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…
…a skinnier rim protects even further. What is the advantage of choosing a wider wheel? What if you haven't had bad luck with scuffed rims in the past or rarely have to parallel park? From a performance standpoint. you're better off picking a wider rim because it gives you a slightly larger…
…car or truck. Is wider better? Often times, it is. We have found that many vehicles can benefit from an increase in tire width. In the post, "Wider Tires on Your BMW 3 Series?", we discussed options for upgrading tires to a wider size on this popular sports sedan. Using a wider size on the…
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…
…tire is smaller, which will reduce traction and handling. For a better understanding, read "Air Pressure - Correct, Underinflated and Overinflated." Where is that sweet spot? There are a couple areas that I see confusion set in when dealing with this topic. The first is that the…
…equipped with wider tires on the rear axle. This is commonly referred to as a staggered set-up. Those wider rear tires may look better cosmetically and perhaps offer an increase in dry grip traction during the summer months, however, when it comes to winter traction a narrower tire is more effective…
"Why does Tire Rack recommend narrower tires for winter use?" It's all about physics. Wider tire sizes have to plow through the snow which causes more resistance and a tendency to float. A narrower option, with a smaller contact patch, has more weight per square inch that helps the tire…
…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…
…be about .4" wider and .6" shorter, or a 255/50R20 that is .8" wider and about .2" shorter than the original size. There are dedicated winter solutions available in both of these sizes that will fit on the factory wheels. While both sizes are wider and not ideal to maximize…
…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…
…They both had a similar level of road noise, however the Blizzak did have a better ride quality over bumps. In summary, the Blizzak has an advantage in ice traction and ride comfort and the X-Ice Xi3 is a little better in clear road handling. Either option would be an excellent choice to satisfy…
…but the Toyo Proxes RA888 provides slightly better grip than the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup and a little bit of a better value. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup's main advantage is more consistent grip from lap to lap, therefore it may be the better choice for a longer event. Toyo Proxes RA1s are…
…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…
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