What Size Tires Are On My Car

How Wide Or Narrow Should Your New Wheels Be

Wheel width on a new set of wheels should be primarily determined by two considerations: Clearance and purpose.

What do we mean by clearance?

Within each wheel well is spacing between the wheel and tire and the surrounding vehicle components. This amount of space varies from vehicle to vehicle. Certain trucks have the wheel well space to accommodate a much wider wheel than stock, whereas other vehicles are able to fit only a slightly wider wheel than stock without modification in the wheel well area. The space between your stock wheels and tires, and all surrounding vehicle components is called clearance.

Regardless of whether your purpose in fitting new wheels is advanced by a wider set of wheels, you are first and foremost limited by the available clearance.

To determine clearance, an automotive professional will need to measure and evaluate the space between your stock wheels and tires and all surrounding components. Clearance should be evaluated at both the front and rear axles, and while the suspension is loaded with the vehicle weight. Be sure to also take clearance measurements in the front wheel wells while moving the steering wheel from lock to lock.

If you carry heavy loads or haul a trailer, and/or drive over rough roads, be sure to account for the added vehicle weight, a compressed suspension system, and an associated loss of clearance.

Clearance measurements and maximum wheel width recommendations are best handled by automotive professionals.

Replacing Fewer Than Four Tires

For optimal safety and performance, replace all four tires at the same time. While it is possible to switch out less than four tires at the same time, you should follow a couple of guidelines regarding tire size.

If only replacing one or two tires, for example, ensure that each one is the same size and has the same load index and speed rating as specified by the car manufacturer.

When replacing only two tires, fit both of them to the wheels on the rear axle. The reason for this is that the newer tires will have much better grip, particularly on wet roads, and reduce the risks of hydroplaning.

Replacing only a single tire is not advisable, as it can impact vehicle suspension or transmission and produce excessive wear on the tire tread. But if replacing only one tire is unavoidable, then pair the single replacement tire with the tire that has the deepest tread depth, then fit both to the rear axle.

The Effects Of Putting Different Tire Sizes On Your Car

While automotive experts recommend using four like tires on a vehicle, and specifically the type best suited for the vehicle, exceptions are allowable within certain limits. Within these limits and especially when the limits are exceeded, problems can occur — the effects proving as harmless as throwing off speedometer readings or as hazardous as creating steering, braking and handling issues. Damage to the vehicle can also result from tire variations.

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How To Find My Tire Size

Before starting the process of buying new tires its important to know your tire size. There are a lot of variables when it comes to tire sizing such as their width, aspect ratio, and radius. An automobiles make and model can be the same but that doesnt always mean that the tires are too. Tires can differ based on trim level. An example of this is the 2015 Honda Civic Sedan. The original equipment tires for the LX model is 195/65R15 whereas the EX-L models are size 215/45R17. Therefore its always good to double check your manufacturers recommended tire size before making that all important decision on what tire to get.

When Do We Replace Tires

Tire experts are often bombarded with questions like, when is the best time to replace my car tires? or what tires fit my rim?

Car and truck wheels are often replaced when their lifespan expires and also when the treads wear out from regular use. There are a few factors which can affect the lifespan of a tire.

• Pinholes
• Whether or not the driver is aggressive or careless

More often, car tire experts recommend the replacement of the tires when the driver or owner no longer feels safe while driving. This, however, is very subjective and more experienced drivers may get to notice this compared to new and first-time drivers.

If you are in this situation and are quite unsure whether you should change your wheels or not, check if your tires are still providing a level of traction that feels safe. How to do this? Simply check if its spinning or slipping. If yes, then that would automatically mean you have to replace them.

Another instance to replace tires is when they are already damaged. Look for cracks or bubbles. If you find any of these, then go to the nearest tire distributor.

Also, check the treads by checking the tread depth indicator. If they show damaged tread, then clearly, you have to replace your wheels. As a general rule, tires get worn when the tread reaches 2/32 inches. This means the cars ability to create traction on roads under normal conditions is very low.

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Finding Your Trucks Tire Size

Fortunately, both tire and vehicle manufacturers make identifying the perfect tires for your truck fairly simple. You just have to find a few classification codes.

