Are wide tires better?
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The size and width of your vehicle's tires determine how your vehicle behaves in various conditions. There are several factors that go into deciding which tires to equip your vehicle with, including:
- Purpose of your car (sports or utility)
- The weight and stability of your vehicle
- Tire sizes available
In most situations, it is recommended that you use the same size and width tires on your vehicle as they were originally used to provide optimal overall traction for your vehicle.
What is considered a wide tyre?
The width of your tire is listed on the sidewall of each tire in the following format: P225/55R16. 225 is the tire width measured in millimeters. A wide tire is any tire that is wider than the factory width fitted to your vehicle. You can find your car's standard tire size on the sticker on the driver's door when you open the door.
Why upgrade to wider tires?
Whether you're looking for a performance boost or just looks, there are plenty of reasons to look into wider tires.
- Improved traction when accelerating
- More grip under hard braking
- More discreet appearance
- Less car roll in corners
Some vehicles can be fitted with larger or wider tires. The purpose of wider tires when upgrading is usually to improve traction in very specific exercises or conditions such as rock climbing, off-roading, or race track use. Because the contact surface is larger, wide tires can grip dry surfaces better than narrow ones.
There are possible negative effects of wider tires, such as:
- You can hydroplan or lose control much more easily on slippery or loose surfaces such as gravel.
- Wide tires may not fit in the wheel arches.
- Your turning radius can be significantly reduced as wider tires hit the bump stops faster.
- Wider tires can be quite expensive to install.
- Increased road noise.
Wide tires are rarely better than factory sizes. Unless there is a specific purpose to fit your vehicle with wider tires than they were originally fitted, you should use the factory-installed tire size and width.
