Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Does Tire Size Really Matter? Tips on Buying New Rims and Tires The average driver may not know exactly what they are looking for when they shop for new tires , but as long as you keep a few fundamental rules in mind, replacing tires and rims is easy.
Letters you might see are: "P," for passenger vehicle tire. This letter also lets you know that the tire is made to meet standards in the United States. When there is no letter, it means it's made to meet European standards. The two types have different load capacities.
Tire sizes that start with these letters are intended to be used for light trucks. They'll have higher psi recommendations to better take on trailers and heavy loads.
Tires sizes with these letters are for trailer wheels only. More Tips TSW explains that sometimes, it's acceptable to have differently sized tires and rims for the front and back wheels, which is called staggered tires. You'll most often see this with muscle cars, such as the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro. The reason this works is that the rear wheels don't have to turn like the front wheels do. The larger your rim, the more difficult and expensive buying new tires will be.
Once you start using large tires, you may find that only a handful of tire manufacturers make your size. However, this problem is generally avoidable with the average vehicle in car dealerships. Large wheels generally mean thinner tires. The tires have to be small enough to fit inside your wheel well. The thinner your tire, the less able it is to take on rougher roads and potholes, which can lead to blowouts.
You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Cars that use a wheel and tire package that moves the outside edge of the tire outward will effectively receive an increase in track width. This has two main advantages. The wider track width alone will generally give better grip at the limits of handling, but steering feel and feedback will also improve because of the wheel's increased leverage on steering components.
This effect is referred to as "self-centering," and it's what causes a car's steering wheel to return to its neutral position when the driver's hands are removed. More self-centering equates to greater feedback through the steering wheel, which is crucial to performance driving.
Wider tires have another major benefit that escapes the attention of most enthusiasts: even with a standard all-season tread, a wider tire will get almost the same performance as a specialized summer tire but will still perform safely in the rain. This is has always been a failing of specialized performance tires, which have larger tread blocks and fewer water channels to increase the tire's contact patch.
This gain is offset somewhat by the larger tire's tendency to hydroplane, but the net effect is a positive one when compared to specialized summer tires. That's where the wider footprint and stiffer, shorter sidewalls of large plus-size tires perform best.
But driving through puddles is more treacherous wherever you live. That's a compelling reason to choose the plus size closest to the original wheel and tire size, which offers the most performance gain with the fewest sacrifices.
Increased risk of damage from potholes and curbs is another consideration. Besides compromising ride, shorter sidewalls provide less cushioning for wheels and tires. Our pothole test bent the plus-two and plus-three wheels on our BMW 5-Series and damaged the wheel and tire on our plus-two-equipped Honda Accord. Get the right tire size. A car or tire dealer can tell you the proper plus sizes for your car based on its original tire size. A rule of thumb: Increase tire width by 10 millimeters and decrease sidewall height by 5 to 10 percent for each 1-inch increase in wheel diameter.
And make sure speed and load rating of new tires is at least as high as on the factory originals. Also check the recommended inflation pressure when switching between a P-metric tire and Euro-metric tire size designation, since doing so may require a pressure change to maintain your tires' load-carrying capacity. Tire makers' recommended pressures may vary from those auto makers suggest.
Check the wheels. Most plus-size wheels are aluminum or some composite. Quality varies widely. Fordged wheels are more expensive, but tend to be stronger than some cast alloy wheels. Make sure that plus-size wheels were made specifically to fit your vehicle. They should have the right lug-nut pattern so that the holes line up precisely with the holes or threaded studs on your vehicle.
Some wheels also need special nuts or bolts. Another wheel caveat involves offset—the distance between the wheel's hub-mounting surface and centerline, as shown in the image above. Have the retailer confirm that plus-size wheels have the correct offset for your vehicle. And be wary of spacers, which retailers often sell as a way to make wheels fit by moving them out from the hub.
Try to buy tires and wheels as a set. Local tire stores and mail-order retailers often sell wheel-and-tire packages with the tires mounted and wheels balanced. Packages are an easy way to choose wheels and tires that fit your vehicle. Inexperienced shops could damage both during installation. Follow the torque specs in your car owner's manual or from the wheel maker; recheck torque after the first miles.
Original-equipment tires typically emphasize ride comfort and all-weather grip; plus-sizing reduced both in our tests using a Honda Accord and BMW 5-Series, each with common-model tires. Use the data below and our test results in the color-keyed graphs in What you gain and lose to decide whether the pros outweigh the costs.
Plus-size with caution, especially if you drive under varied conditions.
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