Wheel and Tyre Fitment: Tire Size Availability
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Tire Size Availability
03.30
| 00:00 | To some degree the size of the wheel dictates what size tyre can be used. |
| 00:04 | By this I mean we can't just squeeze a 325 wide tyre onto a 7 inch wide rim, or stretch a 205 onto a 12 inch wide wheel. |
| 00:14 | Hopefully it's clear that the car and suspension setup will also play a big part of this, and all of this needs to be considered together when taking into account the tyre size availability. |
| 00:26 | We need to do this because not every tyre will be available in every size, and even if they are, the prices can also be significantly different. |
| 00:36 | When tyres are made in factory, each size requires different tooling to make, and this is expensive. |
| 00:42 | The less variation when it comes to the manufacturing, the better for the supplier. |
| 00:47 | Many things factor into the price of tyres, some of which are the compound construction and size. |
| 00:53 | In general, more performance focused tyres and larger tyres will usually be more expensive. |
| 00:58 | But all things equal, a tyre that's produced in much greater quantities will tend to be cheaper, as the manufacturing price per tyre is usually reduced, so the supplier can offer it cheaper to be competitive in the market, while maintaining the same margin. |
| 01:15 | Of course, this is a generalisation and every market and every supplier is different. |
| 01:20 | So, why are some tyre sizes produced in much larger quantities than others? It really comes down to what's used on OEM vehicles, as one of the biggest deals for the tyre manufacturer will be from having their tyre being fitted as standard equipment from the factory on a mass production vehicle. |
| 01:38 | There's an entire conversation that could be had on this topic around tyre compounds and constructions for specific models of vehicles, but that's not our focus. |
| 01:48 | This isn't to say that aftermarket tyres aren't a significant part of the business for suppliers. |
| 01:54 | Tyres are wear items so of course they'll need replacing. |
| 01:57 | But the majority of customers aren't modifying their vehicles, so standard tyre sizes still dominate the aftermarket. |
| 02:04 | It's not unusual to be looking at the same model tyre, simply in a different size that could even be smaller, but almost 50% more expensive, simply because it's a less common size. |
| 02:17 | Hopefully the reason all of this is important to us is becoming more obvious. |
| 02:21 | Essentially, we don't want to blindly buy a size wheel that we want, without considering what tyres are available in that size and the price of these tyres. |
| 02:30 | As we mentioned earlier in the course, there has been a trend over the last few decades that has seen an increase in wheel diameter in both OEM and the aftermarket. |
| 02:40 | This means if you have a somewhat older or smaller vehicle running something like a 15 inch wheel, your choice in tyres is a lot more limited than the modern crop of wheels which are usually closer to around 18 inches and even more. |
| 02:54 | I'm personally a big supporter of not having oversized wheels on cars, just from an aesthetic standpoint. |
| 03:00 | But if there's one factor, other than brake clearance, to make me consider stepping up a size, it's tyre availability. |
| 03:07 | Before I get carried away with my own tastes and preferences, let's wrap up. |
| 03:11 | The key point here is that we need to consider the availability and pricing of tyres we wish to run on our wheels. |
| 03:19 | In some cases, this could prompt the change to a different wheel size altogether, and this is best done before making the purchase. |
