Anyone running winter tires with smaller wheels?

[Magnetoreluctance]

I don't really need TPMS either since I regularly check the pressure, but most shops aren't willing to mount tires without them. Probably a liability thing.

 

[EVA]

I think the problem with Ford and no TPMS sensors, you not only get a light, there is eventually an alarm as you start the car. The noise would annoy me - even if it was for a few seconds when the car was started.

There is a long thread about TPMS over on the FocusFanatics site.

 

[triangles]

Thanks for the heads up on that EVA. When it's not so frigid here I'll have verify whether or not that's the case with the FFE too. I think we have the idiots in DC to thank for shops not willing to skip on the TPMS sensors. I may be wrong but I think part of the stupid law mandating TPMS is that it's illegal for them to put wheels without sensors on cars originally with the sensors. The workaround is you just take the wheels off the car and take them in. Worst case scenario is that I would mount the tires myself and have a shop balance them.

 

[EVA]

Oh you got it exactly right about the law. Shops can't install tires without TPMS if the car has them.

For normal people that don't have tire mounting equipment, you can just order a tire and wheel set from Tire Rack and not include the TPMS on the order. I'm pretty sure they will mount and balance the wheels without the sensors. The problem is with a tire shop, they know the year of the car - so they can't look the other way. Tire Rack has no idea what car you are going to mount those wheels on.

Still doesn't solve the problem of the car nagging you that there is a TPMS problem.

Think I look at it the other way around, if most people actually paid attention to tire pressure, there wouldn't be a law. There are far too many people driving around with nearly flat tires. And therefore a law. In some ways that law protects me too - some clown with low tires could run into me.

 

[EVA]

Pretty certain the FFE and all other Focus use the same TPMS system, along with the same warnings.

 

[triangles]

I don't really need TPMS either since I regularly check the pressure, but most shops aren't willing to mount tires without them. Probably a liability thing.

I looked into this. It's not a liability thing it's illegal for a shop to install wheels/tires w/o a TPMS onto a car that is originally equipped with TPMS. The work around is to bring the wheels in off the vehicle and then put the wheels on yourself.

I also dug into things further. The Focuses with 15" wheels have stamped steel control arms up front. The Focuses with 16"+ wheels like the FFE have a cast aluminum front control arm. So there's the difference! I also discovered an unpleasant little surprise. When your ball joints wear out you have to replace the whole control arm. Apparently ball joints on the aluminum control arms are not replaceable :evil: I would still try a 15" wheel if I could find a shop to allow me to test fit the wheel but I'll likely buy my wheels online and it isn't worth the hassle if it doesn't fit.

 

[FiSh]

I don't really need TPMS either since I regularly check the pressure, but most shops aren't willing to mount tires without them. Probably a liability thing.

I looked into this. It's not a liability thing it's illegal for a shop to install wheels/tires w/o a TPMS onto a car that is originally equipped with TPMS. The work around is to bring the wheels in off the vehicle and then put the wheels on yourself.

I also dug into things further. The Focuses with 15" wheels have stamped steel control arms up front. The Focuses with 16"+ wheels like the FFE have a cast aluminum front control arm. So there's the difference! I also discovered an unpleasant little surprise. When your ball joints wear out you have to replace the whole control arm. Apparently ball joints on the aluminum control arms are not replaceable :evil: I would still try a 15" wheel if I could find a shop to allow me to test fit the wheel but I'll likely buy my wheels online and it isn't worth the hassle if it doesn't fit.

There is a person on Canadian RFD site who installed 15'' steel rims on 2017 FFE without issues. "There is enough clearance, it fits the same as with the ICE." I bought a used alloy set but not installed tires yet. Test fitted rims and seems fine.

 

[triangles]

You didn't happen to take any pictures did you?

 

[maxime3333]

Hi everyone!

First post here. I have a 2017 FFE and I've bought some used 15 inch rims (grey 5X108 Ford rims) with 215/65/R15 winter Toyo on. Previous owner had a 2013 FFE for a couple of years, changed it for a Chevy Bolt (can't blame him!).

He told me that its the same size, with the tire on, that with the original 17" wheels. Before the transaction, I checked on a couple of "tire sizes calculations" websites and it seems that the difference is less than 1% in overall diameter. https://tiresize.com/comparison/ (225/50/r17 VS 205/70/R15).

They will be on my car in a couple hours. I'll be able to tell you!
Maxime

 

[maxime3333]

The car is running great, regen is working as well... No explosions or fire yet! :lol:

 

[Magnetoreluctance]

The car is running great, regen is working as well... No explosions or fire yet! :lol:

Glad to hear.

As a follow up, I bought reconditioned 17 inch wheels from a '12 Focus Titanium and use those for my summer tires now.

 

[triangles]

Maxime3333 can you post some pictures?

 

[maxime3333]

https://ibb.co/eUVL7b

Sorry for the dirt! And I also noticed that I made a small mistake about the exact size in my previous post. Just corrected it.

 

[FiSh]

https://ibb.co/eUVL7b

Sorry for the dirt! And I also noticed that I made a small mistake about the exact size in my previous post. Just corrected it.

Lol, I just bought same set of Toyo GSI-5 tires yesterday! Also 205/70/R15. Are they noisy?

 

[maxime3333]

A bit more than the regular summer tires, but that's OK for me. Not that much noisy in my opinion.

Maxime

 

[FiSh]

Installed winter tires on 15'' alloy rims.
Some pics:

 

[maxime3333]

They look great! :!:

 

[Guest]

Those look like ford windstar rims.