Well, it is a fact that a tire size can change the performance of your vehicle. If you think your tires are not performing as per your expectations, then this article is apt for you. Let’s try to answer the question that has been recently bugging us”Can you change tire size on the same rim?”
One of the major questions that bug those who want to change tires on the same rims is if they can use bigger tires. If you plan to use bigger tires, you must remember that there are not enough manufacturers who are into the business of making bigger tires.
There are many popular tire sizes available on the market, but the trick is to figure out which tire diameter is the best for your car. Once you have your tire specifications, you will understand whether you want bigger tires or smaller tires on the same rim.
If you are looking for heavier tires, you should know that they might negatively impact the fuel economy because they will make acceleration more difficult while making steering heavier.
To figure out which tire you should get, you need to limit the ratio between the rim width and tire width. We will discuss all these points later in this article.
But we first must understand that before changing your car tires, you need to check the aspect ratio, wheel diameter, and check how the tires fit. Whether you require a narrow tire or wider tires is something that you need to figure out by yourself.
Remember, tire size affects your vehicle’s performance, and your tire size depends on your wheel size, so you have to be extremely careful while getting a giant tire or narrower snow tires.
For example, those who live in a snowy location can install snow tires to drive comfortably in the heavy snow. Snow tires are smaller tires that will not make a lot of contact with the packed snow, making it easier for your vehicle to slice through the accumulated snow.
First and foremost, ensure that the tire’s internal diameter matches the rim size
If you wish to change your tire size on the same rim width, you cannot make changes to the diameter.
That’s why it is essential to use a tire size calculator to calculate the diameter of the rims instead of the overall diameter.
However, your tires don’t need to be the same size as the width of your rims. They could be similar, but the tire’s width does not have to be precise.
However, the first step of the entire process is determining your tires’ size. Before you plan to change your tire size, you need to know how exactly tire specifications work.
But just keep in mind that unless you know a few things about tire specification and tire sizes, you won’t be able to get compatible tires for your passenger cars because there are many different-sized tires available on the market.
Using The Tire Size Calculator
If you’re considering replacing your tires, it’s always a good idea to consult the tire size calculator. This handy tool can help you determine the effects of changing your tire’s width and offset.
By inputting your present tire width and offset and your new tire’s dimensions, the calculator will provide you with an estimate of how much lateral offset and overall width you’ll need.
Before planning to use a tire size calculator, make sure that it is a reliable one because a tire that does not fit your vehicle or has a size incompatible with your vehicle can cause damage to your car’s anti-lock braking systems and stability systems calibrations.
Changing a tire is easy, provided you follow the most crucial steps, such as calculating the tire size. If you do this, then changing the tire becomes a cakewalk.
If you’re looking to buy new tires, it’s important to know the wheel’s dimensions, inner diameter, and strut housing.
The clearance between the two can affect how tight the wheel fits on the axle and how much space it is for the tire to move in the same diameter.
The calculator will also show you how far the wheel edge will retract when you lower or raise the strut housing.
Popular Tire Sidewall Markings
- BW = black wall
- BCS = black circumferential serration
- BSL = black serrated letters
- ENWL = extra narrow white letters
- ROBL = raised outlined black letters
- LT = light truck
What Is Plus Sizing?
When we plus size our tires, we basically change the factory size tire with bigger wheels or bigger tires. Plus, sizing can’t be categorized as a good or bad idea because it depends on the type of vehicle you are driving and your driving style.
Car tires should suit passenger vehicles, which is how you determine the size of your tires.
It has been studied that a car’s performance, grip, brake, steering wheels, and fuel efficiency can get affected by the size of the tires.
Therefore it is important to find out whether you want big or small tires after running the calculations on the tire calculator. When you have large wheels, it generally means that the tires are thinner.
What Do We Understand By Downscaling?
Downscaling is what we would understand in layman’s terms, the opposite of getting bigger tires. It means getting smaller tires installed in your vehicle. Snow tires are the best for situations like these.
They are no doubt expensive but are relatively smaller in size. So when you replace your larger wheels or wider tire with a snow tire, you are downscaling, even though you might replace a cheaper one with a more expensive one.
Reasons For Opting To Change The Tire Size?
Changing tires can be a very common thing, but there are a few who prefer to change the tires not just because they are worn out or torn. But, they wish to make a statement with tires and make their vehicle look stylish.
You may have moved to a different location where it rains a lot, here it would make more sense for you to opt for a smaller tire because a small tire is not likely to hydroplane on wet roads.
Here are some of the reasons why you might want to change the size of your tires-
For better performance
The topmost reason for changing a tire is to improve your vehicle’s performance. As a general rule, we know that different tires are suited for different purposes. Some tires perform well on dry and rocky roads, while some are meant for wet roads.
While changing tires, we also need to understand that switching to a bigger wheel will gain access to a wider range of compatible tires, especially performance models.
However, as we know, tires are lighter than wheels, so if you increase the wheel’s size, the vehicle’s weight will go up, and it would not be good in terms of fuel consumption and acceleration.
That’s why before changing your current tires, you need be very clear; you need to be very clear about the kind of performance you want your car to deliver.
As we know, low-profile tires are all the rage these days, so updating to a bigger wheel can change the look of your car. The shorter sidewall flexes helps to increase the vehicle’s performance
When you get new tires, keep in mind that they can affect your vehicle’s performance, so if you intend to get a larger tire to improve performance, then it is always better to calculate the size well in advance.
Tire size affects your car’s performance. You wouldn’t want your tires to rub against the shock absorbers or brakes. Keep in mind the diameter aspect ratio of the tires, as this would affect the performance of the transmission. That’s why it is important to keep traction control in mind before changing tires.
To change the look of the car
Let’s face it; aesthetics matter. It is believed that larger tires have a better appeal. It depends on the make of the car and the performance you expect from your car. The area between the axle and the wheel wells is filled perfectly by large tires, giving a sleek appearance to your vehicle.
To handle better
A new car tire can help you in handling your vehicle in a better way. For example, if you live in an area that snows a lot, you need to opt for lighter tires because those would help you slice through the snow without putting in a lot of effort as opposed to heavier tires that can get stuck.
Other factors to keep in mind
In order to get the right tires for your car, you first need to figure out the diameter of the tire you need. While figuring out the diameter of the tire, you need to pick a reliable tire calculator that can help you with it.
However, you need to ensure that you know that changing a tire has its physical limitations and that you are prepared for that. For instance, if your car has a smaller wheelbase than its tires, the tire will not fit properly. In addition, if your car has large rims, the tires might not fit properly either.
Whatever, could be the reason to change your car tire, you must not just consider the looks of the tire. Pay attention to the performance and the purpose of changing the car tires as these are things that you invest in daily.
