All posts tagged auto tires

Rolling Right: The Crucial Guide to Tire Pressure Management

auto tires

Whether you’re a seasoned car enthusiast, a dedicated auto mechanic, or someone who relies on your vehicle for daily commutes, understanding the nuances of tire pressure is vital. It’s not just about avoiding a flat tire or ensuring your commute goes smoothly; proper tire pressure is a matter of safety and efficiency.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the dangers of under and over-inflated tires, how to find the sweet spot for air pressure, and the importance of regular checks, all to ensure your rides are safe and your vehicle performs at its best.

The Perils of Under Inflation

Under inflated tires are more than just a minor inconvenience. They’re a serious risk factor that can lead to increased fuel consumption due to higher rolling resistance. When tires aren’t inflated to their optimal pressure, they have a larger contact area with the road, which means your engine has to work harder to keep the vehicle moving. This inefficiency can hit your wallet by demanding more frequent trips to the fuel pump.

Worse yet, under inflation leads to uneven tire wear, particularly along the tire’s outer edges. This wear not only shortens the life of your tires but also diminishes your vehicle’s handling. In critical situations, this could mean losing the ability to steer or stop effectively.

The Hazards of Over Inflation

On the flip side, over inflated tires carry their own set of risks. While you might think more air equals better performance, the truth is quite the contrary. Over inflation reduces the tire’s contact area with the road, which means less traction, especially in wet conditions where it counts most.

Furthermore, tires filled beyond their recommended air pressure are more susceptible to damage from potholes and debris since they lack the flexibility to absorb impacts properly. This can lead to a shorter lifespan for your tires and, in extreme cases, sudden tire blowouts — a dangerous event at any speed.

Finding the Optimal Tire Pressure

Your vehicle’s optimal tire pressure isn’t a number you should guess. It’s specified by your vehicle manufacturer for a reason. You’ll find the recommended pressure listed in your car’s manual, as well as on a sticker typically located inside the driver’s side door jamb. This number is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI), and it’s what you should aim for, not the maximum pressure listed on the tire sidewall.

How Often to Check Tire Pressure

To ensure your tires are always at their best, make tire checks a regular part of your maintenance routine. A good rule of thumb is to check your tire pressure at least once a month and before long trips or when carrying an extra heavy load. Remember, temperatures affect tire pressure — for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in temperature, tire pressure can change by about 1 PSI.

Tire pressure should ideally be checked when the tires are "cold," meaning the car hasn’t been driven for at least three hours, to ensure accurate readings.

Tuning in with Auto Mechanics

While keeping an eye on your tire pressure is critical, so is regular professional inspections. Auto mechanics play a crucial role in your vehicle’s tire health, offering comprehensive inspections, balancing, rotation, and alignment services that go beyond what the average driver can do at home. These regular check-ups can catch issues before they result in costly repairs or dangerous driving conditions.

Conclusion

Maintaining the right tire pressure isn’t just about avoiding the inconvenience of a flat tire; it’s about maximizing your vehicle’s performance, efficiency, and, most importantly, the safety of all its occupants. Regular checks, coupled with professional maintenance, can ensure your tires always have just the right amount of air pressure, making every drive a safe and economical one.

Remember, your vehicle’s tires are the only point of contact with the road — treat them with care. Prioritize your tire maintenance—it’s a small effort for a significant gain in safety and performance.

image credit: envato.com

Need New Tires? 4 Ways to Find the Best Tires for the Best Prices

Nothing lasts forever and so it is with the tires on your vehicle. If your tires are beginning to show wear on the tread or you spot obvious bulges and cracks, you probably need new tires. However, if you are like most car owners today, it’s imperative that you get good prices on new tires because, quite honestly, money is tight. If you need new tires and you have limited resources, here are 4 ways to find the best tires for the best prices.

Shop by Brand

If you are not replacing all your tires, you may need to shop by brand. Look at your tires, see who manufactures them and then go to a store that sells only that brand. Because they only purchase one brand in bulk, they are sometimes able to offer you a good deal which you might not get elsewhere. Other suppliers may need to pay more for that particular brand.

Multi-Brand Discount Tire Stores

Some stores buy very large lots from all major brands and from some lesser-known brands as well. These Discount Tire Centers also tend to get good buys from manufacturers since they do buy in bulk, especially if they are buying for multiple locations. These savings can be passed on to you, the consumer, giving you the best tires for the best prices.

Join Loyalty Programs

If this is your very first automobile and you’ve never had to buy a tire before, this option may not be open to you. However, once you buy tires from a discount store, sign up for their loyalty program that offers rewards for shopping there. These are great because they are quite literally discounts on top of discounts!

Sign up for Email and Text Notifications

Why not sign up for email or text notifications from your favorite discount tire stores so that as new sales go live, you will be ready and waiting at the door with your promo code in hand. Email and SMS messages are sent directly to the inbox on your smartphone, keeping you informed of discounts and deals in real time.

According to the insurance giant, GEICO, tires need to be checked regularly because tire failure causes more than 11,000 automobile accidents each and every year. When it’s time to buy new tires, try one or more of these 4 ways to get the best tires for the best prices.

Low-Rolling Resistance Tires: The Facts

As a result of rising CAFE standards and the consumer demand caused by rising fuel prices over the last decade, more car manufacturers are paying attention to fuel economy, as significant selling point. In coordination with tire manufacturers, they have developed tires with lower rolling resistance, as the direct answer to the present situation in the market. Although they made their grand entry on hybrid cars, where they stood as yet another in the long line of energy-saving technologies, LRR tires are facing an increased demand among the mainstream drivers.   

What is Rolling Resistance?

