Importance of Your Car, Truck or SUV Tires
March 29, 2009 by Robert · Leave a Comment
Whether you think about it or not, your tires are one of the most important parts of your vehicle. They play a critical role in terms of performance and safety. There are a number of reasons for this which are outlined in the article that follows.
Interesting Facts About Tires
If you ask car drivers what are the most important spare parts in their autos some of them will say that it is an internal-combustion engine, for some people it is carburetor, some car drivers will say that it is an actuator, but for my best friend tires are the most important things in his car.
I guess that you have a question: - Why?
Frankly speaking I had the same question when he told me that fact for the first time. That answer was very easy: he simply has many problems with tires/ He has never been able to choose that tires that will really fit his car though he tried a lot of times.
So I decided to help him. I spent nearly all the evening in front of my computer trying to find useful information about tires on the Internet. I have to say that I learned a lot of new and interesting things I had never known before. For example:
"Under inflated tires cause the engine to work harder. It's like riding a bike with low tires. It becomes harder to pedal because of the increased rolling resistance."
"Clearance and traction are the most important factors to take into account when going off-roading, and the right tires will give you an increase in both."
"Taller tires give more clearance under the differential and chassis. But wider tires (or change in tread pattern) give you more traction."
"If you go to a larger tire size you should re-gear your front and rear ends to offset the size."
After reading all these facts and all these articles on the Internet and visiting a great number of Internet shops I decided that Kumho tires discounts were really the tires what my friend had been looking for! He actually appreciated my concern and decided to follow this advice.
Tags: car tires, fuel economy, suv tires, Tire Pressure, Tires, tread pattern, truck tiresRelated posts
The Importance of Proper Tire Inflation
There are a lot of benefits to keeping your vehicle's tires correctly inflated. These include safety, better fuel consumption rates, and environmental benefits, plus correctly inflated tires will save you money in the long run. Let's take a look at why it's so important to keep your tires inflated correctly if you want to get the most out of your car.
Safety
Your car's tires have been engineered to provide safe performance whenever you need them, but they can't do that without some help from you. Regular maintenance and keeping them at the right pressure will help you. That's because tires that are under or over inflated will cause problems with handling. You may not notice it right away, but your vehicle won't be steering, accelerating or slowing down correctly, and traction control and anti-lock brake systems might not work right, either.
Fuel Economy
If your tires are correctly inflated, you'll save more gas. That's because well inflated tires have less rolling resistance and take less fuel to move. If you were to maintain your tires correctly, you could save two weeks or more worth of gasoline each year. That's a lot of money, especially with gas prices fluctuating.
Environmental Factors
Did you know that every gallon of fuel you use results in around twenty pounds of carbon dioxide being released into the air? This greenhouse gas has been attributed with making climate change much more severe. If your tires are inflated and your fuel efficiency goes up, your emission will go down. Given the number of tons of CO2 released each year just because of badly maintained tires, isn't it worth it to inflate yours? On top of that, using less fuel means requiring less fossil fuel production, which is also environmentally advantageous.
Another environmental impact that tires have is disposal. Most tires end up either in recycling centers or landfills, and tires don't really decay. Even recycling them is difficult, with some states banning the use of shredded tires in asphalt, and this material being difficult to use in the amounts in which it's produced. Better tire maintenance means less need to figure out what to do with the old ones.
You'll Save Money
If your tires are maintained correctly, your car will be a lot more efficient, and your tires will last longer. You'll get those two weeks worth of gas savings, and you won't have to replace your tires as often, too. Those are pretty good cost benefits compared to the price of the air needed to keep your tires in top condition. So, if you think your tires are over or under inflated, check them out now.
Tags: car tires, suv tires, Tire Pressure, Tires, truck tiresRelated posts
Recycle Those Old Car and Truck Tires
March 9, 2009 by Robert · Leave a Comment
Did you know that many people still burn old vehicle tires? In addition to being illegal, this is one of the worst things you can do to get rid of tires. It releases enormous quantities of toxins into the air and the ground, and they get into your lungs while you're burning them. Landfilling old tires isn't much better, since they never actually deteriorate in the landfill. They just take up space and produce toxic leachate. Fortunately, recycling car and truck tires is getting a lot more popular and is a viable option for people who want to do something more responsible with their tires.
