Back to all

Selecting New Tires and Wheels

January 22, 2023



Some of us St. Johns drivers just love tires. All those little rubber hairs on new tires and the smell is wonderful. We live in a great time for tires. No matter how you drive around Florida, where you want to go or the look you're after; there is a tire for you.

The same is true about wheels. The hardest part is choosing from the thousands of wheels available at Florida tire shops.

The team at Tuffy St. Johns can help you get some things in mind before you make a purchase. Let's start with function and think about how you drive.

For example, maybe you have a large SUV but you don't drive off-road around Florida, so an off-road tread isn't important. Also, because you are not out bouncing over rocks in the Florida backcountry, you don't need a high profile tire to protect your rims. So that means you can probably go with the low-wide look.

If you have a winter season with rain and snow or if you find you need better ice and snow performance, they make great, high-performance snow tires that won't make it look like you are driving a tractor.

There really are a lot of options for any given vehicle. St. Johns drivers will find it very helpful to have a discussion like this with their St. Johns tire pro or the tire experts at Tuffy St. Johns when they need new tires. You can find the best solutions for your driving needs and to make improvements in ride or handling.

Picking a wheel that is the same size as what you are now running on is important and pretty simple. But, it gets trickier if you want to upsize. Just get some help when you go bigger. All that tire and wheel still needs to fit in the available space. You do not want your tires to rub when you turn or hit a bump. St. Johns drivers also need to make sure their brakes and suspension bits will fit with their wheel of choice. It doesn't matter how great your car looks if it's not drivable.

Taller, wider wheels and tires probably weigh more than your stock shoes. And it's "unsprung" weight that has a big impact on brake performance. The upsized shoes increase rotational inertia; if you go too big you may need to upgrade your brakes to compensate.

Another possible problem is an inaccurate speedometer. This happens because the number of rotations can change with the new wheels. Fortunately, speedometers and odometers are all controlled by the engine computer; so they need to get reprogrammed at Tuffy St. Johns to compensate for the bigger tires.

No matter what you are after: low cost, long life, high performance, traction or stunning good looks, your wheel and tire professional at Tuffy St. Johns in St. Johns , Florida, can help identify your needs and give you a custom fit. With all the options available, you don't have to compromise. There is a tire out there with your name on it!

Tuffy St. Johns
2770 Racetrack Rd.
St. Johns , Florida 32259
904.230.3363

More articles from Tuffy St. Johns

No Fuel-ing! (Fuel Filter Replacement)

November 30, 2025

Your vehicle has a few filters you might be somewhat familiar with. Theres the oil filter that removes impurities from your engines oil, and a couple of different kinds of air filters that prevent contaminants from getting into the engine and the cabin. But you may not know that your vehicle als... More

Losing Your Cool (AC Condenser Replacement)

November 23, 2025

Its always more comfortable in your vehicle when you can control temperature and humidity in the cabin. Air conditioning, which is standard on most newer vehicles, is a vital part of that comfort, and a key component of that system is the condenser. The condenser converts the refrigerant gas into... More

Steer Clear (Power Steering Pump Replacement)

November 16, 2025

When it comes to ease and precision of steering, todays vehicles are engineering marvels. One of the keys to just how good steering is lies in the refinement of power-assisted steering which we know simply as power steering. At the heart of the system is an electrically or belt-driven power ste... More