When it comes to your car’s performance – whether you are looking to upgrade cars or modify your car for better performance, there are many things you must take into consideration. This includes everything from choosing a manufacturer to the car’s engine size, mod-cons and more. But what happens when it comes to choosing your car wheel size? And what is the effect of wheel size on car performance?

With most people usually looking to increase the wheel size of their car, we have outlined all the pros and cons of increasing wheel size and what important factors you need to consider prior.

How Can Bigger Wheel Sizes Benefit Your Vehicle’s Performance?

As well as looking better, there are actually other positives to having bigger wheels. These include but are not limited to:

• Improved grip and traction

Probably one of the most obvious benefits of bigger wheels is the improved grip and traction. Because there is more rubber on the track of the tyre, it has better road contact and therefore leads to better handling overall.

• Improved braking

Along with higher traction and grip, a larger wheel will also provide better braking. Because the rim is bigger, the car has a greater contact surface and helps to reduce braking distances. 

• Better cornering

This is due to the car now having more road contact, a wider tread and stiffer walls. Thanks to this, the driver will experience better cornering and handling in all weather conditions.

• Better stability 

A larger wheel size also contributes to better stability for your car. This is due to the wider surface area that is covered by the larger wheels, allowing for a more stable drive. 

• Loading capacity

As established above, larger wheels have a better grip on the ground, which also improves the load-bearing capacity. This means the vehicle can withstand heavier loads. 

What are the negatives of increasing your wheel size?

Whilst there are many benefits to increasing your vehicle’s wheel size, there are still some slight downsides that can affect performance. These include the following:

• Higher fuel consumption

Especially in recent years, many motorists’ priorities have been focused on fuel consumption. With bigger wheels comes more weight, which will then enhance how much work the car’s engine has to do, increasing fuel consumption.

• Faster tyre wear

Because the wheels are heavier and put more pressure onto the road’s surface, this can lead to heavier steering and therefore more wheel scraping and lower sidewalls. This could make your tyres wear out much quicker than smaller ones, meaning more tyre maintenance checks may need to be carried out.

• Safety system issues 

When elements in a car are changed such as wheel sizes, certain safety systems can have trouble working accurately and may not respond properly when needed. This can include the EBD, ABS and traction control.

• Impact on comfort

Larger wheels often lead to less smooth rides, impacting driving comfort. Due to the larger wheel size, the drive is likely to feel a little more rough and hard, as you’ll feel every bump in the road. This can also contribute to more vibration whilst driving. 

• Rolling resistance 

Larger wheels can significantly reduce rolling resistance. Although reduced rolling resistance leads to less fuel consumption, it also affects the car’s grip and stopping distance. 

What to know before changing wheel size

Now we have outlined the pros and cons, there are still some other aspects you need to think about and know before changing your vehicle’s wheel size. To do this, you need to know what you are looking for. 

• The letters and numbers on the side of your tyre

This will tell you the tyre’s ratio, radial construction, and diameter of your current wheels, allowing you to calculate your tyre size. This can help avoid fitting the wrong size wheels to your car. 

• The distance between the centre of the wheel and the mounting surface

This distance is also another important thing to consider when choosing a size. 

• The cost of fitting larger tyres 

Fitting larger tyres to your vehicle will also be more expensive than your smaller ones.

• Cheaper is not always better

If you find a larger tyre for a lower price and a better size priced slightly higher, it could be the case that the cheaper tyre has a lesser construction and will not last as long. This will only increase the costs of your wheels over the long run, so splashing out a bit more to start with is much more cost-effective.

Summary

If you are at all unsure of how to fit a tyre, or which size is the right one for your vehicle, it is important that you take it to the professionals. With etyres, you can book into a local garage near you or find mobile tyre fitters at an array of locations across the country and get the expert advice you need when choosing a different wheel size.

FAQs

How to increase wheel size? 

If you’re looking to increase the size of your wheels, it is important to still do this safely. This requires research into how larger wheels affect your vehicle’s performance, and knowing the points to consider before doing this. These points include your current tyre size and load rating, the distance between the centre of the wheel and the mounting surface, and the costs associated with larger tyres. 

Does increasing wheel size increase ground clearance?  

Yes, increasing your wheel size will increase ground clearance. This is because the larger wheel size will lift the car up more, meaning there will be more space between the road and the lowest point of your car. 

Does increasing wheel size affect speedometer? 

Yes, increasing your wheel size will affect your speed readings. Larger wheels will lead to fewer rotations as you drive, leading to a lower speed reading to the speed you’re driving at. 

What happens when you increase wheel size? 

Wondering what happens when you increase wheel size? Your vehicle will feel different to drive due to the larger wheel size. Some of these changes will be positive, including increased handling, cornering and grip, and some will be negative, including faster tyre wear, less driving comfort and issues with your safety systems. 

Does a small increase in wheel size affect acceleration?

Any increase in wheel size will affect the rate that your vehicle can accelerate. This is because the larger wheels increase the overall weight of your vehicle, making it slower to reach those top speeds.