tires and wheels for Niva cars
The classic three-door “short” Niva (“short” is the VAZ 2121, 21213, 21214, the “long” is the VAZ 2131 and extended Viso models) has a relatively small ratio of the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) to the track width. Such a car is called “short wheelbase”. A short wheelbase leads to poor vehicle handling if it skids. If the “short” Niva skids at a more or less decent speed, it is almost impossible to align it in a straight line using the controls; sometimes the car can make several 360-degree turns until the moment when it is possible to “catch” it with the steering wheel.
If you install low offset wheels on a “short” car, the track width will increase and the base to track ratio will become even smaller. At the same time, the car’s tendency to skid on a slippery road increases, and the driver’s ability to pull it out of the skid decreases. In addition, the expansion of the track leads to an increase in the load on the bearings of the front wheel hubs and the bearings of the axle shafts of the rear wheels and, as a result, their rapid failure.
Thus, when choosing wheels and tires, you should strive to ensure that the center of the wheel being installed is at the point where the center (contact patch with the road) of the standard wheel was. If the wheel being installed is wider than the standard one, the disk must be selected with an increased offset. For standard wheels, the use of disks with a short offset is impractical and even dangerous, especially on “short” cars.
Adviсe
In conclusion, let’s say once again about tires for Niva 21213 and which ones are better. Tires for the field in sizes 16 are difficult to obtain and the choice of such wheels is not large and you will have to make a lift to make such wheels fit. Still, when purchasing all-season tires for 4x4 fields, size r16, more often than others, sizes 185/75 R16, 175/80 R16, or 215/65 R16 are purchased.
Also interesting: TOP 10 cool products for Lada Niva 4x4 from China from Aliexpress. Tuning VAZ Niva / Selections, listings, top 10, etc. / iXBT Live
Due to the paucity of choice, drivers choose wheels on the r15, as the choice of tires will increase significantly. On r15 you can buy Russian or foreign manufacturers, depending on the budget, these are Kumho (South Korea), Cordiant, and from ours: Belshina OJSC and Nizhnekamskshina. When purchasing mud tires for a 4x4 field, Mud Terrain Lite is perfect.
This is an American manufacturer. If you only drive off-road, then Niva 4x4 Silverstone MT-117 tires will do. When buying winter tires for a Niva 4x4 16, the factory studded tires Voltyre VLI-5 and VLI-10 will go, since they are cheap, but it depends on the area in which you plan to drive. From foreign countries there will be Cordiant Business, Hakkapelitta, Michelin Agilis X-ice North, but again the question is the budget.
For off-road work, special equipment such as an all-terrain vehicle manipulator is used. For digging pits, transportation of oversized cargo, rental for any period. This will save your time, deliver your cargo safely, it is possible to perform several types of work at once and operate it in any conditions.
Is it possible to install 16-inch wheels on a Chevrolet Niva and 15-inch wheels on a Niva?
You can often see a Chevrolet Niva on wheels with a seat size of 16, and the “classic” one on 15s. Again, the main thing here is to choose the wheel geometry so that the contact patch remains in the same place and the distance between the centers of the tires remains the same.
The option of installing 15-inch tires with the corresponding wheels on the “classic” Niva does not make sense. You can choose tires whose diameter will differ little from the “original” wheels with a seat size of 16 inches, but the price of 15-inch tires is usually lower.
Lada 4×4 3D 21213 carburetor › Logbook › Memo. About tire sizes
185/75 R16 main size diameter: 26.9″ (684 mm)
sorting by increasing diameter:
175/80 R16 diameter: 27″ (686 mm) Actual speed will be: + 0.2 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +1 mm
215/65 R16 diameter: 27″ (686 mm) Actual speed will be: +0.2 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +1 mm
205/75 R15 diameter: 27.1″ (689 mm) Actual speed will be: +0.4 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +2 mm
195/75 R16 diameter: 27.5″ (699 mm) Actual speed will be: +1.3 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +8 mm
205/75 R15 Diameter: 27.1″ (689 mm) Actual speed will be: + 0.4 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +2 mm
205/70 R16 Diameter: 27.3″ (693 mm) Actual speed will be: + 0.8 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +5 mm
215/75 R15 cut arches 50% diameter: 27.7″ (704 mm) Real speed will be: + 1.7 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +10 mm +/- cut arches depending on suspension condition and factory “defects”, in some fields the size of the left and right arches differs.
215/70 R16 cut arches 100% Diameter: 27.9″ (707 mm) Actual speed will be: + 2.1 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +12 mm
235/75 R15 cut arches 100% diameter: 28.9″ (734 mm) Real speed will be: +4.4 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +25 mm
205/80 R16 cut arches 100% diameter: 28.9″ (734 mm) Real speed will be: +4.4 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +25 mm
235/70 R16 cut arches 100% diameter: 29″ (735 mm) cut arches 100% Real speed will be: + 4.5 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +26 mm
225/75 R16 cut arches 100% Diameter: 29.3″ (744 mm) Actual speed will be: + 5.3 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +30 mm
265/75 R15 cut arches 100% Diameter: 30.6″ (779 mm) Actual speed will be: + 8.3 km/h relative to (185/75 R16) Ground clearance will change by +48 mm
Cutting arches is optimal from 28-29. A tire with index C is a truck tire.
1) for city/dacha mode; 50% to 50% take: M/T and winter studded with deep tread 2) for city/dacha mode; 80% to 20% take: A/T and winter studded
tires with index “C”. Most often, they are designed on the basis of passenger tires with the use of additional layers of the carcass and a modified rubber tread compound, which allows for longer mileage before replacement. Very often, such tires are all-season. The tread depth is usually higher than that of passenger cars - 9-12 mm. This development principle ensures high mileage without compromising driving performance, which, thanks to the general design concept, remains at the level of passenger cars.
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