The correct dimensions for passenger cars and SUVs

Tyre dimension is important for the handling of a vehicle. Making any changes will impact how the vehicle will handle in corners and can also impact the reading of key instruments such as odometer and speedometer. This is something you definitely want to avoid. When you purchase new tyres, make sure that you know what dimension of tyres that your vehicle require. You can find the information on the sidewall of your current tyres or then in the owners’ manual of the vehicle. You can also find the information on the internet. If you for some reason still want to change the dimension of the tyres, maybe to a sportier profile then you need to increase the rim size. Talk to experts at a tyre service station before you go down this route, to see if you can find a safe way of doing it.

Your SUV will require to have wider tyres and they will also often be of bigger dimension to handle the higher weight. You also need to ensure that the tyres have sufficient stability to cope with the larger and taller vehicle. The wider tyres also allow for better distribution of the weight over a larger area. Passenger cars tend to have width of 205 mm to 225 mm and a rim size of 16-17, while SUVs will have width of 215 to 275 mm and rim size up to 20 inches.

You have the full range of tyres both summer tyres and winter tyres in the full range of dimensions. You should always be able to find the correct dimension for your vehicle. If your tyre shop doesn’t have them, then check the Internet or then contact your car dealership. When searching the internet, you are better off searching for the tyre option that you are looking for, e.g., 205/55R16 winter tyres or 265/70R17 winter tyres, where you can then select from the tyres that match your dimension.

Most often when you purchase new tyres you will anyway put them on your old rims, so they will need to perfectly fit your rims to be usable. The best place to purchase tyres is often your tyre service station, which often have a wide range of tyres and can quickly do the change for you as well as recycle the old tyres. You should always try to purchase a full set of 4 tyres when you buy new tyres. The reason is that the vehicle performs best when you have the same grip on all 4 positions. If you have different grip, that might lead to the vehicle to behave strangely in corners. Your vehicle might over or understeer when you take corners, which might cause problems for you as you drive. To make sure that all the tyres are worn out evenly between the rear and the front tyres, you will need to rotate the position of the tyres. This should be done when you notice a difference of 2-3 mm.

For more information regarding the different tyre options for different tyre dimensions, visit: https://www.nokiantyres.com/

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