ALT-3 Tips for Buying Low Profile Tires
From 3arf
Low profile tires look cool. But there are some major things to consider.Every design of tire is a give and take situation, and here's why.
- 1) Understanding tire sizeTire sizes are listed as, e.g. 295/50/15They are found on the sidewall of most tires. The 295 is the width of one tire as if you were looking at it straight on (from the front or rear of the vehicle). The 50 is the tire profile. Imagine your looking at the tire face on now.(the side view of your vehicle) The very top edge of the metal rim to the top of the tire is the tires profile. The 15 is the size of the metal rim the tire is meant for. A lower profile tire of the same width for the same rim would look like this 295/40/15
- 2) What type of traffic you are driving in?This question is the most important one. If you're in bumper to bumper traffic a lot, don't go for the high mile tires. They are harder and it's true they do last longer, but that also means if you slam on the brakes you are going to slide much further. So many times you'll see a lowered car on low profile tires up on the curb. Why? Because when those hard tires loose traction there's no warning. They slide once they hit their traction limit. So much so that you'll think you hit an oil patch. Recovery is an extremely hard thing to accomplish on hard tires. If you're traveling at higher speeds go for a softer tire that will heat up and stick to the pavement. A soft tire will begin to squeal as it gets close to its traction limit. Generally the softer the tire the louder the squeal. Softer tires almost always ride smoother with better traction. Their downside is that they wear much faster. You'll need to find your own balance between hard tires for those burn outs and soft tires for traction. It's all determined by your driving style
- 3) Tread pattern.Tread pattern has a huge amount to do with how well your car will handle with different road conditions. A racing slick will give the absolute best traction. BUT that's only on a clean dry road surface. Thus the grooves in the tire tread patterns.The tread pattern is responsible for how water, dirt and mud is removed or forced off the tire. If you're only on a road that gets wet you'll want a flat(round is better but not as nice to look at) tread pattern going from the middle to the outside with wide grooves. If there is dirt you'll want to break up the lines making the tire more "knobby" if you have to deal with snow and ice you'll want lots of "slots" or "sipes" very close together to help the tire flex to the surface for maximum traction. It's the surfaces you travel on that determines your tread pattern.
- 4) Height of your sidewall.The smaller the sidewall the less sway you'll feel in the corners.It will be much more firm and responsive in the corners, leaving your body stuck to the door panels if you turn hard enough. Great when you're racing or showing off, but annoying when it happens during a simple lane change. Shorter side walls also allow less tire compression over bumps and may allow the rim to hit, causing damage.
- 5) Softness of the side wall.As you lower the profile you intend to go, the softer the sidewall you'll want. Your car's suspension takes tire flex into account. If you have a tire with a firm sidewall you're going to feel every little crack, rock and uneven surface on the road. What good are low profile tires, if you don't want to drive the car? Your glasses will rattle off your face and you'll clench your jaw to stop your teeth from chattering. It can be quite a show though if your passenger has a large chest. Once your sidewall height is 2.5" or less to the rim, you're stuck with a hard side wall to avoid rim damage. From that point suspension changes are your next option.
- 6) Rim reliefs.So many low profile tires do not allow a rim relief. This is where the rim actually sticks out farther than the sidewall of the tire. What will happen because your rim sticks out further? It's the first thing that hits everything! Pulling up to a curb? It's not the tires that will rub! It's your new expensive rims. I know what your saying "I'll just make sure I stay away from the curb when I park" that's all good, but there are many times those rims are going to hit. Times you'd least expect. Picture this You're traveling down the road only a few blocks from home about to get some gas. As you enter the station over the dropped curb you hear a bang. I know "F%&K" was the first thing out of my mouth. As it turns out those dropped curbs almost never go flat to the ground. If you pull into a gas station at an angle you just wasted your money. You have to hit those dropped curbs straight on or you're going to bash your rim.No rim relief = no sale!
- 7) Speed rating.Everyone loves to get the highest speed rating they possibly can for bragging rights. But are you really going to drive 180 mph on low profile tires?If you will, let me know so I can bring a video camera and add video to this editorial on why not to hit extreme speeds on low profile tires. It looks cool on TV but those are closed smooth roads. A tires speed rating only says how fast it can go on a perfect course.No bumps. No turns. A single bump at high speed with low profile tires can be disastrous. The sidewall will compress right to the rim. If the bump is big enough the rim will then bend and release all the air. Leaving you with a flat tire at high speed.
There's a lot to consider, everyone tries more than a few types and brands until they find what they are looking for. Rarely is it found on the first attempt Hopefully this editorial has helped you to understand the "what's" and "why's" of buying low profile tires..
