Auto Repair & Diagnostics : How to Diagnose an Engine Problem

Sunday, November 22, 2009

7 Tips on Buying New Car Tires

When the time comes to purchase a set of new car tires, there are several reasons to make sure you make the proper selection for your car. Good tires help maintain safety when driving, they allow your car to handle better and to stop better and they also increase your gas mileage. As you can see, choosing the right tire for your car is very important, it also can be confusing with all the options you have available. Here are a few tips that may make buying new tires a bit easier.

Tip 1: Be Sure You Need Tires

Take a good look at your tires and look for bulges, cracked sidewalls, excessive wear and uneven tread. If you see any of these problems, you need new tires.
Tip 2: Know Your Tire Size

You want to buy the right size and style of tire that's been recommended by the manufacturer of your car. This information is usually in the manual or on the information placard that's attached to your door edge, glove compartment or on the inside of your trunk lid.

Tip 3: Assess Your Car's Condition

Do your tires show signs of uneven wear? If so, your car may be misaligned or you may have a suspension issue. New tires wear quickly on a car that is misaligned or has bad shocks so have a trusted mechanic or the tire center inspect your car before you buy your tires.
Tip 4: Buy a Full Set

It's tempting to replace only the tire or tires that look most worn but it's not practical. Your car is designed to work best with a matching set of tires and replacing all four at one time allows you to maintain your tires better, lets your car to achieve the highest degree of safety, allows for more predictable handling and can help with issues that may appear later such as suspension problems before they become major complications.

Tip 5: Check Your Spare

Now is a good time to make sure your spare tire is in good shape. If it needs to be replaced and is a full sized spare, you might be able to save one of the better tires you are replacing for your spare.

Tip 6: Break In Your Tires

There is a release agent that is used during the tire manufacturing process that leaves a residue on the tread of the tire. This means there's a chance your tire may not grip as well as it should until the residue is gone. Allow about 500 miles of break in time before you start to push your tires on cornering. You can also anticipate longer breaking distances than usual until the residue has completely worn off.

Tip 7: Maintain Your Tires

It is very important that you keep tires properly inflated as this helps tires last longer and you will see better gas mileage so check tire inflation regularly.





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If you're going to buy a new tire keep your old ones that are still ok to use you may use it in the future as reserve or spare tires.

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