You’re ruining your car by making little-known mistake with your wheels – it could be costing you hundreds
A CARS expert has revealed a little-known mistake that can ruin your car with your wheels – and it could be costing you hundreds.
Scotty Kilmer took to social media to warn drivers against a common practice that can damage your vehicle.
Many motor enthusiasts who want to give their new car a fresh makeover decide to splash on bigger wheels.
Although they can improve your car’s appearance, they could also have a negative impact.
Scotty, who has fixed thousands of cars, said bigger tires can lead you to costly repairs.
He warned: “I’m going to tell you why it’s not a good idea to put bigger wheels on your car.
“Believe it or not engineers have designed your car to drive with a certain size wheel for the best handling, the best ride and the correct speedometer speed.”
Scotty also noted that larger wheels can make your car ride harsher and damage your car’s suspension system.
The cars guru added: “If you put on bigger wheels, they can often hit the fenders, destroy the tire if you hit a big bump.
“If you want smooth a ride it may become very bumpy and it might not take corners correctly because the geometry of the suspension has been changed.”
Larger wheels are heaver than regular ones and can increase your vehicle’s rolling resistance.
This can cause your car’s fuel efficiency to plummet – which means you could spend more gas in the long run.
For money-saving drivers it is best to stick with the standard wheels that come with your vehicle.
The motoring whizz explained: “If those bigger tires weight more you’re going to get worse gas mods so really keep the ones on stock as they were designed that way.”
Despite the warning, if you still choose to go for bigger wheels you’ll need a few hundred quid to fit them into your car.
Larger ones also require larger tires and extra modifications to your car’s suspension system to accommodate them.
The change can even leave you hundreds out of pocket if you opt for premium materials and finishes.
It comes as another expert warned drivers they are damaging their cars through common parking errors and its leading to costly repairs and even write-offs.
Motorists are making mistakes that should be easily avoidable and then not acting quickly enough to fix the ding.
Meanwhile, drivers in one UK city have been warned that “heavier” cars are set to face paying more in parking.
SUV drivers in Oxford will face hikes under a new plan being brought by the city council.
Common mistakes that can damage your car
DRIVERS are being warned of common mistakes that could be damaging your vehicle.
Experts at LeaseCar.uk have said mistakes like driving with too low fuel or not avoiding potholes could be causing costly damage.
- Resting your hand on the gear stick: When a driver places their hand on the gear stick with force the risk forcing the selector fork against the rotating collar causing wear or even a snap to the gear box.
- Going into reverse too quickly from drive: Experts have said rushing into reverse before the car has completely stop is likely to severely damage the gear box.
- Driving in the wrong gear: Driving in too low a gear or even in too high a gear can cause strain on a vehicle’s engine and puts pressure on the car therefore a suitable gear for the speed is encouraged.
- Keeping their cars in gear while stopped at traffic lights: Experts have warned this actually puts pressure on the car’s clutch and say motorists should but their car in neutral and use the brake if on a hill when the car is stopped.