How do wider tires affect handling

It's also non-negotiable for all-wheel drive vehicles, which require the same tire diameter which is a function of section width at each corner in order to prevent damage to differentials. You may also notice that some enthusiasts instead choose a much wider tire for the rear axles as compared to what they put up front. The theory behind this is that it gives you as much rubber as possible to transmit power to the pavement, thus ensuring excellent traction for higher horsepower, rear-wheel drive cars.

It's especially common for anyone running drag radials or a tire with a wrinkle sidewall, which isn't needed at the front of the vehicle. There are a few caveats to this strategy. You won't be able to properly rotate your tires, which can lead to increased wear, especially if you're regularly at the race track. Depending on your suspension setup, a wider tire at the rear can also introduce understeer into your vehicle's handling, so make sure that your suspension is aligned and dialed-in to alleviate that if at all possible.

There are a very few cars out there that used a reverse-staggered setup wider tires at the front , but they are exceedingly rare from the factory. That being said, some front-wheel drive track, autocross, and drag cars can be found with this layout, almost always installed by a chassis builder or tuner who knows exactly how it will affect performance.

Wider tires offer excellent traction on dry pavement, but there are a couple things to keep in mind about how they can affect your driving experience. With larger treadblocks, a wider tire will transmit more 'information' about the surface you are traveling over, which means imperfections, rough roads, and bumps will be more noticeable. You may also encounter greater 'tramlining,' which is the term used to describe a tire being moved around by ruts or grooves in asphalt a common side effect of using a much wider tire.

In wet weather, wider rubber can occasionally be a liability. Although the grooves in a wide tire are larger, allowing for better channeling of water away from the treadblocks, with more surface area the potential for hydroplaning when hitting standing water on the road is greater.

On a snow-covered road, the increased surface area of a wide tire is less effective at cutting through the white stuff as compared to a narrower option, which is why some people choose to install a smaller tire during the winter months. The number 94 means that one tire can carry a maximum load of kg at normal pressure. Smaller numbers mean a lower load-bearing capacity. For example, V means that the tire cannot be driven above kilometers per hour.

Download photos and infographic. Global English. North America English. North America French. Previous page. So, are wider tires better really? In fact, everything comes with its own pros and cons, so do wider tires. Here are some downsides of wide tires that you should consider before getting your vehicle upsized.

Generally, the less friction your car produces the less steering effort needed, thus, less fuel consumed. On the contrary, wider tires increase fuel consumption as it generates more friction.

Moreover, wider and bigger tires are obviously heavier, which will require the engine to work more. As a result, they surely consume more fuel. In this aspect, narrow tires will be a better option as they reduce fuel consumption by generating dramatically less friction. Wider tires are heavier, which, as a consequence, adds more weight to the car. With its large contact area, wide tires not only slow down acceleration but also cause hard steering and poor car handling. On the other hand, the vehicle with wider tires take more time to steer, or return to the center, after every sharp turn.

Experiencing harder steering is another downside of using wider tires. With all those above-mentioned drawbacks, larger tires surely will wear out faster than narrow ones.

For instance, wider tires will put more strain on the brake, causing your braking system to work harder. By upsizing your tires, you are changing your car standard components. There are advantages and disadvantages to both wide and narrow tires. Here are some things to consider when deciding what kind of tires you should purchase for your car:.

Car weight — For some vehicles, buying a skinnier tire is not realistic because the weight of the vehicle will put too much pressure on the tire. If you were to mount a thin tire on a car that was too heavy, you would run the risk of the tire exploding while you were on the road.

However, if you mount tires that are too wide on a vehicle that is light, you may experience wheelspin, which can damage other internal systems in your car.