Blogs at Fitment Industries

Good morning, afternoon, evening, whatever it is for you. Today, we'll be answering the question: "Is it worth it to cheap out on tires?" We know a thing or two about that here at Fitment Industries, not only because we sell them right here on our site, but also because we're all car enthusiasts and all know what tires are the best for your build, and which ones leave a lot to be desired. Either way, to a lot of people, tires are really boring. Honestly, they're just like these round rubber chunks that you have to put on your cool wheels and just drive around. We used to hate buying tires, mostly because we didn't know much about them, but it's a different story now after having burned through a few sets on the track. We know what it's like to not have good tires and what it's like to have bad tires that delaminate on you, which really sucks. But what makes a tire cheap or expensive? Let's jump into it! Table Of Contents: -How Are Car Tires Manufactured? (Compound and Tread Pattern) -Should You Buy Cheaper Tires For Your Car Build? -Shop Top Car Tires How Are Car Tires Manufactured? You may not think it, but there's a lot that goes into making a good set of tires, and it's honestly a pretty interesting subject once you start digging. You can go on Google and search some stuff, read some forums, and find out that there's a ton of science that goes into making and designing tires that look good and are fun to drive, with a lot of Coke-esque trade secrets, of course. There are two main things that really matter to the everyday person when it comes to tires: tire compound and tread pattern. We won't get super nerdy here, but do want to talk about it a little bit. What Does Tire Compound Mean? Tire compound is really what the composition of your tires is. That's the secret sauce that goes into making the tire - there are a lot of secrets on what makes them a certain compound. These different components react differently to the road surface and your driver inputs, while you're in the car, filling the gas tank, cleaning it up and making it look sharp, all that good stuff. Some tires are super soft and grip like hell on the road while others are hard as a rock, making you slide all over the place when you put your right foot down. Treadwear rating also comes into play here. With a lower rating, the tire will be stickier, and that means that you'll most likely get less life out of it since it wears faster. These tires are considered soft - harder tires will wear more slowly, but they won't be as grippy when you're really tossing your car around. A good rule of thumb, though, is that gripper lower treadwear tires are usually more expensive. Just to be honest, they're more expensive because the compounds are soft, allowing you to get the most mechanical grip. This is great when you want to get the most out of your car performance-wise, but gets a bit pricey if you're just commuting to and from the office. It's vice-versa for the harder compounds with a higher treadwear - there's balance in the middle, but the tires that do that balance well are usually on the higher end of the price range. Read More: Is It Worth It To Buy Cheap Coilovers? What Is A Tread Pattern? Let's talk about tread patterns now - not all tread patterns are created equal and not all of them do the same thing. Something like a drag radial tire, for example, has almost no tread on it - it's just enough tread to let you drive on the road without breaking the law. Just like tire compounds, different tread patterns will be better for different uses. A winter tire, for example, will have a tread pattern specifically designed to help toss snow, ice, salt, and all that stuff away from the tire and give you the most grip possible on a snowy surface. An all-season tread pattern will be pretty good at driving in a variety of conditions you'll see throughout the seasons. Then you've got high performance summer tires, which have a tread pattern to help you drive in the rain and channel water away from the contact patch of the tire. They're super grippy and you get the most performance out of your car that you can. Should You Buy Cheaper Tires For Your Car Build? With all this being said, is it worth it to cheap out on your tires? In our experience, no. We 100% get that sometimes you're buying a new set of wheels and you don't have much of a budget left for the tires - we've been there, we've done that, and we're probably gonna do that again. But go ahead and buy the cheap tires so that you can start rolling on your new wheels. Remember to save up, though, and buy some better tires when you can. That way, you'll enjoy the car and the ride much more. And if you can, save up right away and buy some better tires to pair with your wheels when you get your package. You'll enjoy the car more with a proper tire - also, for the true enthusiasts, a good set of tires can be equally as impressive as a set of baller wheels, because you know what those tires are made to do. Read More: Are Rep Wheels Worth It? Shop Top Car Tires At Fitment Industries Whenever we've spent more on tires, especially on the track or driving hard, the benefits far outweigh the cost. Yes, it might not be the most exciting thing to spend a bunch of money on tires, but it does make a huge difference. If you're not driving hard and just want a cool looking daily driver, a proper set of tires will help with road noise, ride quality, and even your gas mileage. For the fancy boys out there, you also know what it's like to wear through tires with a lot of camber, and proper tires for that application will give you a longer tread life and save you money in the long run. All this is to say to buy good tires, and we have some of the best right here in our inventory, in stock and ready to ship right to your door. Check out our store today and let us know if you have any questions!

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