Tire size

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I’m wondering if the approriate tire size for my vehicle is a range of sizes or if I must only use the one size on the car now.

I did a little (very little) research to figure out what the different numbers mean. And I understand that you can’t put a truck tire on a mini cooper, but beyond that, help!

Thanks!

2

You can change tire size, slightly, but unless you want to purchase new wheels the options are limited.

MINOR changes in width and aspect ratio (sidewall height) can, perhaps, be made, but the changes can’t be very large.

Maybe it would help if you told us what you want to do, and why you want to use a size other than the original equipment size.

TireRack.dot com might be a good place for a little more research. You can probably find all acceptable sizes for your exact vehicle.

3

What kind of vehicle, exactly, are you talking about? What size tires are installed now?

4

http://www.tirerack.com
there it’ll give a list of what is available for your vehicle(s).

5

You can usually keep within a an inche. You run into some major problems if you go outside the inche range. Handling…suspension…

6

Have you taken the time to see if this topic is covered in the car Owner’s Manual?
The information on the Tire Rack website is very helpful, but you should be aware that most manuals have a list of “acceptable” tire sizes listed.

7

inche? I fear I might go beyond it, I don’t know what it is :slight_smile:

That’s a pretty far reaching statement. Is it the same for a 19" wide Viper tire as it is for a 12" diameter fiesta tire?

8

inche? I fear I might go beyond it, I don’t know what it is :slight_smile:

An inche is safe…Depending upon what you’re increasing…width…height??? I’ve seen tires that were less then 2" wider then OEM size and they started to rub.

9 
Are you considering just a tyre size change or are you considering new wheels and tyres of a different size?  

I would strongly suggest sticking with wheels and tyres of a size that are recommended for your car.  A responsible place like Tire Rack or a good tyre store can provide you with the acceptable tyre and wheel size combinations that are acceptable.

Note: if you choose a larger wheel with those skinny tyres (Ghetto look) then you are risking wheel damage if you hit a pot hole as the tyres are not tall enough to provide protection to the rim.
10

On every vehicle sold in the US, there is a sticker ? commonly called the tire placard - that lists the original tire size and the proper pressure for that size. The placard is usually located on a doorpost or in the glove box ? but sometimes it is located in the trunk or on the fuel filler door.

It’s usually best to start with the original tire size and not go searching for other sizes unless you have a problem finding the original size.