Car Tires and Wheels

Do you own a new Camaro or Challenger with 18" wheels? We've just received our first batch of 245/55R18 BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec tires with the famous red stripe! This size is standard on LS and most LT Chevrolet Camaros and will also work on the Dodge Challenger equipped with factory 18" wheels. The 1/4" wide stripe recalls the muscle car days of the late sixties when similar tires were a factory option. The tire is being used by Hurst on their limited Redline Edition Camaro. 

With a 102T service description, the Radial T/A Spec is designed to provide a comfortable and quiet ride for cruising around town, while the 245/55R18 sidewall height provides plenty of cushion. While not a high performance tire intended for the track, it does provide plenty of wet and dry grip for the occasional enthusiastic drive. Take a look at what our customers are saying about their experience with the BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec:

"This is the most comfortable tire I have run in an 18". It has a level of comfort and still lets you feel like you're in a sports car without cringing every time you hit a bump. The tire holds the car out of the hole and exceeded my expectations in the corners. You get a lot more than you pay for!" -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2012 Chevrolet Camaro LS

"These tires well exceeded my expectations. This is an excellent tire and I will definitely buy it again." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT

"This is a phenomenal tire. I can't believe they can make a tire this good for such a great price. Probably the best tire I have owned." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2011 Chevrolet Camaro LS

Our customer's feedback is a great tool to use when shopping as it'll help you with input from other drivers and their long term experience with each tire.

While we won't see the red line option in other sizes soon, availability of the 245/55R18 size is limited. If you have a new Camaro or Challenger with 18" wheels, consider the BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec.

While the main focus for Tire Rack remains light duty passenger vehicles, we have expanded our trailer tire selection to further cater to the enthusiast with utility trailers, boat trailers and car trailers. For trailers using 14"-16" modern metric fitments, we offer the Goodyear Marathon Radial and Power King Towmax STR in many 6, 8, and 10 ply load ranges.

Goodyear Marathon Radial

Power King Towmax STR

Trailer Service tires feature heavy-duty constructions and accommodate higher inflation pressures to provide the load capacity necessary to match many trailer applications and payloads. Their stiffer sidewalls help control sway for enhanced towing stability and they offer more bruise resistance than typical passenger tires. These heavy-duty, special purpose trailer tires are not meant for use on cars or trucks. Tires in this performance category are not UTQG rated.

Goodyear's Marathon Radial is designed specifically for use on travel trailers, pop-up campers, boat trailers and fifth wheel trailers used for hauling everything from race horses to racecars. Developed to make towing a trailer more enjoyable, the tire is more economical while making it easier to take your big "toys" with you on the weekends.

Also developed specifically for use on travel trailers, pop-up campers, boat trailers and fifth wheel trailers, the Power King Towmax STR delivers dependable and long-lasting, on-highway service for towed trailers.

Shop by size to see if a Trailer Service tire is available for your trailer.

Is it time for some new wheels for your Mustang, Camaro or Challenger? New for 2013, Tire Rack offers a great selection of Hurst and Hotchkis wheels for your American classic. In addition to these brands, we still offer American Racing wheels, which has always been a popular choice.

Hotchkis' Y-Sport is offered in a 20" rim diameter with two finish options, matte graphite silver and machined with matte graphite accent. It's also offered in 9" and 10" widths to give you the option to stagger the tire sizes. As a new wheel style that goes outside the muscle car 5-spoke style, it's aggressive looking to give your car some attitude.

If you prefer the classic 5-spoke style, Hotchkis offers the S-Sport. As a split-spoke design, the wheel looks great and will show off your Brembo brakes. The S-Sport comes in a 20" rim diameter and 8.5" and 9.5" widths. Two finish options provide drivers different styles to show off their car the way they want, machined with black accent and silver machined with clearcoat.

Last, but not least, is my favorite wheel, the Hurst Stunner New Version. Also available in a 20" rim diameter, the wheel's finish is machined with anthracite accent. For Mustangs and Challengers, it's available in 9" and 10" widths, and for the Camaro, it comes in 9" and 11" widths.

