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How To Plus-Size Your Car. February 23, 2004 As the sport compact world gravitates to larger and larger wheel sizes — 18s, 19s and now the new 20-inch BFGoodrich® g-Force T/A®KDW tire, the world's first sport-compact dub — we asked The Tire Rack's John Rastetter what a tuner car owner needs to know about fitting plus-size tires and wheels. The Tire Rack, America's biggest independent tire distributor, is no stranger to the performance car world. Sponsors of The Tire Rack One Lap of America, it caters to performance enthusiasts of every taste. Rastetter, Tire Rack director of tire information services, says that with the introduction of the BFGoodrich 20-inch g-Force T/A®KDW, tuner car owners have a tire made just for them. "Big wheels and tires are a great way to personalize the vehicle so it doesn't look commonplace," Rastetter says. "The larger the wheel/tire diameter and the shorter the tire profile, the more aggressive the look. Now that you have the BFG 20-inch," Rastetter says, referring to the P225/30ZR20 g-Force T/A®KDW, "you have reached the outside of the envelope in appearance." Rastetter says the new BFG sport compact dub gives a strong image from the front, because of its width. "From the side, the 20-inch wheel size is the focal point. But with the KDW you have a tread design that complements the width. The tread design of the g-Force KDW has such a unique look that it is a clear indication of taking things to the extreme, which is what tuner car owners are looking for." But when sport compact enthusiasts combine much larger than stock wheels and tires with highly modified suspensions, they run the risk of major alignment problems. "Lowering the car drops the center of gravity and improves stability," Rastetter says, "and helps plant the tire if you enjoy cornering hard. But as you go to taller and taller wheels and shorter and shorter tires, wheel alignment becomes a major factor. What you need is a good shop that has the machinery to do a proper front and rear-end alignment, and has someone who is willing to work outside the box on your car." Why outside the box? "Because when you lower a car, you're changing the suspension geometry, which may affect camber, caster and toe angles. And if the angles are wrong," says Rastetter, "especially the toe angle — you can 'erase' your tires by forcing them to scrub sideways as you drive forward." "Fortunately," says Rastetter, "places that offer four-wheel alignment are relatively easy to find and the alignment itself isn't that expensive." "It shouldn't cost more than $50 to $75," says Rastetter. "That's a very good investment compared to erasing your tires." *NOTE: When changing your tires or wheels, you want to maintain the same overall tire/wheel diameter to ensure the same gearing and accurate speedometer readings. Large changes in diameter of the tire/wheel assemblies also can alter the effectiveness of certain anti-lock braking systems (ABS). Make sure the tire/wheel combination fits without any clearance problems. Check for clearance between the wheel, brake and suspension components as well as the tire and wheel well areas. Clearances also need to be checked during hard cornering and tight turning. Before you decide to plus-size tires, Read the disclaimer. Photos courtesy of The Tire Rack. ©2004 The Tire Rack 
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