There are pros and cons to changing your wheel size. You may want a larger wheel diameter for a new vehicle. Alternatively, you may want a different size wheel for a vehicle you already own. Well, you’re in the right place to learn whether wheel size matters.
Keep reading to learn more about whether car wheel size matters in aftermarket tires.
Yes. Wheel Size Matters!
Firstly, it’s critical to consider the sidewall height of tires when switching to larger wheels. If you overlook this point, you could damage your suspension, tires, or wheels.
Also, after resizing your wheels, they could turn at a different speed than before. As a result, you could also throw off your speedometer readings.
You can overcome this problem by matching a lower profile tire to larger wheel diameter. This way, your speedometer and odometer readings will only change slightly.
How Wheel Size Effects Performance
Automobile engineers work closely with tire manufacturers. They consult on precisely what size wheels and tires fit on different vehicles. With this information, the engineers adjust the transmission ratio.
When you change the wheel size, it also changes the transmission ratio. With a larger wheel, for instance, acceleration will decrease. At the same time, the maximum top speed of your car will increase.
These changes are proportional to the change in wheel size. You’ll most likely notice no difference if you only change wheel size by a few millimeters. However, a radical change in wheel size will result in a much more noticeable change in car performance.
The performance of your vehicle will also vary based on the quality of your new wheels. For instance, it’s a good idea to purchase your new wheel and tire packages from a reputable retailer like OZZY TYRES.
Other Changes You Can Expect
With bigger wheels, you can improve the stability of your vehicle. You’ll also shorten your braking distance.
Furthermore, a larger wheel is heavier. It will increase the maximum load of your car. Again, this characteristic might decrease acceleration depending on the torque of your vehicle.
Bigger wheels will also increase fuel consumption. While your car may take off slower, however, you’ll experience increased mileage, although it may prove challenging to notice.
Conversely, small wheels will facilitate tighter turning. With a wider wheel, however, you might experience improved stiffness. This characteristic will improve driving safety.
Figuring Out Tire Sizes
It’s also essential that you choose the right size when purchasing new car tires for your new wheels. Every tire has numbers that reveal its width in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall. The bigger the number, the more rubber that meets the road.
Suppose a tire has a number on the sidewall that reads “P215/65R15.” The “65” means that the tire sidewall is 65% as large as the width of the tire. Meanwhile, the “R” stands for radial.
When changing your wheel size, you’ll want to take note of the last number when buying new tires. It tells you what size wheel a tire fits.
For example, the last number in our example is 15. That means the new tire will fit a wheel with a 15-inch wheel diameter.
What Wheel Size Will You Choose?
We hope our brief primer on wheel size has given you valuable insight when choosing new wheel and tire packages. If you love your car, however, there’s always more to learn.
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