We often see people speccing their SUVs with massive aftermarket wheels. We’ve seen multiple Mahindra Thars with 22-inch wheels and Jeep Wranglers getting gargantuan rubber. Some like the boost in road presence that these give the vehicle, but many hate it. What we have a common agreement on is, however, the inconvenience these wheels bring to the table. The compromises these demand in performance and dynamics are not likeable at all. If you’re unaware of these, let us take you through the various inconveniences caused by oversized wheels and tyres.
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Acceleration And Performance Will Fall!
Speccing your SUV with oversized wheels will have downturns on the vehicle’s acceleration and effective power available. Wider (read larger) tyres mean more rubber in contact with the roads.
This means more friction and rolling resistance. The effective acceleration is thus much less than that with stock tyres. This will also affect the vehicle’s top speed. These tyres are often heavy as well. The vehicle will suddenly feel under-engined/ underpowered.
The dulled-down performance applies to both on-road and off-road commutes. Road performance will be affected. It will be slower to accelerate and in off-roading, it will be tough to take inclines.
Manoeuvring it on trails could also be cumbersome. Huge wheels will also require significantly more effort to turn. Braking performance will also be affected due to the additional weight.
Effect On Power And Torque: More Torque?
Tyre size plays an important role in defining the horsepower and torque of the vehicle. Before we dive deep in, horsepower is the measure of how much the car can do in a given amount of time. In practical terms, it defines how fast it can go.
Torque, however, is a measure of how much force the car can generate. The more it is, the better will be the acceleration. Now, you might feel this contradicts our previous claim of acceleration dropping. So let us give you more clarity…
Does a huge tyre give you more torque? Yes and No! A bigger tyre means more contact patch with the ground. This, in turn, means more opportunity for the car to apply more force to the ground- meaning better acceleration – in theory. However, if or not this makes it to the real world depends on how heavy the upsized tyres are.
The heavier they get, the more the horsepower decreases. There is a sweet trade-off between top speed (horsepower) and acceleration (torque) which is often messed vaporised by huge aftermarket wheels. The balance exists only for sensible tyre swaps.
Ride And Handling
The effective turning power at the wheel could be 20-30 per cent lower. Imagine driving one of these in tight city traffic or through narrow, winding roads- you wouldn’t need an arm workout then!
Upsized wheels could improve vehicle stability in some cases, but only marginally. In the majority of cases, ride quality and cabin comfort also suffer when the tyres are large. This is because the suspension setup will not be able to function properly with larger tyres in place.
Fuel Efficiency And Possible Wear
Another downside is the impact on fuel efficiency. With the additional weight they carry and the added friction caused, large tyres could make the vehicle consume more fuel and reduce effective fuel efficiency. They are more prone to wear and faster to do so, than regular-sized tyres.
Bottom Line…
So the next time you feel like upgrading to a bigger set of tyres, understand that oversizing it would only make the car a showpiece, and will take most good things of it away! You are most likely putting your money on a bunch of compromises and practical concerns…