These codes are located in two places with most vehicles and tire brands:

• On the inside frame of your trucks driver-side door
• On the sidewalls of your tires

Specifically, you want to look for small charts that include size dimensions, which typically have a few numbers and letters arranged in a code-like format. Heres an example:

• 255/55 R 18 XL

You may also find two tire classifications: “P” and “LT.

“P” stands for passenger, indicating that the tires are good for passenger vehicles, like sedans, minivans, and CUVs. “LT” stands for light truck. This classification indicates that the tires are better for heavier vehicles, including most truck models, SUVs, vans, etc.

When it comes to trucks, you should only ever use LT-classified tires. P-class tires simply will not be large or sturdy enough to handle your trucks weight and size for safe handling.

Don’t Want To Do The Math Use A Tire Size Calculator

Calculating the diameter of the rims vs. the overall diameter can involve a lot of math, which we won’t go into here. A much easier and convenient path is to use a tire size calculator, which does the math for you.

Remember, your car was designed for optimal performance with a specific size of tire. Whenever you change the size of tire, you are compromising the performance and possibly the safety of your vehicle, so only change tire size after carefully researching and considering all your options.

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Car Tires That Are Over 10 Years Old:

Any tire that is more than 10 years old is too thin to guarantee safe driving. At this stage, it is a must to replace it.

If you want to extend the lifespan of your tires, you can do the following:

• Check if your tires pressure surges every 2,000 to 3,000 miles. This will not directly improve your cars life but will most probably help in fuel efficiency, vehicle handling, and acceleration.
• Replace your tires every 5,000 7,500 miles to encourage uniform treadwear
• Get your tire configuration checked, as stated in your cars owners guide, or if you start to sense the car yank to a side while driving
• Check your tires frequently for any highway wreckages or impairments
• Examine your tires for any abnormalities in its treadwear because these can show glitches with your cars orientation or inflation.
• Be certain not to beat a tires extreme weight volume because this puts extreme compression on your tires

Determining The Size Appropriate For Your Tires

A common question we hear is that, What size rims and tires will fit on my car?

Tires are being segregated by size using a 3-number code. An example would be 225/55/16. This means that the width of the tires is 255 millimeters, the width to height ratio is 55, and an inner diameter of 16.

The standing height or the external diameter of the wheel is measured by how much sidewall the wheel has. To make the aspect height and the external diameter the same as you increase the rim size, you have to lose an inch in the external diameter. A little bit of math is required to get the proper size.

To get the external diameter, you must multiply by 2 the wheels aspect ratio and add the inner diameter of the car. After which, you should convert millimeters to inches. The standing height, in this case, will be 25.7 inches. After getting the external diameter of the old wheel, match it with the new and replacement wheel.

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How To Read A Tire Size On A Tires Sidewall

The numbers and letters representing your tire size do have meaning. Learn how to read a tire sidewall and find what the numbers on a tire mean using the detail below.

What Tires Fit My Car

You might want to replace your car tire, but the thought of what tires fit my car becomes a setback. Getting the right tires for your vehicle is paramount to vehicle efficiency and safety.

Your choice of the tire should mirror your driving conditions and your preferences for vehicle reaction and handling. You have to know what is the right tire size for your car to make the perfect choice when the time to replace comes.

Deciding the accurate tire size for your vehicle is reasonably straightforward. Keep reading to learn how to know what tires fit your car.

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Diameter Comparison Of Light Truck Tire Sizes

Choosing The Correct Tire Size

Make your tire size selection in strict accordance with vehicle documents and tire manufacturer recommendations. If the combined wheel and tire diameter arent correctly matched, there may be drastic differences in ride height and speedometer readings.

For example, fitting 17-inch-diameter wheels to a car that is designed to have 14-inch-diameter wheels will change the ride height. That means the car body will be higher off the ground. There will also be a slight increase in top speed, and the speedometer will no longer be accurate. Last but not least, the car will accelerate slower.

Switching to different tire sizes can only be done in compliance with all legal requirements and regulations plus the recommendations of the vehicle, wheel, and tire manufacturers. At the very least, the wheel must have complete freedom of circular motion and the tires adequate load capacity must be observed.

