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What Tires Do I Need For My Car – Are you in the market for new tires? Many of our customers spend their time in the summer and plan to buy new tires in September and October… still plenty of time before the snow flies.
While many of you have a go-to brand or rely on the team at Hong Kong Auto Service to recommend the best tires for you, we know some of you like to research your options.
What Tires Do I Need For My Car
For those of you who need a primer on tire shopping, here are all the finer details…
Signs You Need To Replace Your Tires….yesterday!
The tire core is the inner liner that holds the air and gives the tire its shape. This liner is covered with a fabric belt. The bead is secured to the bottom of the belt and connects the tire to the wheel. Steel straps sit above the fabric belt to provide stability and keep the tire tread as flat as possible on the road surface.
Tire tread patterns can change to meet different driving conditions, such as driving in rain or snow, or driving in all seasons and weather.
A tire’s sidewall and stiffness determine the type of “ride” it offers. For example, a shorter and stiffer sidewall enables better cornering and sharper steering, but makes for a stiffer ride. On the other hand, the tall and soft sidewalls allow for bump absorption and a smoother ride.
Tire sidewalls contain alphanumeric codes that describe the tire’s dimensions and key features. It is important to understand these codes so that you can replace the tires that match your car’s original specifications.
What Happens To Tires On Cars That Sit Idle For Too Long?
The size code starts with the letter “P” or “LT” and will usually look like this: P215/65R15 95H.
Different types of tires allow you to choose the tire that best suits your driving style and the climate where you live.
Once you know the type and size of tires recommended by your vehicle owner’s manual, you may want to tweak other specifications a bit. For example, do you prefer a softer or firmer ride? Is fuel economy a top priority? how does it sound Is a quiet ride paramount, or willing to tolerate a little noise in favor of increased performance? Choosing a tire is a trade-off between these and other factors, including cost, load capacity and wear.
Sometimes, motorists opt for “plus sizing”, in which larger wheels and tires are fitted to the car to change its appearance or improve handling. Again, there’s a trade-off between increased traction and improved cornering that results in a stiffer ride. Some experts say that these oversized wheels and tires will not last as well as the original tires. If you need larger tires, remember: the replacement set must come within +/- 3 percent of the diameter of the original tire. A set should also be approved for the original load.
Does My Car Need New Tires?
At Hong Kong Auto Service, we can help you choose the right tire for you. We understand tire technology and how to match your driving habits and budget with the perfect tire. Stop in or call today for a tire evaluation and tire purchase estimate.
← Does a new car warranty mean you have to go back to the dealer or do I need new tires? →On new, the recommended tire pressure is usually listed on the sticker inside the driver’s door. | Photos by Evan Sears, illustrations by Paul Dolan
Inflating your car’s tires to the correct pressure can help with fuel economy, handling and tire life. So, if you notice that your car is sitting a little low to the ground or the tires seem a little flat, it may be time to add some air. But how do you know the correct tire pressure for your vehicle?
Almost every vehicle lists manufacturer-recommended tire pressures on a sticker affixed to the driver-side door jamb, where the door locks. It can also be on the rear edge of the door itself, in the glove box, or on the inside of the fuel filler door. You can also find it in the owner’s manual.
Understanding Tire Warranties
While this may seem like an obvious, simple answer, there are a few things to keep in mind:
A general rule of thumb often cited is that tire pressure fluctuates by 1 pound per square inch for every 10 degree change in temperature, because the air in the tire expands when it heats up (increases pressure) and contracts when it cools (decreases pressure). Although the rule is easy to remember, it is not really accurate for all tires and can be closer to 2% per 10 degrees.
If the tires were last checked and inflated in the heat of summer, this mostly affects you in late fall or when temperatures drop in winter. In such conditions, a tire can easily lose 7-10 psi between June and January and that can mean trouble. Low tire pressure can lead to poor handling characteristics, especially in emergency maneuvers; Increased risk of blowout; and premature tire wear.
Modern drivers usually notice this when the tire pressure monitoring system warning light, which usually looks like a “U” with an exclamation point in the middle, illuminates on the instrument panel. The light usually comes on when tires are determined to be 25% below their recommended pressure. It can also work in reverse: Tires that are properly inflated in the winter can run at too much pressure when the weather warms up; Thus, some air must be released to release them at the correct pressure — although running a slightly higher pressure than recommended is not as bad as running too low.
How Do I Know If My Tires Need To Be Balanced?
Tires heat up due to road friction while driving and it takes some time for them to cool down. Even the sun shining on the tires can heat them up. In either case, the added heat increases the air pressure in the tire, so it’s best to check the pressure early in the morning after the car has sat overnight.
In some, the TPMS lets you switch to a separate screen that reads individual tire pressures, a real convenience. But if your car doesn’t have that feature, you’ll have to rely on gauges.
While regular push-on tire gauges are the most common and less expensive option, you may have problems fitting them properly. In some cases, this can not only cause an incorrect reading, but it can also cause the correct amount of air to leak out, causing the tire pressure to drop.
Thus, it can be beneficial to get a gauge that screws onto the tire valve, which will create a more reliable seal. These gauges cost more — usually around $10 to $20 — but they usually include a large, easy-to-read dial with a push-in button that lets you easily release some of the pressure if it’s too high.
What Difference Does Wheel Size Make?
The general rule of thumb is to check tire pressure once a month, but who wants to do that? Unfortunately, of course
Maybe not enough. How often you check them is ultimately your call, but it’s a good idea to do a visual check (comparing the ground contact patch on the front tire with the same side on the rear) every time you approach the car. However, in modern low-profile tires, the differences are not as noticeable as before.
In addition to the pressure changes mentioned above due to temperature changes, tires usually lose some air due to normal leaks. At worst, they can lose some due to a slow leak from a nail or screw in the tire, or a hard road hit like hitting a pothole. Thus, even if you live in a very temperate climate, the pressure may decrease over time, which may be less than a month.
For an actual tire pressure check, taking into account the changes in temperature, there will be at least one warm day in late spring and one cool day in late fall. For example, if it’s a 32-degree day in late fall and you’re likely to have zero-degree temperatures, you’ll need to add a few extra psi to compensate. It’s not really a problem if your pressure is slightly higher than recommended, as your ride will be a bit stiffer.
Why Do My Tires Keep Losing Air?
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