There are so many tire choices in the St. Peter, Le Sueur, and Saint Peter area, selecting the right one can be a bit overwhelming for Cleveland motorists. And even though it’s kind of fun to have new tires on your minivan, they’re a significant investment for most Cleveland folks so you want do it right.

Tip: talk with your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter tire professional. He’ll help you sort through the choices.

Here are some of the vital issues you’ll talk about: One is size – you know, all those numbers on the side of the tire. The right size is important. All new vehicles are required to have stability control which, along with other important safety systems, is calibrated to work with specific tire sizes. Your St. Peter tire professional can help stay within car makers’ specifications or program a different tire size into your minivan’s computer.

And you’ll want to discuss how and where you drive in Cleveland to determine the type of tire you need: summer, winter,  all season tires or all-terrain. There are tires for every St. Peter auto owner’s needs.

Like we said, tires are a big investment, so you want to get a good value on tires. Now that doesn’t always mean the cheapest tire. A top tier tire from Autotronics of ST Peter will last a long time and give St. Peter drivers good performance throughout its life. Tires sold in St. Peter bargain tire shops may not live up to that promise. Again, your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter tire professional can give you options that offer the best long-term value within your immediate budget.

Last, with a 2-wheel drive vehicle, it’s vital to always replace both tires on an axle. Modern sensors and computer safety systems for minivan brakes, stability and traction control need both tires to have the same amount of wear to work properly. And always put the new tires on the rear so you don’t fishtail in a turn. With all-wheel drive you should replace all four tires at the same time.

Schedule a tire inspection at Autotronics of ST Peter to see how much life is left in your minivan tires and seek the help of a professional when choosing new shoes for your vehicle.

Give us a call

Autotronics of ST Peter
507.934.9290
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082

It seems like everywhere you go in the Cleveland area you see custom wheels. Big trucks, little cars, mini-vans – it doesn’t matter, auto owners are expressing themselves with custom wheels. Some MN auto owners want smaller tires and wheels – some want larger – and some want them enormous. So where do you start if you want new wheels? At Autotronics of ST Peter, we suggest you start with your budget. We know, that sounds so practical. But if the look you’re after goes beyond just new tires and wheels and enters into the world of suspension modifications, you need to be prepared for the additional cost.

Let’s start with something easy – you want to give your ride a unique look and the stock wheel size is just right for you. One of the concerns you will have is that the new wheels have the same offset as your minivan factory wheels.

First, what is offset? The wheel bolts onto the hub on the minivan’s axle. The distance from the inside edge of the wheel to the point at which it bolts on, is the offset. If the new wheel has a different offset from the factory, the tires may rub on the inside or outside of the wheel well. That could lead to catastrophic and (costly)  tire failure.

Your tire and wheel professional at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter can help you find the right size wheel – or install adapters to make your new wheels fit. All you have to do is pick from the hundreds of styles available.

Autotronics of ST Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290

So, what about St. Peter drivers who want to upsize? Well, if you select bigger wheels, but you want to keep the same overall tire diameter, that’s pretty easy for the team at Autotronics of ST Peter. The same offset concerns apply. You need to know that the tires will likely be a little bit wider than the originals and you don’t want them to rub when you make sharp turns. Your tire professional at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter will help you avoid this.

It is also essential to keep the same overall tire diameter because changing the rolling diameter can mess with your minivan anti-lock brakes and stability control systems. Are you starting to see why you want to communicate with your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter tire and wheel expert at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter? Is “super-size me” your motto? If it is, you are going to have to lift your vehicle to make room for those huge tires. A mild lift doesn’t require extensive modifications. An extreme lift means a lot of new hardware under the vehicle. It also means a lot of stock electronic systems need to be recalibrated to the new tire size. For example, your speedometer and odometer will give false readings if they aren’t recalibrated. (You don’t want to risk getting speeding tickets on MN highways because your speedometer shows a lower-than-actual speed.)

St. Peter car owners who want to upsize should also be aware of possible performance issues. Bigger tires and wheels weigh more. MN automotive experts refer to this as unsprung weight because it isn’t held up by your minivan suspension system. Increased unsprung weight affects performance in different ways than an equivalent amount of groceries or little soccer players in the minivan passenger compartment. Acceleration is negatively affected. Stopping distances may also be increased – sometimes significantly. St. Peter auto owners who want really big tires and wheels, might need to upgrade their brakes to compensate.

Heading the other direction, some car owners in the Cleveland area like to run smaller than standard wheels and lower the suspension. All of the same fitment issues still apply as well as calibration issues. Don’t think that minivan suspension modifications are a bad thing. Many systems actually improve ride, function and performance over the stock set-up.

Regardless of your budget, you want your minivan to continue to do all the things you need it to do. Some of those show cars and trucks you see on TV and St. Peter showrooms  look outstanding, but have been modified in ways that may not suit your needs. For example, if you put large rims on your SUV with low profile tires, you may be in for busted rims if you go off-roading a lot around Cleveland. There just isn’t enough sidewall to absorb the impact of thumping over rocks.

Some drivers stuff the largest tires and wheels possible in their vehicles but have to severely restrict suspension travel so that the tires aren’t rubbing all day. That can lead to a very harsh ride around MN. Again, talk with your Autotronics of ST Peter wheel professional about all of these things: how you drive in St. Peter, what look you are going for, your budget and what compromises you are willing to make.

At the end of the day, you’re going to be rollin’ out of Autotronics of ST Peter with one sweet ride.