Choosing The Right Rims For Your Vehicle

Article taken from www.lesschwab.com/article/choosing-custom-wheels-is-about-more-than-good-looks

It is very important to choose tires and rims that fit well with your car’s needs. You might have a powerful engine and the best-in-class transmission system but all of that is worth nothing when the wheel and the tire you have are sub-standard. 

Consider your driving goals and style preferences.

"I'm just after chill looks."
Say you just want to personalize a vehicle to make it your own. If you're all about the aesthetics but don't want to change your current ride performance, it's easy: You can keep the same sizing but swap out your wheels for something showier.

" I want better acceleration and cornering."
If you love driving and are looking for performance enhancements, aftermarket wheels can play a role. Choosing a larger-diameter wheel will decrease the tire's sidewall height. This adds responsiveness. You'll notice higher stability and better cornering. You'll achieve that low-profile style you're after. Done correctly, larger wheels can improve acceleration and reduce braking distance. You'll feel more road feedback. Bigger diameter wheels can also mean shorter tire life and higher price points than conventional sizes. You may feel bumps in the pavement a bit more. On full-sized pickup trucks, a larger tire and wheel package can mean you may not get as tight a turning radius as before. Another consideration for truck owners could be weight. The maximum plus size wheel-tire package for light trucks and SUVs may make the setup heavier than OE, depending on the type of wheel you pick. A heavier setup could mean longer stopping distances along with increased suspension and brake wear.

"I want something sporty looking but I still want the smoothest ride."
Smaller wheels are mounted with tires that have a higher aspect ratio, resulting in a more comfortable ride with less road feedback. With taller sidewall tires, you'll feel more flex when you turn corners, and you may notice a difference in handling. This sort of package manages impacts like potholes, speed bumps and debris better, protecting the wheels from damage. Getting into smaller wheels isn't possible with every vehicle due to fitment. If you do have some room to go smaller, you'll have lots of tire tread design possibilities.

"I'm planning to run my wheel-tire package year-round."
Some wheel finishes require more maintenance in climates where winter deicing chemicals on the road are a factor. Be sure to ask about care before you buy.

​Wheel Plus Sizing Explained

When you're shopping for wheels you'll come across some standard sizing terms. OE (original equipment) is the base wheel size. It's what came standard on the vehicle from the factory.

Plus sizing is when you boost wheel diameter. Minus sizing means you're getting into a smaller wheel. Plus 1 sizing is increasing wheel diameter by an inch. Minus 2 sizing is downsizing wheels by two inches.

​You can also keep the wheel diameter the same but mount a lower-profile tire (the tread gets wider, the aspect ratio changes, but the height of the sidewall remains the same). This is called Plus 0 sizing. Here's a comparison of how two wheel-tire packages of different sizes look on the same vehicle.

Car with 18-inch wheels. Note the higher tire sidewall.

Car with 20-inch, plus-sized wheel and low-profile tire. Note the shorter tire sidewall.

Top 3 Custom Wheel Buying Tips

Choosing an aftermarket wheel-tire setup is about more than just picking a style you like. Issues like proper clearance for brake system components, potential rubbing on body parts like fenders and mud flaps, offset spacing and bolt patterns can be overlooked.

Your driving goals are just as important. Do you want enhanced handling? Are you willing to sacrifice some driving qualities for others? Remember these three tips as you're shopping around.

1. For most SUVs, CUVs and cars the overall diameter of the aftermarket package (wheel and tire combined) should be within 3 to 8 percent of the overall diameter of your OE setup.
2. Bumping up to a larger wheel for a low-profile look? A plus-sizing rule of thumb is to increase tire width by 10 mm and decrease sidewall height by 5 to 10 percent for each one-inch increase in wheel diameter.
3. Buying new wheels should be fun. The easiest way to make sure you get what you bargained for is to talk with a good tire dealer.

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