Tires: low profile tires, Low profile tires, wear

Question
Hello,
I have a 02 vw jetta and they have low profile tires. I was wondering would I be able to change to regular tires without changing rims? And how often do you need to change low profile tires, cause I change them like once a year...Is that normal?


Answer
Melinda,

No, in order to change out of low profile tires, you have to reduce the rim diameter.  Sometimes you can't because the size of the brakes prevent smaller rims from being used.

As a general rule, most low profile tires are designed for good grip - which is another way of saying they don't wear well.  How often you have to change them depends on many things including your driving habits and the pavement where you live.

However, careful selection of tires can do a lot to improve the wear situation.  Look for high UTQG tread wear ratings - remembering than this is generally done by sacrificing grip.