Bigger is always better than smaller, right? Everyone should remember from childhood that a bicycle with bigger wheels is always better than one with smaller ones! But what about the car? How will the behavior of a 4-wheeled steel horse change if you “re-shoe” it into larger rims? Change of wheels is one of the simplest types of automobile tuning. Today it is offered by numerous workshops.
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How it is possible to modify wheels?
In fact, you can modify the wheels in different ways. For example, it is possible to keep the original wheel, but install a tire with a wider profile, while maintaining the height to width ratio. It is also possible to leave the wheel rim the same, but to change the already mentioned percentage of width to height of the tire. Of course, it is also possible to change the original rims completely. And it is possible to put disks not only of larger diameter, but also smaller… Finally, it is possible to leave the disk diameter the same, but to install wheels of larger width. Any wheel tuning has its pros and cons.
What could be the pluses of changing the dimensions of the wheels?
Increasing the wheel dimensions most often leads to an increase in the clearance of the car, which is almost always useful. The higher the bottom from the ground or asphalt surface, the better and safer for the car itself. Increasing the size of the wheels most often increases the economy of the car, but not very much. Do not overestimate this advantage. Savings become more or less tangible for the purse only in cars with a small number of gears.
The increase of wheel diameter can bring the indicators of speedometer and odometer into accord with reality. Why? Because their indicators are almost always overestimated by the manufacturer. True, you should not forget that it is done intentionally for safety reasons. The devices with standard wheels overestimate speed on purpose, so that citizens could speed up less. It is also worth noting that the reduction of wheel protrusion as a result of increasing the wheels increases the lateral stability of the car. Larger wheels can have a favorable effect on the length of the braking distance. Finally, larger wheels look more aesthetically pleasing and beautiful.
What could be the disadvantages of changing the size of the wheels?
There are some disadvantages to enlarged wheels. An improperly tuned wheel can start to snag body components. Increased wheels redistribute the position of the car’s center of mass, due to which the wobble of the car increases. Bigger wheels are heavier, and this decreases the dynamic performance of the car. Wider wheels are much easier to damage, and also wear noticeably faster. Larger wheels also wear out the hub bearings faster and make the car less driveable.