Your tires just won't last as long as your car. They'll wear out and need to be replaced periodically. If you change your own, getting rid of them in the past was pretty difficult. That's why so many people used to burn tires or throw them away illegally. In the old days, even companies that were willing to take tires from you usually burned them, too. The substances released by burning tires include heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, plus dioxins and other unpleasant substances. It's just plain bad for the environment and for human health.
Thankfully, nobody's burning tires anymore. Since more than a billion are sold each year, with more than two thirds of them replacing worn tires, nearly that many are discarded, too. Recycling numbers for those tires have gone from ten percent in the late 1980s to more than eighty percent today. The materials in tires can be recycled in a number of ways, though it's been challenging to find good uses for old tire material. Let's take a look at some of the things that are done with old tires to recycle them.
Most of us have our tires changed by professionals. If you don't, you should turn yours in to a recycling facility. One in four tires taken to a recycling location, either by an auto shop or an individual, will simply be retreaded and used again. Old tires that are too worn out for retreading may be ground, with the resulting rubber used to make rubberized highway asphalt. This material is less subject to cracking in areas with harsh winters, since the rubber allows it to expand and contract with temperature changes. That means asphalt lasts longer when it's made with old tires.
Shredded tires may be used to base gravel roads, or they may be used to replace sand and gravel in other road construction uses. They're also part of the surfaces for many indoor sports fields, including tennis courts, and are used to create safe playing surfaces in play grounds. For many uses, old tire rubber is cheaper then the collection and processing of new rubber for the same use. Plus, it gets rid of those old tires, which would otherwise pollute and take up space.
There's even an environmentally friendly way to burn tires that can't be recycled otherwise, but you can't do it on your own. Pyrolosis is a process by which tires are burned in a vacuum or an environment with reduced air. Many of the raw materials of the tire can be recovered, including petroleum products, carbon, combustible gas and steel. However, this process is complex, can be expensive, and must be done by professionals.
There are so many different ways to recycle tires and get more use out of them that it's silly not to do it. If you change your tires on your own, turn them in to be recycled. If you have them changed professionally, find out what's done with them afterward. Recycling tires is a smart choice.
Tags: car tires, suv tires, tire recycling, Tires, truck tiresRelated posts
Can You Save Fuel with Correct Tire Pressure?
March 7, 2009 by Robert · Leave a Comment
Having the correct tire pressure is important for driving safely and for fuel efficiency, but a lot of us are operating with tires that are under or over inflated. As much as ninety-five percent of a car or truck's weight must be supported by the air pressure in the tires alone, with the tire structure supporting the remaining part. That means correct inflation can have a big impact on tread life and on the ability of the tire to perform over all.
Too many people rely on visual inspections to tell them whether their tires are over or under inflated, but that's not an accurate way to do it. You can't tell whether your tire inflation is correct just by looking. The best way to find out if your tires are in the best shape possible is to measure the pressure in them with a tire gauge. You can get one of these in many different places - most auto and hardware shops carry them. Even most gas station air pumps have a tire gauge attached.
The correct tire pressure for your vehicle will vary depending on the make and model, and may even be different on different wheels. The recommended pressures for personal vehicles can be anywhere from twenty psi to more than fifty psi! Fortunately, you'll find the correct tire pressure for your car in your owner's manual. If you no longer have the manual, you can ask a dealer or look online to find out the pressure to which your tires should be inflated. There may also be a place inside the car, glove box, or trunk which has the tire pressure listed for some vehicles.
Don't just go by the pressure listed on the sidewalls of your tires. That's the maximum tire pressure for this type of tire, not the recommended pressure for the tire. Many people don't realize this and have improper inflation. Most of us under inflate our tires, but some go to far to the other extreme and over inflate theirs. Both are a bad idea. Under inflation is the biggest cause of tire failure and it can cause a lot of problems, including poor braking, acceleration, and steering. Squealing tires are a sign of bad inflation.
