Winter Tires – Yea or Nay?
December 31st, 2015
In a lot of parts of the country, the winters are tough enough that all-season tires just won’t get the job done. All-season tires are a compromise; they offer good year-round traction with a quiet ride, good handling and road manners. They tend to perform well in wet weather and light wintry conditions, but when the snow is more than a couple of inches deep, all-season tires are out of their league. That’s when it’s time to consider winter tires.
Today’s winter tires are a long way from the heavy, noisy, clumsy “snow tires” or “mud grips” that your dad might have had on his station wagon 40 years ago. Modern winter tires are designed for noise, handling, steering response and road manners that rival grand tourin ...[more]
Tags:
tires, driving safety, all season tires, winter tires, snow tires, tread depth, tread wear, replacing tires
Posted in:
Tires 101
Winter Tires? Or All-Season Tires?
November 12th, 2015
Winter tires versus all-season tires…which is the right choice for you?
The two designs are quite different and deliver different levels of performance and winter-weather traction, so let’s discuss.
• All-season tires are designed as an all-around compromise. They feature a tread pattern that evacuates water from the tire’s contact patch to prevent hydroplaning, with plenty of small, textured slits (sipes) to add extra biting edges for traction in wet or slushy conditions.
• All-season tires are designed with a harder tread compound th ...[more]
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Tires 101
Are All-Season Tires Really All-Season?
September 11th, 2015
We frequently get questions about all-season tires when consumers are trying to make the right purchasing decision for a set of new tires. As the title of the blog asks…”are all-season tires really all-season?”
The answer is: it that depends on what part of the country you’re living in.
All-season tires are a compromise from the very start. They’re designed for a forgiving ride, low noise, decent handling and good road manners. Maybe not as much as what a good set of grand touring tires can deliver, but pretty respectable…and also with an aggressive tread pattern which
channels water away from the tire’ ...[more]
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Tires 101
What Makes All-Season Tires So Great?
June 30th, 2015
So your closet has a pair of flip-flops for the summer, a pair of heavy boots for the winter, and a comfortable pair of sneakers for most of the rest of the year. If you live in a climate that doesn’t have harsh winters, you might just be able to wear those sneakers year-round...and all-season tires are the equivalent of your comfortable sneakers.
So what makes all-season tires so special?
Winter tires are excellent for severe conditions like heavy snow and even ice. They feature specially-designed tread patterns and “sipes”, hundreds of tiny slits which offer biting edges for traction in snow. This means shorter stopping distances, better handling and better control in winter weather. Winter tires are not d
esigned for temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The dow ...[more]
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Tires 101
Is it Time for New Tires?
June 30th, 2014
Your tires are the only part of your vehicle that come into physical contact with the road, making proper tire maintenance a crucial element of driver safety. With the ability to stop, start, and transport us wherever we wish to go, having well maintained tires can mean the difference between a pleasant Sunday drive and a Sunday spent in the shop. There are three crucial components to consider when deciding if it is time to replace your tires: your normal driving conditions, tread wear, and the age of your tires.
Weather conditions can be a major effect on the longevity of any tire. Tires used in more strenuous environments, such as areas with extreme temperature changes, can wear down much faster than tires used in more neutral climates. Inspect your tires for cracking, and other exte ...[more]
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Tires 101
Determining the Age of a Tire
February 14th, 2014
When it comes to determining the age of a tire, it is easiest to identify when the tire was manufactured by reading its Tire Identification Number (often referred to as the tire’s serial number or DOT number). Unlike vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and the serial numbers used on many other consumer goods (which identify one specific item), Tire Identification Numbers are really batch codes that identify several components.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that Tire Identification Numbers be a combination of the letters DOT, followed by ten, eleven or twelve letters or numbers that identify the manufacturing location, tire size and manufacturer's code, along with the week and year the tire was m ...[more]
Posted in:
Tires 101
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