Preferred Tires - Lowest Tire Prices In New England

Rims

Tires mount on wheels or rims, so you can't really talk about tires without talking about rims. The stock rims were either 16" diameter and 4 ½" or 5" wide. The width measurement is from inside of the lip to inside of the lip. It's pretty tough to measure the inside dimension when there is a tire on the rim, and the ½" doesn't make a big difference anyway.

Common aftermarket rims are available in 15x7 - 5 on 5 ½. These will work on most vechicles.

Tires

Bias-ply tires have a couple of drawbacks:

• First, they tend to develop flat spots when sitting. Any tire flattens on the bottom where the weight smashes it. When a warm bias-ply tire cools, it stiffens. When you start out in the morning, you have "square wheel symptom". After a mile or two, depending on temperature, the flat spot goes away.
• Second, bias-ply tires tend to deflect off bumps in the road. As you are driving, you notice the vehicle following ridges or cracks in the pavement. Steering takes constant corrections and the wheels wander down the road.

Radial tires have a few important advantages over bias-ply tires. They flatten more, but flex easier, making for lower rolling resistance. The flat spot doesn't stay when the tire is cold. No "square tire" on start up. They handle better, not being affected by unevenness of the road surface. They ride smoother. All in all, they are superior. The whole automotive industry figured this out years ago and all new autos have come with radial tires now for 20 or 30 years.

Popular radial tires tend to be wider than the old bias-ply tires. A typical 15" inch tire is made to fit on a 7" rim and has a tread width of 9". Over the years, people have learned that wider tires are better for traction on pavement. Off-road enthusiast have also favored wider tires for most uses.

Preferred Automotive, Inc. 511 Main Street, South Weymouth, MA 02190