Deciding on the perfect tire for your car means choosing a tire that fits your specific model, lifestyle, and driving season. But what if you decide to change to status-quo and do the unusual, can you use SUV tires on a Car? Perhaps since most SUV tires are identical to and the same as car tires. If this sounds like a question you’re asking, then keep reading and you’ll also see the possible dangers of using the wrong tires on your car.

SUV tires have all of the features of a car tire and so you won’t have a problem using them on a car as long as they fit your existing rims and are of similar size. However, some SUV tires are substantially wider than regular car tires, this will prevent them from fitting properly in the wheel cavity.

Can You Use SUV Tires on A Car

When you use tires that aren’t made for your car, you risk damaging it and compromising its safety and performance.

SUV tires are typically larger, have a deeper tread pattern, and are built more ruggedly. Because a vehicle’s size and weight influence the type of tires it requires, this fundamental distinction can be a deciding factor in whether or not you can use SUV tires on a car. If you’re planning to put SUV tires on your car, you should always think about the sort of tire you want, as well as the type of car.

Are SUV and Car Tires the Same?

There are basically two key differences between SUVs and regular passenger cars; design and intent. As you probably already know, the first SUV was built on a body-on-frame design similar to trucks. However, modern Crossover SUVs are built the same way as passenger cars, with the exception of their heavier weight and the front or all-wheel drive they come with.

In terms of intent, passenger vehicles are designed to transport passengers over paved roads, whereas SUVs are designed to transport passengers or cargo over a variety of terrains. These distinctions are matched in their separate tire types as well as other aspects of vehicle design.

Basic Tire Differences

If you’re wondering whether to use SUV tires on a Car, you should knowing that SUV tires are often bigger and heavier than passenger car tires, they have a knobbier tread pattern that makes them more suitable for occasional off-roading than passenger car tires. Car tires are typically designed to give a smooth ride on paved roads, with the tread pattern designed to drain water away from the tire-to-road contact patches at high speeds.

1. Rubber Compounds

To withstand increased frictional wear on a vehicle with more weight, a tougher rubber compound is required. A 2000-pound race car, for example, utilizes extremely sticky rubber to grip the road for cornering, a tractor trailer employs concrete-hard rubber for long life, and the world’s heaviest vehicles (trains) have metal wheels.

Harder rubber compositions have a trade-off: because rubber requires a certain degree of elasticity to grip the road, a harder compound provides less cornering grip and braking than a softer one.

2. Sidewall Construction

If all other factors were equal, an SUV’s sidewalls (the vertical component of the tire that joins the tread to the rim) would bend far more while cornering. Tire engineers utilize thicker rubber in the tire sidewalls to mitigate the effects of sidewall flex under the SUV’s heavier weight.

Though thicker sidewalls would result in a harsher ride in and of themselves, the increased height of an SUV tire allows it to flex more under load, eliminating this effect.

3. Tread Patterns

Passenger car tires, unlike SUV tires, usually have lateral grooves that are often more swept-back. This lets more rubber make contact with the road at any given time, improving dry-road grip.

SUV tires on the other hand have more squared-off tread blocks to improve the pound-per-square-inch force where the tire makes contact with the ground. This enables SUV tires to dig into tough terrain for grip, rather than skating over it like a car tire.

4. Speed Rating

The speed rating of SUV tires is often lower than that of passenger car tires. This, according to BF Goodrich, is due to the tire’s knobby tread, which is less capable of dissipating the continuous heat of high speed than the larger tread blocks of a car tire.

Does it matter what tires you put on your car?

In a nutshell, tire size matters. However, with wheel size, it is debatable. It is worth mentioning that the terms “wheels” and “tires” are not interchangeable. Tires are a component of the wheel rim.

For example, your vehicle’s rims have a specific size, but you can purchase different tire sizes to match those rims provided the middle of the tires is the correct size. A vehicle with larger rims, on the other hand, will typically be able to fit larger tires than other vehicles.

Many drivers consider the sizes of their wheels and tires primarily for aesthetic reasons. However, the size of the wheels and the tires you place on them are important. Using the wrong tires can be costly and even dangerous.

Does tire size affect ride quality and does tire size affect vehicle height?

What Effect Does a Taller Tire Have

Taller tires lift a car off the ground, preventing bottoming out on sloping streets. The driver of a car with taller tiles sits in an elevated position with a better view of surrounding traffic, hazardous obstructions, and road conditions.

Larger tires also add weight to the wheel assembly, which can reduce fuel economy and put undue strain on the powertrain and brakes. Up-sized tires may rub against the wheel well, brake calipers, or vehicle frame if they are not planned or installed appropriately, thereby wearing out any parts they rub on.

Upsizing includes placing tires with a greater diameter on wheels that are the same size or larger than the manufacturer’s suggested tire size. Upsizing has an effect on the speedometer, which necessitates reprogramming the vehicle’s computer.

When it comes to tire selection and sizing, we always recommend that you stick to your vehicle’s manufacturer’s recommendations.

Final Words

Tires of various sizes offer a variety of benefits and drawbacks, ranging from speed and fuel efficiency to ride quality and transmission shifting. Many aspects of a vehicle’s performance and operation are affected by the size of its tires; these changes are minor but significant.

Installing a bigger tire on your vehicle whether sedan, SUV, Minivan, or truck, you raise its clearance which increases body roll and load transfer hence could affect the balance and speed of your vehicle.

As to the question can you use SUV tires on a car? It’s ideal to stick to your vehicle’s manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to tire selection and sizing since the right-sized tires help maintain optimal stability and performance. If you opt to alter your tires from their original size, be sure they meet or exceed your vehicle’s load-carrying capability when properly inflated, and consider whether the larger tires may interfere with any Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

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About the Author

Larry Cruise

Editor

I know a lot about cars, man. I can look at any car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming.

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