It is very important to know the exact tire and rim that your car requires. The recommended tire and rim size is provided in your car manual. Tires come in a variety of sizes and mostly a car can be fitted with many different options of tires. However, there are some basic guidelines that need to be followed regarding tire and rim sizes. These guidelines ensure that we select the best tire and rim combination for our cars. It also prolongs their service life and greatly improves the performance of the car. It also prolongs the service life of other components of the car. These components include wheel hub, axle and especially the car suspension.
Basically when viewing a car tire we come across numbers that are embossed on the tires. It is necessary to understand what these numbers mean. Otherwise, they might look like junk to an average person. Tires usually have information like this “195/55R14” on them. Let us break these numbers down to better understand the size of tires. The starting numbers 195 means that the width of the tire at its maximum point is 195 mm. 55 refers to the percentage ratio of the height of the side to the width. This means that this tire has a 55% height of side wall which calculates to about 107 mm. R14 refers to the rim size in inches. Here it indicates that the tire fits to a 14 inch rim. Sometimes preceding alphabets of P, LT and ST are also used. These correspond to passenger, light trailer and special trailer tires.
Rims are usually measured in inches. Their size is actually taken as the diameter of the groove where the tire attaches on the rim. Rim and tires require and exact matching of this number. An R14 tire will not fit into a 15 inch rim. Using a larger rim on a vehicle means the reduction of tire width. This improves the performance of the vehicle but decreases the comfort level of the car. When we change the rim sizes of the car from the recommended ones, it is called upsizing or downsizing.
It is also very important to note that tires and rims age with time. Sometimes spare tires are not observed properly for quality. This leaves the vehicle at the mercy of conditions when a tire gets flat on the road. We should always take proper care to tires and rims. Car manufacturer’s advice regarding the rims and tires should be followed strictly to improve the performance of cars. Car performance and comfort can then be enjoyed and relaxed.
Basically when viewing a car tire we come across numbers that are embossed on the tires. It is necessary to understand what these numbers mean. Otherwise, they might look like junk to an average person. Tires usually have information like this “195/55R14” on them. Let us break these numbers down to better understand the size of tires. The starting numbers 195 means that the width of the tire at its maximum point is 195 mm. 55 refers to the percentage ratio of the height of the side to the width. This means that this tire has a 55% height of side wall which calculates to about 107 mm. R14 refers to the rim size in inches. Here it indicates that the tire fits to a 14 inch rim. Sometimes preceding alphabets of P, LT and ST are also used. These correspond to passenger, light trailer and special trailer tires.
Rims are usually measured in inches. Their size is actually taken as the diameter of the groove where the tire attaches on the rim. Rim and tires require and exact matching of this number. An R14 tire will not fit into a 15 inch rim. Using a larger rim on a vehicle means the reduction of tire width. This improves the performance of the vehicle but decreases the comfort level of the car. When we change the rim sizes of the car from the recommended ones, it is called upsizing or downsizing.
It is also very important to note that tires and rims age with time. Sometimes spare tires are not observed properly for quality. This leaves the vehicle at the mercy of conditions when a tire gets flat on the road. We should always take proper care to tires and rims. Car manufacturer’s advice regarding the rims and tires should be followed strictly to improve the performance of cars. Car performance and comfort can then be enjoyed and relaxed.
Hello,
ReplyDeletei like your blog and posts.
Thanks! for sharing good information about tires and rims.
Ottawa Winter Tires