Getting the Right Wheels & Tires

A lot of drivers want custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes they just don’t fit right. For example, the tires rub in turns or over bumps. Consulting your DOWNTOWN AUTOMOTIVE service advisor can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

Not every wheel can go on every vehicle. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large and so that the wheels are not too centered towards the outside or the inside. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your car, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Most drivers don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory, in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong sensor information.

If you go with a different rolling diameter, your vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in BC. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your DOWNTOWN AUTOMOTIVE service advisor about how big the wheel should be and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs, and the best way to do all this is to have your DOWNTOWN AUTOMOTIVE technician see your vehicle in person so mistakes are not made.

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