Wheels 101 – what to do when you’re bored of your car tyres

The wheels are an extremely important part of what makes your vehicle your own. But sometimes, we forget about them, or tend to get a little bored of the chore that is getting them replaced every few months, instead focusing on the more ‘sexy’ aspects of our cars – the sound system, the paint job, the rear view mirror accessories…

If you’re thinking of upgrading the car tyres on your vehicle, there are a few different ways to shake up your regular routine and go for something more out of the ordinary.

Option #1: Get ridiculously large monster truck tyres

We’ve all seen it: people driving around with tyres that look way too big for the vehicle that they’re attached to. However, if this is your kind of thing, then we say go for it! The potential consequences of having such huge monster truck wheels will potentially be that a) your girlfriend will refuse to drive around with you in your car anymore, b) you’ll be almost continually pulled over by the police, and c) you’ll have to invest in a step ladder to reach your front door. But hey, at least nobody will ever cut you off on the road again…

Option #2: Get bling-worthy hub caps

Nothing says bling more than car tyres adorned with golden or sparkling hubcaps. If you’ve got a thing for bling (and aren’t phased by the fact that your car will become approximately 153 times more attractive as a target for thieves), then pimp your car tyres with the brightest, shiniest hub caps you can find. For inspiration, just have a look at most celebrity cars driving around Hollywood. Spinners, fluorescent-colours, and novelty hubcaps with cartoon characters are also potential options.

Option #3: ‘Oni-camber’ your car tyres

Not so much a type of car tyre than it is a method of seriously adjusting your car suspension, ‘oni-camber’ is an auto styling trend to come out of Japan in recent years. ‘Oni-camber’ translates to ‘demon-camber’, and it’s the perfect way to turn heads and attract some attention on the road. However, the funny looks you get from people might not be the only shock-value you get out of these tyres – There have been countless reports of this method of aligning car tyres doing irreparable damage to the chassis, not to mention the risk of destroying rims and wearing out your tyres unevenly. Not to mention the fact that most people think it looks just plain stupid. But, if this is still something you want for your car, then by all means go ahead – just do so at your own risk (of safety and social ridicule).

Option #4: Fit your car with some sensible eco-friendly tyres

Of course, there’s one way to shake up your regular tyre purchase without attracting attention to yourself, spending extra money, or just worrying about whether or not people are going to think you’re crazy. If you want to make a positive change next time you buy new tyres for your car, leave all the gimmicks behind and go for something that’s actually going to help the environment (and your hip pocket too): eco-friendly tyres. Check out the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100, the Michelin Energy MX2, or the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max to get you started. It’s not something that other people will necessarily know about (unless of course you go around bragging to everyone you meet about how your tyres are environmentally friendly) but they are a subtle and honest way to show that despite your love of cars, you’re still willing to make small changes to help improve the environment. And hey, if they end up saving us a bit of money on our fuel and tyre changing costs in the long run, then we’re not going to complain about that either.

How do you shake up your car tyres every once in a while? Do you go for something ridiculous that will turn heads (for all the wrong reasons) or do you go for something a little more sensible?