Your car’s wheels and tires are possibly the most important part in diversifying your ride from the next. Identical cars can have an entirely different impression with different wheel styles and finishes. Just like the shoes we wear, your wheels and tires can serve a variety of purposes and one set might be better for a certain situation than another. Unless you have a tire mounting and balancing system in your garage, it is easier to keep your sets ready to go and swap them out in a matter of minutes.

For the sake of being more specific we are going to ignore a set of winter wheels and tires as that is self explanatory. None of the following wheels would you want to expose to the winter elements if avoidable, and winter tires are as straightforward as it gets.

Wheels:

Some people are fine running one set of wheels, you might find a set you love and just want to stick with it. The obvious goal for performance is a strong and lighter wheel than stock, where aesthetics is just about finding a set that compliments your car’s body lines and style. In either of these cases, your wheels will be subjected to wear and tear, while it is not noticeable immediately, after a few thousand miles you will find small nicks and scratches. Build up of road debris and brake dust can eventually leave iron deposits on your wheels that will damage the finish over time. With a set of track purpose wheels, the condition of the finish might not be of importance to you, however, if you can use a spare set of wheels when off the track you are only saving the integrity of your track set to last longer and perform better.

Having another set of wheels allows you to save your beloved set, dear we say your dress shoes, for when the time calls for it. You wouldn’t be wearing your dress shoes to take your kids to a football game, or run to the grocery store, so why is your car wearing theirs 24/7? On top of that, it is far easier to prep your track tires or clean your show wheels with them removed.

Tires:

We are not talking about tire compounds, there are plenty of manufacturers brands that offer affordable and high performance tires for all season or track usage. With a lowered car, choosing the right tire specs means better wheel gap fitting and turning clearance. To achieve this fit with a wider set of wheels means you will be subjecting your tires to a sidewall stretch. This means that the contact patch on your tires will not be as wide as the wheels themselves, the sidewalls will come in, allowing a wider wheel to fit in your fenders. This makes achieving a “flush” look more obtainable; allowing the wheel’s lip to be flush with the body of your car while still having clearance for the tires to reside in the wheel well. Choosing the right tire specs means saving your car's fenders from rubbing as well as getting the look you want for your ride.

While the stretched tires are a desirable look, they are not your preferred fit for long term or long distance driving. To achieve the stretch you will most likely be running a much higher tire pressure to help support the angled sidewall. While the tread can still wear normally, putting high mileage on a stretched setup adds unexpected wear to the sidewall and can lead to a shorter life cycle. You can absolutely go on a weekend trip, but to save your wallet, it is wise to have another set of tires that can stand up to the wear and tear better; save your stretched setup for the weekend shows.

The same goes for your track tire setup, while these tires are some of the best on the market for performance, do you really want to waste their lifespan running errands throughout the week? Performance tires are traditionally very soft, and designed to run on a hot, smooth track. They will not perform well in wet conditions and when heated up will wear down incredibly quickly due to their soft compound. If you had another set of wheels, you could save that expensive rubber for when you want to use it and get the most out of them.

Depending on your car’s setup, excessive camber can drastically affect tire tread life. Find a good set of cheap tires on some wheels that have plenty of fender clearance, and utilize that set for your day to day, you will save yourself in the long run and find yourself having a soft spot for seeing your ride wearing its dress shoes.

Check out our wheel options here, and give us a call to discuss any other style you are looking for. Only a limited selection of our options are available on the site, and we have plenty more to offer so give our sales team a call, and if you are in the area we can get your whole second setup ready to go, mounted, balanced, and ready for any special occasion.