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Get the tire you want at a fair priceOct 30 '00 Write an essay on this topic.No one gets excited about getting new tires. In fact, most people would rather not have to worry about them. However, the tires are the most important parts on the car. After all, the car is held to the road by them only. It is important to know when you need tires and know what to look for when that time comes. There are several indicators to alert you when you should consider a tire purchase. Tires are no longer safe if there is less than 2/32" of an inch of tread. You can buy a gauge for this rather cheaply, or you can do the old quarter trick. Then you insert a quarter into the tread groove (top of head into groove) and you can still see George Washington's head, it is time for tires. Several studies, however, have shown that hydroplaning can occur at levels 5/32" and below. It is also important to remember that regardless of whether the vehicle is front wheel or rear wheel drive, the best traction should always be ON THE REAR of the vehicle. This has been shown in numerous tests to be the safest way to drive, especially for cornering in snow and rain. When it is time to go for tires, you need to consider several factors: age and mileage of the car, type of driving, current tires, and budget. If you like the tires you have, don't change! If you want to try something different, make sure you research your decision. Using the above factors, make your decision. 1. How many more miles are you going to put on your car? A 1981 VW Rabbit with 430,000 miles (I actually saw this car while working at Sears Auto Center) probably does not need a tire with a 100,000 mile warranty for $100 a throw. Determine how many miles you plan on keeping the car and use that as a gauge. All tires should have either a mileage rating (expected use), or a warranty (pro-rated to amount of miles expected). 2. What type of driving do you do? Does your Nissan Sentra need V-Rated racing tires? Probably not. If you do a lot of cornering, speed ratings will be important to you (even if you don't drive fast). The speed ratings are: S (112 mph), T (118 mph), H (130 mph), V (140 mph), and Z (140+ mph). The higher the rating, the stiffer the sidewall, therefore enhancing cornering ability. For most passenger cars, something between S and H is recommended. It is usually best to go with what your car came with. This is listed on the tire and can be found in the owners manual or by calling a tire retailer. It is also important to factor in what kind of weather you drive in. Some areas of the country are blasted with snow. For these areas, look for thick tread blocks. Others get lots of rain. For this, sipes (the tiny lines that run across the tread) are important. Equally important is an open-shoulder design. This means that there are grooves that run laterally so that water can run off the side of the tire. If your part of the country has variable weather, look for all of these features! 3. This one is simple. Write down all the different measurements on the tires to make sure you get the right size, speed rating, etc. Also helpful if you want to stay with the tires you have. 4. Finally, budget. Find a tire that has the features you want, at a fair price. Some features, such as mileage warrantys may need to be sacrificed for cost. However, I rarely recommend saving money by buying el-cheapo tires. These tires have a one-ply sidewall and are made of really rotten rubber. Usually for $10 more per tire you can get a much better tire. I am sure that I have not made your tire experience more fun, but hopefully the advice will make it less painful...  |
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