Having to buy new tires for your car might seem like an overwhelming experience. Tires are one of the most important safety features on your car. No matter how good your brakes are and no matter how good you steer, it all comes down to the condition of the tires. Here’s what you need to consider when purchasing new tires.
How to Know if You Need New Tires
All tires are going to need to be replaced eventually due to normal wear and tear. Because tires are so important to your car’s safety, you don’t want to wait too long to replace them. Signs that your tires need to be replaced include: The tread on your tires should never be below 1/16 of an inch, but it’s recommended that if you regularly drive on slick, wet roads, to have it twice as much. If you notice bulges or blisters on any of the tires, you want to have them looked at immediately because these weakened areas can result in a blowout. When you notice too much vibration when you drive, this could signal that your tires are misaligned or unbalanced and may need replacing.
What to Consider When Buying New Tires
When you buy new tires, you want to buy all four. You don’t want to have two old tires and two new tires on the same car. Before you replace your tires, it’s a good idea to make sure your car is in good shape. Any alignment, suspension, or shock issues will cause uneven wear on new tires. You want to refer to your car’s manual and tire code in order to pick the perfect tires for your car.
The tire code is made up of numbers and letters that refer to different aspects of the tire. For example, the first letter you see will refer to the tires purpose. “P” means passenger car and “LT” means light truck. The numbers will refer to things such as tire diameter, height, width, etc. It’s important to consider the climate you live in when buying tires. You may opt for all-season tires or three-season tires depending on the temperature and if you swap for winter tires come the snow and ice. When buying new tires, it’s also a good time to check the condition of your spare tire and replace it if it’s no longer in good shape.
Where to Buy New Tires
There’s no shortage of places to buy new tires. You can go to a local dealer that might offer you a deal when you buy all four tires at the same time. If you’re looking to save more money while still getting the best quality, you might consider buying tires online or through a catalog. You can have these tires installed at a local tire center. A warehouse club is another option you may consider for buying your tires. If cost is an issue, shopping around is a good idea.
Buying new tires might seem like a big task, but if you know what you’re looking for and create a checklist, this will make your tire buying experience more pleasant.