When you first purchase a car, you will have tyres that are already fitted by the manufacturer. These tyres are the recommended sizes for that car and are fitted with the cars best interest in mind. Therefore, messing with this and fitting tyres of different sizes can be risky and potentially dangerous. In this blog, we’ll go through the most efficient way of changing your tyre size, if you must. Additionally, we’ll talk about when not to change your tyre size.
Definite No to Mismatched Tyres
If you have that unfortunate luck and for example, you’ve just bought yourself a set of new wheels and 20 minutes later, whilst driving, you puncture one, then it can be hard to want to replace that tyre like for like. You may want to save a bit of money and just opt for a cheaper tyre, that seems similar to the other three, but it’s not. It ends up being a slightly different size and doesn’t seem a big deal, but we can’t stress enough that it really can be.
In not having all 4 of the same tyres, then you run the risk of; the speedometer being thrown off and providing false readings, having less grip and control of your car, taking longer to stop, instability on wet or icy conditions and the potential to damage your car’s wheel bearing and your clutch.
Many tyre experts, including Goodyear, recommend fitting four of the same tyres across your car. When they say ‘same’ they ideally mean the same size, tread pattern and age. This isn’t a way to get you to purchase more tyres. This is simply because it is proven to be safer all round for drivers, passengers and other road users.
Some Vehicles Are Fitted With Front and Rear Tyres
Some vehicles are indeed fitted with different tyres on their axles. However, these are usually done through manufacturers partnerships with tyre makers. Cars such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are fitted with wider rear wheels. However, this doesn’t equate to a tyre mismatch, as it is the same tyre fitted onto each axle. This has also been done to increase the dynamics of the car. Additionally, along with the OE (Original Equipment) they have been fitted to accommodate other tyres.
Times You Can Change Your Tyre Size
There is one exception where you would be okay in changing your tyre size. For example, if you wanted to use your car on a racetrack, transport a heavy load or pull a trailer. You would, therefore, opt for tyres with a higher speed or load rating. The tyres, however, would need to be the same across both axles. To be on the safe side, it is also good practise to check with your manufacturer or a tyre expert at Asda.
If you have any further questions about changing your tyre size or tyres in general, don’t hesitate to get in touch with an expert at Asda. We’d be happy to help. For any other blogs or guides, check out our official blog.