Your car is impacted by several factors you may overlook. If you don’t feel as comfortable in your new car as you did in the older one, it might have many reasons in the background. You should be as careful about the outer body of your car as you are with the interior.
Selecting the right size tire for your car plays a big role in comfortable and safe driving. The overall performance of your car in terms of speed, engine output and acceleration largely depends on the size and quality of tires you choose.
The answer to all your questions like how wheel size affects car performance or does Rim size affect the performance of your vehicle are dealt with in this article.
Whether you’re an amateur struggling to understand the technicalities of your car or an expert driver who isn’t comfortable with their new car, we have all the answers for you!
What is Performance to You?
The performance of a car can be measured from several aspects. Tire size affects many aspects of car performance, but what matters is: what aspect is important to you? How one defines their car’s performance is different for every person.
For some, a fuel-friendly car is a good one; for others, a car that goes to the mechanic less often is perfect.
Why Bigger Wheels?
Have you ever seen that limousine in the Hollywood songs with super big tires? Yes, larger rims are a trend, and they attract many drivers. If you’re driving off-road on a trip to the countryside, these tires are not a big deal.
However, on systematic urban roads where braking and driving all have to be under certain figures, larger rims can be hectic to handle.
If you’re also thinking of opting for a larger rim diameter and you’re wondering Do bigger tires affect performance, keep in mind they do. They make your engine slow and cause fuel to burn twice the usual. They’re not only expensive to handle but negatively impact the suspension of your car!
However, some of these cons are becoming less significant these days due to new techniques like plus sizing. Let’s dive deep into the pros and cons of bigger tires!
Cons of Bigger Wheels
Bigger wheels have more cons than pros. They give you a rough driving experience and thus are good off-road. You need to choose a good combination of tire and wheel to enjoy your drive wherever you go.
- More Drag
Larger tires cause the car to drag more when driving due to the increased surface area of the wheel. They take it longer to move the same distance a smaller wheel would.
- Fuel Consumption
Bigger wheels affect fuel consumption negatively. Choosing the right tire size can increase your car’s mileage significantly. But opting for the wrong one can decrease mileage as well. Bigger tires cause higher rolling resistance.
This is also a burden on the engine and has an inverse relation with fuel burning. The more rolling resistance your tires cause, the more energy the engine will require to move ahead.
With a greater energy requirement, fuel burns quicker, and the engine is under constant pressure. Not only that, but your average fuel expense also doubles.
- Less Comfort in Driving
Comfort should be your topmost priority while driving. If you’re seated comfortably, and you are easy with handling the mechanism of your car while you drive, you can control it anytime you want.
This also makes any uncertain accidents less likely because the driver is able to focus. Bigger wheels are noisy and rougher to ride. You will feel a tougher experience on the road if driving with bigger wheels. One reason is that bigger wheels are heavier.
Thus, it is better to opt for smaller tires if you can be saved from bigger risks by making small changes; why not!
- Burden On Engine
Bigger Rim figures are burdensome the engine largely; the fuel consumption is inefficient, which causes a burden on the engine, but the suspension is also affected. Due to the heavyweight of larger wheels, your car’s suspension would be at risk if you chose a bigger wheel with a regular tire.
- Braking Experience
Internally, the brake’s performance declines largely if your car has bigger wheels. It takes much effort for a bigger wheel to take brakes and the car drags almost twice the usual amount!
- Expensive
Apart from causing much maintenance expense, larger wheels expensive themselves. They are also heavy. It is a better option to buy aluminum wheels if you’re a fan of larger ones.
Aluminum wheels are light while being the perfect look you want. But they’re also more costly than the non-aluminum ones. However, if cost and maintenance aren’t an issue, aluminum wheels are the best option.
Pros of Bigger Wheels
The brighter side of larger rim tires is limited; however, it does exist. After all, there’s a reason people started shifting to larger rim figures in the first place! Let’s have a look on the other side.
- Better Brakes
We know that larger rims affect internal brake performance badly. On the contrary, it gives the driver a more comfortable braking experience. Stability is increased with a larger diameter, and it is easier to put brakes.
- Trendy
Most people are fond of bigger wheels and consider them a luxury does sound strange, but it’s true. Bigger wheels look “rich” and offer more of a trendy look to a car.
- Plus Sizing
Plus, Sizing is a new technology that eliminates some of the disadvantages of larger tires by modifying the design of a larger rim. In plus sizing, the wheel’s look does appear to be larger in diameter, but the sidewall size is modified. The sidewall is small enough to maintain the tire’s regular diameter.
Other such techniques are also being implemented to improve fuel consumption with larger tires.
Now, with all these risks in mind, you can surely decide whether it is wise to opt for bigger wheels just for the sake of “good looks”! Make sure that you choose the right tire size for your car with an adequate wheel to tire size ratio.