The Accessory Dream Guide Issue 2

WHEELS AND TIRES 101

#1 – TIRE SIZE - Decide if you want to keep the same size tire or add larger overall diameter tires. If you would like to go bigger, you may need to add a level-lift or lift kit. - There are many free Tire Size Calculators online. One of my favorites is https://tire- size.com/calculator because it allows you to compare tire sizes:

days of steel “Chrome Cragar” and alloy “five-star” wheels. Black, Grey, Chrome, Machined, and Pol- ished are some of the popular finishes on today’s trucks. Combine this with a Gloss, Satin or Matte effect, which really helps to personalize the look you want. #5 – WHEEL & TIRE FITMENT (do they stick in, stick out, or sit flush?) Getting that wheel & tire package to look just right on your ride has a lot to do with how far in or out they sit on your vehicle. Let’s have a quick look at what determines this: - Wheel “Offset” and “Backspace” are two measurement terms used in the wheel and tire industry to determine how far your wheels stick in or stick out - Offset is the more common term used in recent years and it is always referred to in millimeters - The lower or more negative the number, the more it will stick out. For example a wheel with a negative offset (example “-15”) will stick out more than a wheel with a “0” or pos- itive offset (example “+20”) - Backspace is still used somewhat in the off-road community and is always referred to in inches

24 THE ACCESSORY DREAM GUIDE Now let’s get back to the steps for select- ing the right tire and wheel package: Wheel and tire upgrades are often the first modification made to Trucks, Jeeps and SUVs. Not only do they make the most noticeable change to the look of your vehicle, but they can also enhance performance, on or off-road. However, selecting the wheel and tire package that looks “just right” takes a little bit of planning and consideration. Before we get to the steps of selecting the right wheel and tire package for your vehi- cle, let’s quickly review how they are sized. The wheel and tire industry typically combines both Metric (millimetres) and Imperial (inches) units of measurement when labeling sizes. This can be confusing, so let’s look at some examples: 2017 Ford F-150 Typical stock tire size: 265/70/17 “265” = width of tire in mm “70” = profile of how thick the sidewall is (70% of the width) “17” = diameter of the wheel in inches Common upgrade tire “Plus Size”: 305/55/20 (requires a 2-3 inch level-lift to fit on an F-150) “305” = width of tire in mm “55” = profile of how thick the sidewall is (55% of the width) “20” = diameter of the wheel in inches Just to make things a little more confusing, the off-road community sometimes refers to a tire size only in inches. For example, a 33”x12.50”x20 tire is identical in size to a 305/55/20. Other popular off-road tire sizes are 35x12.50x20, 37x13.50x20 and so on. The 12.50 and 13.50 in these tire sizes refer to the width in inches.

#2 - TYPE OF TIRE There are 3 main categories of tires for Trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs

All-Season (Street/High- way friendly, least aggres- sive looking) All-Terrain or “AT” (aggres- sive looking but still street/ highway friendly, some- times available in Snow- flake rate All-Weather) Mud-Terrain or “MT” (very aggressive looking, a little noisier on the street/high- way than All-Season or AT) - Do you like the look of tires with thick sidewalls or a lower profile “thin- ner” sidewall? - Do you like the look of big diameter wheels? - Do you want both?

- The lower the number, the more it will stick out. For example a wheel with a 5” offset will stick out more than a wheel with a 6” offset

#3 – WHEEL SIZE

The experts at North Shore Off-Road can walk you through the process of selecting the wheel & tire package that’s just right

for your Dream Ride! Written by our expert Steve Hagopian

#4 - WHEEL FINISH, COLOR & STYLING Wheels have come a long way since the