Is Wider Better

Most of the time a wider tire will offer better performing and cornering but, not always. Without the correct supporting parts and hardware wider tires may not always produce the desired results. While at a driving school in Utah I was able to participate in an interesting exercise involving…

So, now that we have tires and wheels installed, it’s time to find out how much quicker around our test track this combination is versus the O.E. tires and wheels. To simulate the total lap time of a typical national level autocross event, we combined 2 flying laps of our standard test course.…

…is the exact opposite approach that you would take for summer traction, where wider is better. If you're likely to drive through deep snow this year, you'll want winter / snow tires and wheels in sizes that help put the laws of physics on your side. The reason for this is that traction is…

…wheels have reduced weight vs. their O.E. counterparts. The initial advantage is in unsprung weight variance. Not only can this affect the overall gas mileage of the vehicle, but also allows the vehicle to respond better, especially on imperfect roads. Lighter wheels allow for less vibrations or…

…then the car goes faster, is safer, and has better ride quality. Shock absorbers play a key role in a suspension's function and have a large impact on the car's overall handling and ride quality. Although called "shock absorbers," a better term is "dampers" as their job is to damp or control the car…

…tread design. It depends on how much water has to be removed, how much weight is pressing down on the tires and how efficient the tread design is at evacuating water. While deeper water, higher speeds, lighter vehicles, wider tires, less tread depth and less efficient tread designs will cause tires…

…tires become more responsive as their tread depth wears away (which is why tires are shaved for competition and track use), a tire will become more likely to tramline as it wears. Wheels can influence tramlining as well. Installing wider tires or a "Plus Size" tire and wheel package usually requires…

…speeds and when you are passing through deep water. Where the tread compound is most effective is when you are traveling at lower speeds or in shallow water. By choosing a directional tread design when using a wider tire size than original equipment, you will receive maximum resistance to…