How Smart Is It To Put Bigger Tires On Your Car?

If you think the factory-equipped tires on your car aren't getting the job done to your satisfaction, you may be wondering if you can put bigger tires on your car or truck. The latter, along with SUVs, are the most likely recipients of this kind of treatment as they look particularly bold riding and capable with bigger wheels and bulkier tires - they also have some extra room in their arches for larger items, too.

It's also important to remember that bigger tires may not be compatible with the original rim you have fitted, so before you delve too deep down that particular rabbit hole, it helps to know how putting larger wheels or tires on a car can affect it.

Cars are developed with a general tire size in mind that takes into account a balance of fuel economy, road comfort, and road-holding abilities. Opting for bigger wheels often decreases on-road comfort, but choosing a bigger tire can have some performance benefits. In general, however, bigger tires affect mpg negatively. But it's not just fuel economy that warrants a down- or up-sizing of tires. Bigger and wider tires offer better traction, which is why sports cars make use of them. And, special oversized tires and wheels that you often see on focused off-roaders are desirable for their traction and versatility benefits in the great outdoors.

All of this means that bigger is only better when the need for a bigger tire or wheel is justified - if you need better performance or more traction, it can be better. But the trade-off will be more money spent at the pumps, and potentially more money spent to maintain, rotate, or replace such wheels. You can read more about performance and touring tires here.

Unless you're fitting performance or touring tires, upsizing the tires of your sedan is most probably not very likely. However, when it comes to SUVs and pickup trucks such as the Honda Pilot or even something hardier like a Honda Ridgeline truck, there is much more opportunity - and reason - to fit bigger tires. Let's discuss how large tires affect the various characteristics of your average truck or SUV.

The golden rule when it comes to upgrading the tire size of your vehicle is that you can safely equip tires that are up to 20 millimeters wider on the original rim. If you want to go larger than that, you will need to upsize the rim, too.

If you're looking to put bigger tires on your truck, you'll need to figure out just how big you can go so you don't risk buying oversized tires that won't fit or will rub against the arches or internal components. Here are some steps to follow to make sure you get all the information you need.

• Accurately measure the size of your current wheels.
• Measure the empty space around the wheel between the tire and the arch.
• Turn the wheel until it locks and take the measurements again. Pay careful attention to the amount of space between the wheel and the suspension.
• Measure how much room there is between the axle tube and the bump stop. Add the length of the bump stop for some additional wiggle room.
• Try to position your truck at its maximum approach or departure angles on a slope and take the measurements again.
• Once more, turn the wheels to their locking point and re-measure.

With all these figures, you will see just how much space you have to work with under average and extreme conditions. Keep in mind that your suspension can move up to four inches before becoming fully compressed, so subtract that from your shortest measurement. What you're left with is how many inches of tire you can add without comprising on functionality and safety. A torsion bar adjustment can help widen the gap between the wheel and the hard parts of the body, giving you more room to work with. It is always wise to get professional input in this case.

Note that not all rims can support larger tires. By measuring the backspacing and offset, you should be able to tell if you will need to buy new wheels, too. If you want to equip particularly large wheels and tires, you may have to consider getting a lift for your truck. Alternatively, you could look for a used truck, crossover, or SUV with such a modification already equipped.