We have all seen them – decked-out cars with giant, flashy rims and wide tires cruising down the road with a catchy tune playing loudly. What about those large pick-up trucks with mud tires that hum down the road? Then there are the Jeeps that have lift kits and huge wheels made for rock crawling. Our fascination with dressing up our vehicles may never wane. It doesn’t have to; however, if you want to change out your wheels and tires for bigger ones, there is more to consider than which brand you want. Engineers design automobiles to handle best with specific sizes of tires and rims. Making a change places undue stress on your ride where you may even destroy your new wheels requiring a Calgary tire repair shop’s assistance.
3 Important Considerations When Changing Tire and Wheel Sizes
It’s possible to get the look you want while staying safe and protecting your truck or car. Keep these three considerations in mind when shopping for new tires and wheels:
- Inaccurate Speedometer: Graduating to a larger tire and wheel size will make your speedometer read at a slower speed than you are actually going. Likewise, smaller tires and wheels will indicate a faster speed limit. The reason starts with the circumference. Larger tires rotate slower, while smaller tires rotate faster. In either case, the wheels are sending your speedometer inaccurate information, which could result in a speeding ticket and other irritated drivers on the road as you drive by.
- Wear and Tear on Suspension: By changing the wheels and tires on your car, you are also changing your suspension angles and may affect the gear ratio in your transmission. Even anti-lock brakes can feel the repercussions. Therefore, if you switch wheel and tire size, you should have your suspension and brakes adjusted to compensate for the changes.
- Tire Clearance: Some trucks and cars have a tight amount of space in the wheel well. Larger tires or wheels can rub against the fender or suspension. You may experience this in tight turns.
How You Can Minimize the Effects of a Tire and Wheel Size Change
People have different reasons for wanting to swap out old tires for bigger ones. For instance, you may have an older vehicle with tire sizes that are challenging to find replacements for. Moving up a size may open up the choices available. Most of the time, we want to look cool or add some value to our cars. No matter the reason, you can minimize the effects of any changes by making sure you:
- Use the right calculations to get the best fit.
- Minimize the overall size difference by increasing the rim size and reduce the profile or increase the width.
Tire Changes and Repairs Made Easy with TireForce
Avoid damaging your vehicle when you trust the services of TireForce. Our team of mobile tire sales knows how to do the proper calculations to ensure you get the look you want without jeopardizing your truck, car, SUV, or van. If you’re based in Calgary, there is no nearer ‘tire sales near me’ because at TireForce, we come to your preferred location. There is no better way to buy or repair tires in Calgary!
Call us at 833-446-8473 or book an appointment online for Calgary’s preferred mobile tire repair shop.
