What Does It Mean If My Tires Rub When Turning?  

It does not matter if you are a well-trained, experienced mechanic, or if the only thing you know how to do when it comes to your vehicle is filling up the tank and checking your tire pressure, you will be able to tell if there is an issue with your tires rubbing. The telltale sound and sensation scream “something is not right.” However, if you are not a mechanic, you may not know what to do when you hear this sound when turning, what causes it, or how to avoid it in the future.

Causes of Wheel Rubbing

Upsized Wheels And Tires

If you have increased the size of your wheels – a very common aftermarket modification made on a lot of trucks – you can run into wheel rubbing issues. With so many elements involved in upsizing your tires, it is easy for some wheel well liner, springs, struts, or any other element packaged in with the tires can cause rubbing, especially if you did the job yourself.

Change In Wheel Offset

The wheel offset is a function that moves the tires laterally within your vehicle’s wheel well. Sometimes a change to the wheel offset of your vehicle can cause your tires to rub. You may assume that swapping out aftermarket tires with another tire of the same diameter and width would fit the same, but this is not always true. So, if you have swapped out your tires and are experiencing rubbing, check your wheel offset.

Wheel Spacers

Whether used for an aesthetic purpose, for performance, or fitment, wheel spacers are built to allow for a larger wheel to be fitted onto your vehicle without causing rubbing.

While these spacers are built to eliminate rubbing, sometimes they can be a double-edged sword and rubbing can be caused by the wheel rubbing against the fender, or the wheel well liner.

This post was written by Justin K, owner of Wheel Identity. Wheel Identity is Tampa Bay’s premier custom shop. We carry wheel and tire packages for every vehicle, custom suspension kits, and all accessories for the interior or exterior of your vehicle. We only hire highly trained technicians using state of the art equipment with experience in all areas of tire, wheel, suspension, and 4×4 needs.