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Factory 17" steel rims on Prime?

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cdherman

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2022 Rav4 Prime SE, 2016 Leaf with upgraded 40kwh battery, 2014 Prius, 1965 F100 Inline 6
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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I keep contemplating a set of winter tires. I am a real steel rim lover. I happen to own a sandblaster, so if they get dinged or rust, I just bend 'em straight and blast them clean and repaint.

You can get refurbed steel 2019-22 RAV4 rims (no doubt from base model RAVs that have bit the dust or been upgraded to fancier rims) for $84 delivered. Good deal in my mind.

And 17" winter tires are quite a bit cheaper than 18s. Not to mention 19s.....

I'm thinking of ordering one to check out the caliper clearance. I've read every thread on the matter, and all discussion about 17s on Prime was about aftermarket rims.

Anyone have knowledge about the OEM steelies? You would think Toyota put larger tires on the Prime for a reason. But on the otherhand, steel rims can be thinner because its stronger. Maybe the problem with 17s on a Prime is isolated to alloy rims?

Input?
 
#2 ·
I bought 17" steel rims for my Prime SE . 17'' 🔥 BLACK TOYOTA RAV4 2019-2021 OEM Factory Original STEEL Wheel Rim 75241 | eBay (and from a different source refurbed Rav 4 hubcaps)

Yes they fit, but the clearance is very tight between the caliper and the rim. No more than a 1/4" of clearance. This has the potential for getting a rock stuck in this small gap or more likely a freezing situation where a snow packed wheel well drips down onto the caliper and freezes. Due to the design of the rim both are unlikely, centrifugal force tend to keep this area clean and a dripping wheel well will tend to flow down the outside of the tire. I do like a taller snow tire. Aesthetics varies with the individual but to me it looks like a standard Rav4 and I expect unless I pointed it out no one would know.

The tires I put on are these
NOKIAN HAKKAPELIITTA R3 SUV 108R XL STUDLESS ** 235/65 R17

They are slightly taller than the stock SE tires. The stock SE tires makes the speedometer read a bit high (indicated 72 MPH is GPS 70 MPH) the taller Nokia's get it close to equal (indicated 70 is GPS 70) I did not get to use them a lot last winter as I had broken ankle but in the late winter they seemed to be a good fit. I have used Nokia's for a couple of front wheel drive econoboxes and they worked well to the point where ground clearance was the issue. Note a taller tire is going to have a bit more "squirm" on the road which translates to bit looser handling, for winter driving, handling to me takes a lower priority to traction but there is slightly different steering feel, not objectionable but it takes a few days to ignore it when swapped.

I also installed dual channel TPMS sensors that were recomended on this forum
Autel 6937357203263 Dual Frequency 315mhz and 433mhz Rubber Stem MX Sensor Quantity 1 (1-Sensor R
It was claimed that they did not need to be programmed, that the Toyota would sense them, in my case that did not work despite attempting it several time. I just put up with the light on the dash but may give it another try this winter.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Thank you Peekbagger for the insights!! I just might pull the trigger. But perhaps research the TPMS a little more and try something else! For the Holy Grail of winter tires that I can just swap onto the vehicle and the TPMS figures it out would be quite nice, as I have a good place to store tires and equipment to rotate easily.
 
#4 ·
My guess is if I bought a programmer for the sensors if would not be an issue. The big advantage to me is when it might snow the local tire dealers get backed up big time and they have bumped their prices up due to lack of labor. In many cases it $ 40 to 50 bucks a tire for swap, balance and they may or may not charge a fee for reprogramming the TPMs. I can swap my mounted rims in about 20 minutes including torquing the bolts correctly. Since I dont have to wait at dealer I can delay putting them on later in the fall and take them off earlier.
 
#6 ·
MrTorgue said:
Well that explains a lot. Why the hell would Toyota let that sort of thing out of the factory?
Click to expand...
I think it’s common across a lot of cars. Mfgs get in trouble if the speedo reads low, but not high. It’s a liability question. You get sued one way far more often than the other. And the stakes are higher.
 
#8 ·
chuckles70 said:
I think it’s common across a lot of cars. Mfgs get in trouble if the speedo reads low, but not high. It’s a liability question. You get sued one way far more often than the other. And the stakes are higher.
Click to expand...
Also, if the speedo reads a little high, the warrant expires a little quicker. Another side-effect/bonus for the manufacturers.

dp
 
#9 ·
dpostman said:
Also, if the speedo reads a little high, the warrant expires a little quicker. Another side-effect/bonus for the manufacturers.

dp
Click to expand...
That’s a different kind of liability. I think if you do the research you’ll see that although Speedo reads a little high, Odo will be spot on or read a little low.
 
#10 ·
Not sure if its all vehicles but my Ford Fiesta and prior Honda Civic tended to have the same error on the speedometer as the odometer. Most states mark tenths of mile on the Interstates and on long drives when I was bored I would check the speedometer and odometer.

Head north of Old Town Maine on I95 towards Houlton on a weekday and it sometimes 20 or 30 minutes before another car is seen. They used to warn drivers that the State Troopers didnt patrol the highway from midnight to 7 AM so better have a sleeping bag in the trunk if you go off the road in winter.
 
#11 ·
Strange. The following vehicles previous (and current, GX460) to my RAV4 Prime did not have this issue. Hard to believe it is an industry standard without more evidence.

2010 Lexus GX460
2008 Lexus GX470
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
2018 Dodge Charger R/T
2016 Dodge Charger R/T
2015 Jeep Renegade Latitude
2014 Dodge Charger SE
2013 Ford Focus SE
2010 Ford Fusion SE
 
#12 ·
MrTorgue said:
Strange. The following vehicles previous (and current, GX460) to my RAV4 Prime did not have this issue. Hard to believe it is an industry standard without more evidence.

2010 Lexus GX460
2008 Lexus GX470
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
2018 Dodge Charger R/T
2016 Dodge Charger R/T
2015 Jeep Renegade Latitude
2014 Dodge Charger SE
2013 Ford Focus SE
2010 Ford Fusion SE
Click to expand...
Here is the standard. J2976_202205: Speedometer and Odometer Systems for On-Highway Vehicles - SAE International I'm not spending $44 to find what's in it.

Here's a discussion of regs in other countries where they are required to either be accurate or read high (that's why they call it offset): Don't Trust Your Car's Speedometer. It's easier for automakers to build to satisfy global requirements, and every car I've ever owned the speedo ran a little high.

Here's a class action settlement with Honda that cost them $6mil for odometers reading high: https://www.businessfleet.com/44631/honda-settles-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-inaccurate-odometers Discussion in here about SAE being +/- 4% but shows real legal consequences of speedo reading low or odo reading high.
 
#13 ·
I don't have any direct experience with 17" steelies but I run 17" Acura alloy wheels on my 2021 R4P SE. Caliper clearance is about 3/8". I originally bought these via Craigslist for my 2013 RAV but since have sold that car to my daughter with an extra set of 17" Toyota alloy wheels (also from Craigslist). Of course Acura wheels required hub-centric rings and Honda lug nuts + wrench but it was still worth the trouble since the wheels were good and very cheap. But I only plan to keep those wheels until our OEM tires wear out at which time I plan to install CC2s or other snow-rated all season tires. My daughter will continue to run high mileage (Michelin Defenders) for 3 seasons and dedicated winter tires (Blizzaks) with the extra wheels because she drives a lot and absolutely HAS to get to work if it snows. I will run snow rated all-season tires because I put only 6k miles/yr on our R4P, only get occasional snow, and don't HAVE to drive if the snow gets bad.
 
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