Hotchkis Y-Sport

Hotchkis S-Sport

Hurst Stunner New Version

Set your American muscle car apart from the rest by searching by vehicle to find the wheels available for your application.

The Dunlop Sport Maxx Race is a racing tire that is street legal. Unlike some other race tires that are DOT-legal but not intended for road use, the Sport Maxx Race is able to be driven to and from the track. This tire performs excellently on dry roads and was introduced as the stock tire for the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series. Dunlop has recently expanded their offerings for the widths ranging from 235mm to 325mm.

These tires are a class up from Extreme Performance Summer tires that offer a balance of street longevity and track performance. The Dunlops are more track focused and have less longevity on the street. While we haven't had the opportunity to test the Sport Maxx Race yet, we have received some very positive customer feedback. In a recent review, one owner writes:

"Though it is soft and wears quickly, it is actually quite comfortable and not very loud at all. I have two sets of wheels/tires; one for the street and another for track. Other than the price and how quickly they wear, I can't find a single fault with this tire. It is designed for the track, and is only DOT-certified so that you can drive your car to the track, instead of trailering it there. The Sport Maxx is the best tire of its kind, in my experience."

While it's definitely not a tire for everyone based on price and limited treadlife, it could be just the ticket for a dedicated enthusiast. View available sizes to see if the Dunlop Sport Maxx Race is an option for your vehicle.

People often ask when they should put on and remove their winter / snow tires. Typically, the time most drivers have their winter tires on their vehicle is from late November to early April.

It's important to use them only during the winter months in an attempt to maximize their treadlife. As illustrated in the photo below, tread depth is one of the most important features of a winter tire. 

All that being said, for much of the country, it's close to the time to switch to your non-winter tires or purchase a new set. We offer many affordable tire options to fit your budget. Also, nothing changes the appearance of your vehicle more than a new set of aftermarket wheels. You can even see what your car will look like with new wheels when you visit our Upgrade Garage.

BEFORE

AFTER

Find a set of wheels to go with your tires to create a Tire & Wheel Package and we'll mount and balance them and include any necessary hardware at no extra cost!

As spring turns the corner, you may find yourself looking to upgrade your vehicle's suspension. The snow is clearing and soon non-winter Tire & Wheel Packages will find their way back on performance vehicles across the country. If you have already upgraded your vehicle with a Tire & Wheel Package, or are simply looking to upgrade the handling characteristics of your car, we have the parts from KONI to help.

KONI's vast experience has earned them a worldwide reputation for being able to optimize their products for any specific application. And by focusing on high quality shock absorbers, the manufacturer's no-compromise philosophy results in superb product performance and enhanced car control.

In fact, KONI's suspension experts recognize that all vehicles have unique dampening needs, and rather than build one type of shock absorber, they utilize three technologies (twin tube hydraulic, mono-tube high pressure gas and twin-tube low pressure gas) from which they choose the best solutions. KONI shock absorbers are designed for a specific car and even its specific driving conditions. They aren't a copy of the original, but a tailor made design to get the best handling and ride characteristics from your vehicle.

Now is the perfect time to upgrade your vehicle's suspension as select KONI products are now 20% off until June 30, 2013. View special offer details here. 

As your vehicle piles on the miles, normal wear and tear can cause your car to look a little tired. For many, a brand new set of aftermarket wheels is the way to give your car a fresh appearance. However, what if a new set of wheels isn't in your budget? To spruce things up, consider the G2 Brake Caliper PaintSystem Set as an easy weekend project. A fresh coat of paint can give a new appearance to any vehicle's brake calipers and drums, while even helping protect them from potentially harmful oils, chemicals and rust.

The PaintSystem Sets are available in nine high-gloss, wear-resistant colors that can be selected to complement or contrast a vehicle's primary and/or accent colors. Available colors include: red, yellow, blue, silver, gold, black, purple, green, white, pink and orange.

