Can Aftermarket Tires and Rims Affect Performance?
If you are looking into aftermarket wheels, you might want to take a closer look. Even though they look nice and can set your vehicle apart from the crowd, they come with some potential drawbacks. Adding aftermarket tires and rims to your vehicle can decrease fuel economy, hinder acceleration, affect ride quality, and alter steering geometry. There are, however, ways to do aftermarket tires right. Learn more about how aftermarket wheels can affect vehicle performance from one of our experienced technicians in the video below!
Fuel Economy
When altering the wheels on a vehicle, there are several points to consider. Increasing the size of the rims increases the size of the tire. As the size of the wheels increase, so does the amount of stress put on your transmission and engine. This happens because the wheels are heavier and larger making it harder for the axles to turn over. This can lead to poor fuel economy, reduced acceleration, and transmission failure.
Ride Quality
A point to consider when deciding to add large aftermarket rims is ride quality. Adding a larger rim thins out the tire. When you have thin tires, it is easier to feel every bump on the road. Thin tires may cause a loud, bumpy, and uncomfortable ride experience. Keep in mind that the addition of nice rims can come at the cost of decreased ride quality.
Steering Geometry & Tire Wear
Changing the wheels of your vehicle sometimes comes with changing the offset. If you don’t know what offset is, think of it as how far the tires stick out from the vehicle. When you change the offset of your wheels, it is very difficult to do an alignment because the steering geometry is no longer the same as when the vehicle was manufactured. Altered steering geometry can cause tow out on turn. When this happens, your tires can wear more heavily on the insides which can lead to a blowout.
Voided Warranty
Perhaps one of the greatest drawbacks of aftermarket wheels is the possibility to void your warranty. Manufacturing companies like GM, Ford, and Chrysler are beginning void warranties on vehicles that have aftermarket wheels. What this means is if you get into an accident or have issues with your vehicle, you might not be able to use your warranty if you have added aftermarket wheels to your vehicle. This can result in very costly repairs.
Enhancing Your Vehicle, the Right Way
Your vehicle is engineered and designed by professionals. During the engineering process, the wheels implemented in the vehicle design ensure a quality ride, specific fuel economy, sufficient acceleration, and longevity. When you alter the fundamental setup of your vehicle, it is possible to see some drawbacks.
Though there are several disadvantages to changing the wheels on your vehicle, it can be done right. To avoid these potential drawbacks, Kempton Chevrolet’s certified technicians advise you to not change the offset of your vehicle and keep the same size of rims and tires. Kempton Chevrolet’s experienced technicians can help you do aftermarket wheels right. Reach out to our certified service department today!
Fuel Economy
When altering the wheels on a vehicle, there are several points to consider. Increasing the size of the rims increases the size of the tire. As the size of the wheels increase, so does the amount of stress put on your transmission and engine. This happens because the wheels are heavier and larger making it harder for the axles to turn over. This can lead to poor fuel economy, reduced acceleration, and transmission failure.
Ride Quality
A point to consider when deciding to add large aftermarket rims is ride quality. Adding a larger rim thins out the tire. When you have thin tires, it is easier to feel every bump on the road. Thin tires may cause a loud, bumpy, and uncomfortable ride experience. Keep in mind that the addition of nice rims can come at the cost of decreased ride quality.
Steering Geometry & Tire Wear
Changing the wheels of your vehicle sometimes comes with changing the offset. If you don’t know what offset is, think of it as how far the tires stick out from the vehicle. When you change the offset of your wheels, it is very difficult to do an alignment because the steering geometry is no longer the same as when the vehicle was manufactured. Altered steering geometry can cause tow out on turn. When this happens, your tires can wear more heavily on the insides which can lead to a blowout.
Voided Warranty
Perhaps one of the greatest drawbacks of aftermarket wheels is the possibility to void your warranty. Manufacturing companies like GM, Ford, and Chrysler are beginning void warranties on vehicles that have aftermarket wheels. What this means is if you get into an accident or have issues with your vehicle, you might not be able to use your warranty if you have added aftermarket wheels to your vehicle. This can result in very costly repairs.
Enhancing Your Vehicle, the Right Way
Your vehicle is engineered and designed by professionals. During the engineering process, the wheels implemented in the vehicle design ensure a quality ride, specific fuel economy, sufficient acceleration, and longevity. When you alter the fundamental setup of your vehicle, it is possible to see some drawbacks.
Though there are several disadvantages to changing the wheels on your vehicle, it can be done right. To avoid these potential drawbacks, Kempton Chevrolet’s certified technicians advise you to not change the offset of your vehicle and keep the same size of rims and tires. Kempton Chevrolet’s experienced technicians can help you do aftermarket wheels right. Reach out to our certified service department today!