The internal construction of tires fitted on any vehicle must either be radial or bias-ply. Fitting mixed tire constructions for cars, caravans, and other light trucks is unsafe and illegal. The only permissible exception is the use of a spare tire for an emergency.

Concerning the choice of wheels or rims, the same guidelines apply. Motorists must use the standard wheels or rims approved by the vehicle manufacturer as recommended.

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Where Do I Find My Tire Size

It is easy to find out the correct tire size of your car because the information you seek is in the vehicle owners manual. If you want to replace the tires head over to the manufacturers, they could provide a tire size chart catalog.

If the manual is unavailable, look out for the tire fit guide by the car glove compartment or gas tank handle. Then use it as what tires fit my car calculator guide. You can also use the speed rating and load index to find the right tire sizes.

You can also find tire size by VIN. When you find the tire size data, you would also have to figure out the letter and number series.

Choosing The Correct Tyre Size

Make your tyre size selection in strict accordance with vehicle documents and tyre manufacturer recommendations. If the combined wheel and tyre diameter arent correctly matched, there may be drastic differences in ride height and speedometer readings.

For example, fitting 17-inch-diameter wheels to a car that is designed to have 14-inch-diameter wheels will change the ride height. That means the car body will be higher off the ground. There will also be a slight increase in top speed, and the speedometer will no longer be accurate. Last but not least, the car will accelerate slower.

Switching to different tyre sizes can only be done in compliance with all legal requirements and regulations plus the recommendations of the vehicle, wheel and tyre manufacturers. At the very least, the wheel must have complete freedom of circular motion and the tyres adequate load capacity must be observed.

In some cases, a different tyre size can be used, but the same new tyres are required to be fitted across the axles. If you want to make those changes and want to ensure safety, consult your vehicle manufacturer or local Continental dealer. An approved test centre will make the changes in your vehicle documents. If you drive without approval, you must expect an increased risk of accidents and to be fined.

Concerning the choice of wheels or rims, the same guidelines apply. Motorists must use the standard wheels or rims approved by the vehicle manufacturer as recommended.

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Load Reduction Of Euro

What Are Oe Tires

OE stands for Original Equipment, meaning that the tires were approved by your vehicle manufacturer to come standard on your vehicle.

Some vehicle manufacturers, such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and others, equip their vehicles with tires that are specifically made for their brand. These tires have a special OE marking on the sidewall. In this case, Michelin recommends to replace tires on your vehicle only with tires equipped with necessary OE marking. Table of OE markings by vehicle brand :

• * = BMW, Mini
• N0, N1, N2, N3, N4 = Porsche
• MO1 = AMG

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How Is Wheel Size Measured

Of course, a wheel’s size is more than just its width. Inner measurement is the hub face to the inner wheel well. Knowing this measurement will help you make sure your tire doesn’t rub on the inside edge. The outer measurement determines the clearance to the outer lip. The brake caliper and brake radius measurements help ensure that the calipers clear the wheel hoop as well as the spokes. This is even more critical if you’re running large brakes. Hub diameter and height are important, as well. If the hub is too big, the wheel won’t fit on the car too small, and the wheel won’t be properly centered, also called “hub centric,” and you’ll have to hope that the lug nuts properly center the wheel. As stated earlier, the rim width is measured from the outer tire bead to the inner tire bead. For example, a wheel with an overall width of 9 inches is really considered an 8-inch wheel .

Your Correct Tire Size And Tire Pressure Can Be Found In Your Vehicles Owner’s Manual In The Glove Compartment Or On The Oem Sticker On Your Drivers Side Door

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. Quite simply, these are the tire specs that originally came with your vehicle, according to the manufacturer . It includes the tire size, rim size, the aspect ratio, etc. To learn how to read this information, click here.

The correct tire pressure to inflate your tires can be located on the vehicle or tire placard or Vehicle Owners Manual and is the proper tire pressure to maintain, so your tires can give you maximum performance, including gas mileage and tread life. For proper results, make sure your tires haven’t been driven for three hours before you check for air pressure. Be aware that the air pressure displayed on the tire sidewall is the maximum pressure, not the recommended tire pressure.

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