Making Wheel Changes

One of the most essential parts of maintaining your car is keeping good tires on your vehicle. Tires can affect handling and safety, so if your tires are heavily worn or not the right size for the vehicle, they can cause many problems. Making sure you choose the right tires for your vehicle is critical, and there are some things you should consider when the time comes.

Tire Size

One of the critical things you need to know when picking tires for your car or truck is what size tires are right for the vehicle. All vehicles have that information readily available on the driver's door or door post, on a metal tag that is attached to the body. 

The tire size and the inflation requirements should be on the tag as well, so you can quickly reference them. If the tag is missing, the owner's manual will have a section in it that spells out the tires that should be on the vehicle, but it may also have some optional sizes listed for the vehicle if it is a performance car or a truck that came with an option like four-wheel drive.

If you cannot find the information in either place, you can check with the service department of your local dealership, or the tire shop you are buying tires from should be able to look the information up and show you a selection of tires that meet the needs of your car. 

Performance Tires

Buying a performance tire for your car can be more challenging because the size and width of the tire may differ from the original tires. The tire shop can help you select a tire and then test fit them on your car if you are looking for custom tires. Often that will mean replacing the wheels to work with the tires and offsetting the tires and wheels a little to add more clearance for the tires, suspension, and the fenders.

Selecting the right wheels is often more challenging because you will need to find ones you like and that fit correctly. Most tire shops also sell wheels and can be extremely knowledgeable about the wheels and tires and can help you select the right ones.

Speed Ratings

If you are buying performance tires for your car, the speed rating of the tires can also be something to consider. The speed rating of the tire dictates the speed at which the tires are safe to drive. While street-driven cars can only be driven at the speed limit, a speed-rated tire may be something you need if you take your performance car to the track on the weekends.