FRIDAY TIDBIT: Tires

Tires are one of the most important parts on your vehicle that you need to maintain and make sure they are in good condition. Having a blowout on the freeway, or not being able to get into your neighborhood after a snowstorm because your tires are bald is very inconvenient. By keeping an eye on your tires and the condition they are in, you can eliminate a lot of headache on your part.

What TYPE Of Tires Do I Need?

Always check your owners manual to see what kind of tires you need for your specific vehicle. If you can't find the information, ask us and we can look it up for you. At our recent FREE Women's Auto Care Workshop: Knowledge Is Power, we handed out information sheets on Load Index, Speed Rating, and Tire Size. You need to take all of these into consideration when purchasing tires. Know the right kind of tires for your specific vehicle! As always, if you ever have any questions on your tire size, just ask us! We would be glad to go over it with you and explain it to you.

Determining The AGE Of A Tire

When purchasing a tire, you are going to want to know when that tire was made. Buying tires that are too old can cause you problems such as blowouts and flats. We also handed out an information sheet on Determing The Age Of A Tire at our Women's Auto Care Workshop that will help explain how to determine how old the tire is. The date the tire was made is found in the U.S. D.O.T. Tire Identification Number. 

QUICK TIPS WHEN CHANGING A FLAT:

• Use common sense! If it is not a safe place to stop and change your tire, drive to the closest "safe spot" where you can change it without danger to yourself.
• Make sure you are on level ground
• It is best if everybody gets out of the vehicle. If that is not  possible, then make sure the people inside the vehicle are holding as still as they can. The vehicle bouncing around can cause the car to slip off the jack, causing you harm
• When replacing the hubcap back on the tire, make sure you do not cover up the air valve.
• If at all possible, keep a star wrench in your vehicle for when you need to change your tire. If your lug nuts are on tight, they are easier to get off with a star wrench. While pushing forward with your foot, you can also pull back with your hands. It is also easier to get the lug nuts on tighter with a star wrench.