G2 PaintSystem Sets provide enough materials to paint four brake calipers or two brake calipers and two brake drums. However, vehicles with large brake calipers on the front axle and large brake drums on the rear axle may require two complete PaintSystem Sets to get the job done. The finish is heat resistant to 950º F and best yet, the two-part system does not require caliper removal.

G2 Brake Caliper PaintSystem Sets Include:

• Detailed instructions
• (14 oz.) aerosol can G2 BRAKE Cleaner Spray (1)
• (4 oz.) metal can Brake Caliper Paint (1)
• (1 oz.) glass jar PaintSystem Reactor (1)
• Stir stick
• Application brush (1)
• Color decal (1)

Order a G2 Brake Caliper PaintSystem Set today!

When street cars go to the racetrack, the brakes are often the weakest link. While a street car's brakes usually only need to deliver maximum braking force from high speed on emergency occasions, a car on a racetrack uses maximum braking repeatedly, often with very little time to cool down. Overheated brakes quickly lose stopping power, which can lead to slower lap times and/or frightening moments. 

Tire Rack has been carrying StopTech pads and rotors, and now we are pleased to add their Big Brake Kits. Available in rotor diameters from 322mm-380mm (12.7"-15"), they're available for a wide variety of performance-oriented applications. To check brake products available for your car, shop by vehicle. 

Engineered to the highest standards, StopTech emphasizes rigidity in their calipers for reliable performance under demanding conditions. Their calipers feature a patented bolt-in bridge that enhances stiffness and allows easy access to the brake pads for efficient pad changes. 

The multi-piston calipers use differential piston diameters to precisely manage clamping force across the pad face. This minimizes uneven brake pad wear, particularly taper wear, for consistent performance over the life of the brake pads. The StopTech kits are vehicle-specific designs that maintain optimum brake balance and are 100% compatible with ABS and stability control systems. Calipers can be ordered in red or black finishes.  

Two-piece rotors feature an iron ring under the brake pads for optimum heat dissipation with an aluminum hat to save weight. The iron outer ring is replaceable, while the center hat is retained and bolted to the the new outer ring. Rotors are available in slotted or drilled styles. 

When upgrading your brakes, it's important to make sure that your wheels will fit the new, larger rotor and caliper. You may need bigger wheels than stock to fit the bigger rotors and calipers. StopTech has templates available to check the fit for your wheels. These kits are built to order, so please allow 2-3 weeks lead time when making your purchase. 

If you're thinking about ordering a big brake upgrade, you can look forward to shorter stopping distances, greater fade resistance, better modulation and a firmer brake pedal. In addition, the big brakes with red or black painted calipers will enhance the appearance of your vehicle. They look especially good behind large diameter wheels with open designs. Take a look at our complete line of StopTech products. 

For the enthusiast who takes his/her BMW to the track on a regular basis, using the Original Equipment lug bolts can prove to be cumbersome when removing or replacing wheels frequently. In an effort to support our friends that autocross or race their cars at any level, Tire Rack is proud to offer stud conversion kits for your BMW using 14x1.25 thread pitch studs. The standard kit comes with 20 studs, 20 black lug nuts and a heavy-duty thin wall socket (19mm). The premium kit substitutes the black nuts for a more unique polar light finish. All studs are zinc coated for durability. The 14x1.25 thread pitch reduces the chances of cross threading the lugs over repeated use.

BMW Stud Kit with 14x1.25 Studs and Black Lug Nuts

BMW Stud Kit with 14x1.25 Studs and Polar Light Lug Nuts

Stud kits aren't just for enthusiasts. They are also used by BMW owners that want to make changing their wheels and tires easier. For the ultimate addition, consider picking up Tire Rack's Cordless Impact Wrench Kit. Whether you're track side or in your garage, this heavy-duty tool generates nearly 206 ft. lb. of torque (enough to break free most bolts or stubborn lug nuts).

Look at the tools we carry to find one that'll be a great addition to your garage!