We've found that most people are aiming to improve the look, stance and performance of their ride when they are buying wheels, which usually means they are also selecting new tire sizes.
We'd like to help with some basic tire tips and a size chart that shows approximate measurements, in inches, of some popular tire sizes commonly used by our customers.
Many know what diameter wheels they want to run and are hoping to run large diameter wheels for looks and for big brake clearance but don't want the overall tire diameter to grow as much as the wheel diameter. We hope this chart makes it easier to find the desired tire sizes by showing the overall tire dimensions, in inches, of these popular metric sizes.
ur chart shows the overall section width, the outside diameter, the sidewall height and the recommended rim width range.
If your car requires something unique, start with picking the tire for the end of the car that is the most difficult.
If you've mini-tubbed the rear for example, and are going to run a big tire with less brand/tread/size choices, start by figuring out that size and what your options are. Then see if the those tire manufacturers also make a matching tire for your front.
We've included the sidewall height of the tire as a quick way to make sure your front tire doesn't have a taller sidewall than your rear tire when doing staggered sizes. That's usually not a good look.
There is a recommended rim width range for any given tire size with the ideal width usually around the middle of that spread. Some things to consider are how much sidewall bulge you want to see and most importantly, how wheel width affects the tires ride, handling and wear characteristics.
For grip and even wear the wheel width needs to allow for a good contact patch where the tread meets the pavement.
A wider wheel tends to make the tire more responsive to steering inputs but also taken to extremes can make the ride harsh because the sidewall doesn't flex as easily.
A narrower wheel can give up some of that responsive handling and will tend to give a softer ride because the sidewall has more curve that flexes more easily.