All About Car Tires and How it Relates to your Money

Have you ever seen it on the high way? Tires blowing off and the car suddenly becomes South-bound from its earlier North bound movement (Or from East to West for that matter). And, within another fraction of second few others cars collide head-on with this one. By the time you go past too far from the scene, you realize that you just witnessed people dying. I saw it this month on North bound I-95, here in Ft. Lauderdale. I am scared ever since!

Needless to say, car tires play a very vital role and are considered a very valuable safety feature on a vehicle. This is so because they are the ones which connect our vehicle to the road, without them, electronic stability control as well as anti-lock brakes won’t be able to do their job since tires are the ones which have a stable grip on the road. However, most owners do not really know much information about tires especially these days wherein there are countless tire brands available.

Admit it or not, we have very little knowledge of this particular and indispensable component of our car. In other words, car tires are commonly the least understood but one of the very crucial components of a vehicle.

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Annually, Americans usually spend approximately $21 billion in the replacement of various types of vehicles’ tires.  Although it may be true that most passenger tires these days are manufactured to be more durable and able to stand the test of time than in the past, it is still inevitable to have your car’s tires to be replaced at least every three years.

In the US, around 201 million replacement passenger tires are bought yearly. Most car owners and motorists pay hundred dollars for these tires and it is deemed imperative to pick the tires which really match your needs as they vary in terms of style, cost and performance.

Car tires should be properly selected and one should not choose to pay for less especially if it will not assure your safety and security. It is truly very important to note that tires will affect the entire ride experience, handling and traction, your vehicle’s image and most essentially, it will greatly affect fuel economy.

Moreover, car tires considerably relates to our finances due to several reasons. Once you have problems with tires, more problems will occur and these will eventually lead to an increased expenditure in the future.

When tires are not properly maintained, you may face serious damage to your car’s steering components, you easily get exhausted in driving your vehicle, you have to deal with accelerated and unbalanced tire wear, damaged steering control as well as faulty tire traction, inappropriate stressing of your vehicle’s suspension and sadly you have to deal with a great increase in your fuel consumption.

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Purchasing car tires can be a very challenging task because you have to consider some necessary factors for you to be guaranteed that what you buy is exactly just what you need. Here are some helpful information for you to ponder on.

5 Important Tips in Purchasing Car Tires

• Make certain to make a thorough inspection on your car. Check if your tires already have bulge, discoloration, damaged sidewalls and immoderate tread wear. It will be wise to review you owner’s manual and check your car tire size and what type of tires will suit your car well.
• Consider your wheels when purchasing tires. Your vehicle will work well for you once the tires and the wheels match your car. Be sure to match the size with that of the maker’s originals.
• Purchase a complete matching set. In short, it is advisable to replace your car tires all at once as this will allow you to care for your tires better, attain the most superior degree of security and calculable handling. Indeed, this will also help you assess and fix suspension troubles before they become worse.
• You may take into account purchasing tires over the Internet or catalogue. Several retailers offer low-cost delivery and installation service for your new car tires. Should you wish to have your wheels aligned, they also offer wheel alignment service right after your new tires are installed.
• Most importantly, analyze the tire code. This is found on the sidewall of the car tire  They are a piece of a regulated code which is enforced by federal law to characterize and to recognize them in the event of a recall. For more detailed information, go online and review “Tire Safety” from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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5 Ways to Save Cost on New Car Tire

• Consider shopping at a warehouse store. It is wise to get a membership from certain warehouses as they provide very affordable costs on tires. You may either choose to shop in store or check their website so you may have the opportunity to select the best brand of tire as they have wide selection of tire types for every shopper.
• Shopping online is regarded as a very convenient way of shopping. In fact, shoppers are provided with lots of options and it is the perfect place where you can find the best brands with a very reasonable price. More and more shoppers actually find online shops as the best place to purchase certain items because this is where smart deals are found.
• Grab your chance to avail of rebates. Several tire firms give away rebates from time to time. All you have to do is to be updated with the latest offers.
• Always stick to the recommended size of your tire  Follow the one which is strictly recommended by your tire manufacturer. As what we commonly know, bigger tires usually cost more and can decrease your mpg. If in case you are unsure of what your tire size is, it is advisable to check your owner’s manual.
• Bear in mind that new tires are certainly a very valuable investment. They are usually expensive and in order for you to avoid replacing them more often, secure a tire gauge in your car so you’ll be made aware to check your tire pressure from time to time.  Do not forget to comply with the rotation schedule which is usually done every 6 months or rotate the tires every 5,000 to 7,000 miles.   And last but not the least, always follow proper car care maintenance.

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5 Ways to Increase Tire Life

• Check your car tire pressures weekly. It is significant to understand that under inflation may bring about extreme wear on the tire’s exterior since heat is intensified in the shoulders and with an abrupt blowout at speed. Over inflation may lead to severe wear on the center of the tires tread; this will somewhat curtail the tread life.
• Always drive carefully with a moderate speed. Your driving style can wear or damage your tires easily; for this reason, it is essential to be careful with your driving moves whether you’re driving up, down, sliding down on roundabouts and the like.
• Wheel balancing considerably aids in prolonging the life of your suspension components. To prevent the feeling of a somewhat vibrating steering wheel or to avoid driving a car that wiggles, it is advisable to seek the help of professionals and have your tires re-balanced.
• Wheel alignment plays a very important role as it covers the castor, toe and the camber. Once the toe is not properly aligned, the tire’s interior and exterior will get seriously and quickly damaged.  Excessive positive or negative camber will lead to dissipated tire wear and this may bother the handling of your car.
• As much as possible, avoid your car from being overloaded. The heavier your load is, the greater the wear. This is because when the load is heavy, there is a need to increase the tire pressure so it can manage the excess load.

Tires cost too much money if you accumulate all your driving years. Most importantly, they can take or save lives. Do not neglect this aspect when you think about car care.

Readers, how much you spend on tires and what measures you are taking for the safety? Also, what other tips you want to share with other readers?