Car Customization

When people buy new cars, the first thing they change is their wheels

and tires. It is the most economical way to make a big statement and to

make your car stand out from the crowd. There are a few things you have

to take into account, though, before you buy a wheel and tire

combination. If you don't do your research, you could waste a lot of

money on wheels and tires that don't fit your car.

Here are 5 things to look for when purchasing a set of wheels and tires.

1. Bolt Pattern

This is pretty basic. You have to buy a wheel that has the same bolt

pattern as your cars hub. You can change the bolt pattern by swapping

out hubs, but there is really no point to do this. The most popular

patterns are 4 lug and 5 lug.

2. Bore Size

The bore size is the size of the whole in the middle of your rim. You

should purchase a wheel that has a bore size as close as you can to the

factory size. This is necessary if you want your wheels to be hub

centric, and believe me, you do.

3. Hub Ring

If your bore size is just a bit larger than the hub on your car, you can

install a hub ring. A hub ring is basically a spacer or a shim that lets

the wheel sit flush with the hub and maintain a hub centric orientation.

4. Tire Type

There are a few different types of tires you can choose for your car. I

am going to go over summer, all season, high performance and drag radial

type tires.

Summer tires are what you see on most cars. These are just for general

driving, offer good grip, great wear, and all around reliability.

All season tires are more popular in places that have hot summers and

cold winters. They also offer good grip and wear, but also offer

improved wet and snow traction.

High performance tires are what you see on most tuned and high

performance cars. They offer great traction on dry roads, offer

acceptable wear, but not much else. These are mainly for driving fast.

Drag radials are not as popular as high performance tires, but they

serve a purpose. Drag radial tires are made from a special compound that

will become sticky when their temperature is raised (through burnouts).

They offer great traction fro drag racing, but are not that good for

cornering and handling. They also wear faster than other forms of tires

and cost more money.

You will have to make a decision on what kind of driving you will do

most often before deciding on what type of tire would be best for you.

5. Tire Speed Rating

A letter at the end of your tire code denotes the speed rating. So a

250/20 R 18 W would have a W speed rating. I have included a chart below

that denotes the tire ratings. This is not that important, because you

will be obeying the speed limit (wink) A S rated tire will do you just

fine. But if you plan on doing some "passionate" driving, choose your

tire speed rating accordingly. Here are the speed ratings. All figures

are in MPH

N = 87

P = 93 ?

Q = 99 ?

R = 106 ?

S = 112 ?

T = 118 ?

H = 130

V = 149 ?

W = 168 ?

Y = 186 ?

ZR = 149

If you take all of these factors into account before you buy a new set

of wheels and tires for your car, you will have no problem finding a

great deal on a great looking set of wheels and tires for your new car.