When it comes to the topic of
car tires, some people think it’s as foreign as
learning a new language. With so many tire
brands, makes and models to choose from, it can get
confusing and frustrating to know which car tire is
best suited for your vehicle. Size, shape,
construction and materials are all factors that will
determine the life of your tires as well as your
riding comfort.
The first step you should take before shopping for
tires is to refer to your car owner’s manual for
directions and recommendations in choosing tires.
It is recommended that you try to replace tires with
the stock ones that came with your car.
Let’s begin with the “tire”
language imprinted on the sidewall of your cars
tires. The imprint on the side of the tires will
list the weight load capacity, serial number, tire
type, tire's intended purpose,
size designation, high
temperature/high speed durability, profile
size and itres brand name to mention a few.
Tire type indicates whether
it is “tube” or “tubeless” ires, but more than 90%
of the passenger cars available are tubeless. If
you want extra strength tire construction, we
suggest looking for “belted” tires.
Tire weights are attached to
the wheel to balance the tire & wheel. These car
weights can be on the inside or outside of the tirez
wheel and is either clipped, taped or self-adhered
to the wheel.
Size designation is a
grouping of one letter and four numbers which is a
three-part code. The letter with two numbers
together signifies the width of the tire as well as
the height to width ration and the numbers following
the dash indicate the diameter of the wheel rim
(inches) the tire will fit.
A huge range of tire options is available for every
vehicle including classic compact car, mid-size,
full-size, luxury car, vintage antique and hybrid
passenger cars. The most popular types of tirs can
be grouped by application:
All
season or all weather tires are some of
the most affordable tires on the market, which was
engineered to perform well in all types of weather
from wet, dry and snow to a moderate degree. They
are not however, recommended or suitable for extreme
weather conditions such as flooding, snowstorms,
etc.
Performance or touring tires are mainly
engineered for luxury cars, muscle cars and race
sport vehicles with elevated demands on high
performance and expensive style. Built
with durability and speed in mind.
Heavy
duty or heavy load tires are normally
more durable than regular car tyres and are meant
for vehicles under considerable stress, such as
rough roads, heavy hauling, or changing terrain like
ATV's.
Another good way to decide on
what tires to buy is to read a few online consumer
report tire reviews and rating sites like
www.epinions.com
or www.bizrate.com.
Do car tyre comparisons on name brands like ATS,
Nokian, Pirelli, Falken, Michelin, Yokohama,
Bridgestone, Les Swabb, Toyo, Dunlop and Goodyear to
name a few.
Tip:
To know when to replace your car’s tires use the
pencil tip test. Insert a sharpened pencil into the
tire tread, if the tread is lower than the pencil
tip, it should be replaced. Bald tires could mean
serious problems on the road when unpredictable
weather conditions appear. It’s also a good idea to
rotate your front and back tires to get maximum
usage and wear from your tires.
If you’re on a tight
budget but need to get those tirs replaced on your
car, try websites like
www.ebay.com and buy used tires on sale at
affordable prices. You can even find tire
wholesalers and dealers who are getting rid of last
year’s stock with free shipping included!
Find out where to buy
the best cheap discount tires for your car below,
through these online resources tire sites:
