Test Fit of Wheels on a Prius c

I mounted some aftermarket wheels from my Honda FIT onto the c today.

First, the wheels are 6.5x15" with an offset of 40mm. The combined weight of the wheel and a 195/60 tire was 36.5 lbs, some 4 pounds more than the stock c steel wheel and 175 tire.







Bolt pattern is 4x100... the hub bore of the stock c wheel is 54.7mm vs 56 of the Honda.

Mounted the wheels and checked for rubbing and/or touching by turning the steering wheel from lock to lock and I'm happy to report there were no issues with wheels/tires having interference with the chassis with these wheel and tire specs. I have a c3 and the steering is not the modified ratio that the c4 has so I was doing this test to see what problems would be encountered on a car not designed for the added width of the alloys.





some shots with the wheels added and the tires in relation to the fender edges.





... and the difference from stock to aftermarket wheels.











Car has a much more planted feel and drives better with the extra width and grip, but I can tell the extra weight in the acceleration. Plus, the 195 tires are 2/10" taller than the stock tires, which gears it a smidgen taller. I think a better tire for this car would be a 185/60, LRR.

 

um, sorry... you guys are missing the point.

I did this to see if wheels other than the stock alloys that Toyota sells (at a very unreasonable price point) would fit without problems. I know the rims don't match the car, but from the exercise, I now know that a 15x6.5 wheel with a 40mm offset will work and that 195/60 tires are too tall.

On paper, the tires seem to be about the correct size, but when on the car, they are way too big/heavy. I'd be very interested in hearing what the alloy rim/tire combo that Toyota sells really do weigh as well.

There are many other aftermarket wheels in this size and now it's just a matter of finding a suitable lightweight replacement for the car.

 

yep, just trying to figure out what will work and go from there. Very little info is available, even for the stock alloy wheels that come on the c, let alone aftermarket.

Interesting about the CVT... hadn't thought of that. The wife is driving the car over the same commute today with the wheels and tires on. We'll see how much of a mpg hit occurs.

I figured the thread title was clue that these wheels wasn't going to be a permanent fixture for this car.... my bad.

 

With the info gathered from my test fit, I up and ordered some wheels for the c today. They weigh 12lbs per wheel and I'll be using the stock tires for now which weigh 17lbs making the total weight 29lbs per wheel/tire set. The stock wheel and tires weigh 32.5, so I should be saving 3.5 lbs per wheel/tire or a 14lb savings overall. Those that know tires and wheels should know that a savings of 14lbs in unsprung weight is huge.

ordered these...

Mazda Performance Parts: Konig Helium 15x6.5 Silver 40mm offset.

 

yep, I was looking at lighter wheels, but could not justify paying at least twice as much per wheel for 2 or 3 lbs less weight.

the other wheel I was considering was the Konig lightspeed, but the wife preferred the look of the heliums. It's her car, so we're getting what appeals to her.



Mazda Performance Parts: NEW Konig LIGHTSPEED 15x6.5, 38mm, just 11.0 pounds! ON SALE!

 

either should work. 2mm isn't that significant a difference. If it concerns you, I'd err on the side of 40mm, which I did.

from what I've found, the stock steel wheels are 40mm offset, but don't forget as width increases, "correct" offset changes. that I put a 6.5" width 40et wheel on the car and experinced no rubbing says that the 40mm should work. wife has been driving the car with the wheels on and has had no problems.