Rolling resistance is the force which is required to maintain your tires rolling at given speed. As tires change shape as there rotate, the part of the tire in contact with the road is deformed before it returns to the original state. Underinflated tires, for example have high rolling resistance. Overinflating them would minimize their rolling resistance but at the expense of ride quality and safety, as it becomes bumpier as the tire pressure grows. And higher the pressure, smaller the contact surface, which implies less traction and reduced controllability.  

How Does It Work?

Manufacturers claim that lower rolling resistance technology maximizes the fuel economy using different methods. So, while experts agree that it is internal friction that offers significant room for improvement, the tread compound can also be redesigned in order to reduce rolling resistance. However, reducing the contact surfaces between the tires and the road readily involves trade-offs in grip during braking and cornering. The big question is whether you prefer performance and safety or fuel economy.

What Does Affect It?

Besides reducing the contact surfaces between tires and the road, manufacturers have developed a number of other techniques. One of important variables is a tire composition. By adding silica to the standard compound of natural and synthetic rubbers, rolling resistance can be decreased without sacrificing traction and the good grip in the critical stages of driving. There are practically endless choices of tires, for example tires with reduced depth of tread blocks are going to be more economical, as deeper treads involve more flexing as they roll.

The Numbers

It’s little known that most of the fuel energy is actually spent to overcome inertia when accelerating and decelerating and aerodynamic drag. The tires’ rolling resistance makes up to 4% of the fuel consumption in town and about 7% on the highway. It was established that a 10% decrease in rolling resistance results in 1-2% in fuel economy. It doesn’t seem much, but it can add up if you calculate how much you drive a year.

Your Mileage May Vary

It’s really hard to tell if LRR tires cost more than others. It depends on the tread compounds and the tire structure, and more importantly whether you are pointing at the initial price tag or the overall cost of ownership. While it’s true that their fuel saving properties are increased, low rolling resistance tires have less tread life, which than can neutralize the energy savings. 

Eventually, is there any way to decrease your car’s rolling resistance without investing in low rolling resistance tires. Some experienced drivers will tell you that the most important thing about all tires is to make sure they are properly inflated according to the car manufacturer’s recommendation.

Warm Weather Tire Care Basics, Helping Your Tires Last

Americans spend millions of dollars each year preparing their cars for winter, namely purchasing heavy-duty snow tires. Unfortunately, many of these same well-meaning vehicle owners don’t realize the havoc wreaked on their all-weather or passenger tires during the hotter periods of the year. It’s just as important to keep a watchful eye on your tire’s appearance and performance during the summer months, especially as the temperatures rise and you plan that yearly road trip. Here are a few tips, tricks and suggestions to help ensure your tires remain functional until the leaves change and the snow begins to fall:

Remove those Snow Tires Immediately

In theory, you could leave your snow tires on all-year round, but don’t be surprised when all they’re good for after your summer road trip is a backyard tire swing. Snow tires are constructed from softer materials than your regular or all-season models, meaning they’ll wear out more quickly. This fact will become more evident as you notice the visible signs of wear after traveling along sun-scorched, asphalt highways for three months. Do your pocket book a favor and save your snow tires for the winter.

Take a Cue from the 16th President

A tire’s tread degrades more quickly when exposed to the heat, making for an unsafe situation. Instead of wasting your time and money by having the tread examined by a professional, use a tool found at the bottom of your purse or between the couch cushions: a Lincoln penny. Place a penny, Lincoln’s head down, into several of the tire’s tread grooves. If any part of Lincoln’s head is covered, you’re tires are street legal. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to have the tire replaced.

Check Your Tire Pressure

Before you begin to perform this ritual, stop and realize that chances are you’re performing this deceptively simple task incorrectly. First off, your tire’s recommended inflation pressure is found inside the owner’s manual, not printed on the tire’s side. Also, it’s best to check the pressure with a gauge first thing in the morning when the tires are cold, which allows you achieve a more accurate reading. Keeping your tires properly inflated not only increases fuel efficiency, it can actually prevent catastrophic tire failure. If you don’t own a proper tire gauge, check out the specials available for these, and all of your others car needs, at www.partsgeek.com.

Don’t Forget the Spare

A properly maintained spare tire can mean the difference between getting you to a nearby town or service center, and remaining stranded on the side of a hot, busy highway for several hours. Before heading out on the yearly summer road trip, pull out the spare and perform a visual inspection. If the tread is acceptable, and there are no visible signs of wear or damage, finish your quick once-over by checking the spare’s tire pressure.

Tire Rotation

Last, and by my no means least, it’s crucial to have your tires rotated at a service center at least every 5,000 to 7,000 miles, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. If you’re handy, and have the proper tools, don’t hesitate to rotate the tires yourself, but realize that there’s more to this procedures than simply switching your back tires with the front. Tires are manufactured with either directional or non-directional tread. If your tire’s tread follows a one-directional pattern, you have directional tires. Rotate your directional tires by switching the front driver’s side tire with the back, and the passenger front with the back. If you have non-directional tires, rotate the left rear and right front and the right rear with the left front. This may seem confusing, but you’ll thank yourself when you save a few bucks, and your tires last for several miles longer.

Loading Up for a Summer Road Trip

One universal mistake made by summer road travelers is over packing, which is not only a gigantic waste of time, but all of this unnecessary weight is also detrimental to your tires. To ensure your tires remain viable from point A to point B, pack sparingly and leave room for all the souvenirs you’ll accumulate along your travels.

If you notice certain spots on your tires are wearing faster than others, it’s crucial to take your vehicle to a mechanic immediately, or at least before you hit the road. These uneven wear patterns are a signal of larger problems, including improper alignment or even worn shock absorbers.

About the Author:
Charles Corbin is an automotive mechanics instructor and retired mechanic. In his free time he works on his classic cars and is currently writing a book on the Chevelle.