Tire Size Chart: Find the Right Size

Reading a tire size chart can be confusing, whether you're actually intending to replace your tires soon, or just casually checking prices. The following information will help you read these charts correctly and identify the proper size for your vehicle. 

To find the correct tire size for your vehicle, first look closely on the sidewall of one of the front tires. On the tire sidewall (the part of the tire that you can actually wash), look for a sequence of letters and numbers in the pattern of the following tire size measurements: 185/60R-14, 225/50R-16 or 255/40ZR-18 for example. Don't worry if your tires don't match one of those 3 size examples; just jot down the exact size listed on the sidewall of your front tire. You should also check one of the rear-tire sidewalls, in case the two rear tires need to be a bit larger than the two front tires. Your owner's manual should help you confirm the size(s) that you have written down. 

Wheels and Rims: How to Prevent Tire Rub

Your vehicle's wheels and rims need to be matched so that their combined size does not extend past the wheel well clearances. Both tire rub and bent rims can be caused by not leaving enough clearance in the wheel wells. Without clearance, the wheels will be thrust into the wheel well whenever you hit road bumps.

When you select larger wheels and rims, you have to take into account the sidewall height and width of the tire used. In addition, the larger rim must still be able to handle the weight of the vehicle. Before running out and purchasing the wheels and rims of your dreams, you need to invest some time and gather clearance information about your vehicle. Without this information, you could experience both tire rub and bent rims. Tire rub will destroy your expensive tires, and driving on bent rims is unsafe. Not only that, but once you bend a rim, it is useless and must be replaced.

5 New Gas Engine Technologies

With all the hype about hybrid, electric and alternative fuel cars, it's easy to think that the age of the gasoline engine is over. When you've got cars that run on hydrogen or that plug into the wall, the internal combustion engine can seem downright passé.

But the fact remains that the vast majority of cars sold in the United States are powered by gasoline engines. The dominance of gas engines in the automotive market is going to persist for the foreseeable future. Car makers use gasoline engines for a lot of reasons. People are used to them, there's an infrastructure that supports them, and they fit nicely with how most Americans use their cars.