All that inefficient movement is also playing havoc with your fuel efficiency. More and more people are being concerned with how much fuel their cars use, and that's smart. After all, vehicles that have tires which are under inflated by ten percent will have five percent more wear and use two percent more fuel. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up at the pump and at the mechanic. Twenty percent under inflation, which many people are driving around on and aren't aware of, brings additional wear up to sixteen percent, and fuel use up to an extra four percent. Tires that are poorly inflated have a higher rolling resistance, and it just takes more fuel to get them moving.
Tags: car tires, fuel economy, suv tires, Tire Pressure, Tires, truck tiresRelated posts
Are Expensive Tires Really Better?
March 6, 2009 by Robert · Leave a Comment
The only thing holding up your vehicle is the tires, something many people don't think about. The results can be disastrous, with blowouts just one possibility. Poor tires can also reduce the effectiveness of safety systems, lose grip on the road, and cause us to use a lot more fuel than we want to. Underinflated tires are extremely common, and this shortens the life of your tire and increases the chance that your tire will fail. However, even if you keep your tires in top shape and have them rotated regularly, you may wonder whether or not a more expensive tire would be better than the cheaper varieties. Here's some information to help you learn which tires to put on your car.
It doesn't matter if you're driving a new sports car or any old run down pickup - your vehicle won't handle, brake, or steer right on poorly made or inflated tires. Since there aren't attendants at most gas stations to check the state of your tires anymore, you're going to have to do it yourself. Making sure you have the right tires for your vehicle can make a big difference in its performance. You'll need to know what's recommended for your car or truck, and don't cut corners by choosing a tire that seems close, but isn't quite right.
Fortunately, most tire change stations will let you know which tires are the ones that are best for you. You'll need to let them know what you want - ordinary day to day driving, great performance on ice and snow, or other options. All season tires are fine for most people, but some challenging environments may require you to use specialty tires instead. This can be one situation where the more expensive tires are better for your car - in cases where the every day tires just don't measure up.
If you really want to talk about the best tires without spending too much, you should probably talk to the experts. That means visiting a store that just sells tires, instead of a chain store, and talking to multiple people about them. Specialized tire stores just know more about tires. However, even the cheapest economy tires of today are a lot better than tires you may remember from decades ago. They perform better and offer a lot more durablity. You may remember when a long drive meant at least one flat tire, but those days are long gone.
Name brand tires are often more consistent in their quality than private labels, and may be the best choice. Find out what works well for your area, and your driving style, and don't skimp on pricing. While the most expensive tire in the store may not be for you, the super cheap ones will wear out faster and perform less well. When it comes to tires, you'll get what you pay for. Remember to find out traction and temperature ratings instead of simply a wear rating, too. Many people forget about this, but higher temperature and traction ratings mean better dissipation of heat and better handling on the road. Shopping just by wear rating can be a bad idea, since high wear ratings usually sacrifice heat dissipation and traction in favor of hardness.
A long mileage warranty on your tires may seem to be in your favor, but tire experts say not to bother. Most companies don't pay off on them, since most tires wear out due to mechanical failure, which voids your warranty. Spend more for a good tire, but skip the warranty. Then, once you have those tires, keep them in top shape and rotate them regularly for the best results. You'll be surprised by the difference a good tire can make.
Tags: car tires, suv tires, tire prices, Tires, truck tiresRelated posts
Why the Hassle of Tire Rotation?
February 27, 2009 by Robert · Leave a Comment
We don't talk about tire rotation much, and not many people understand it. However, giving your tires a correct rotation can save you a lot of money and a lot more trouble in the long run. Did you know that the typical front wheel drive goes through front tires almost twice as fast as one with rear wheel drive if they're not rotated? You'll pay to replace those tires a lot less frequently if you're willing to have them rotated from time to time.
The reason front wheel drive is so hard on tires is due to both the way the weight of the vehicle is distributed and the fact that those wheels are providing the push for the car. The engine sits immediately above the front tires, as does most of the weight of the car. Plus, your front wheels are always turning - that's more stress on those tires.
Rear wheel drive cars use their tires less quickly because the drive wheels aren't the same wheels that are responsible for steering. Of course, front wheel drive has many other advantages that makes it worth the extra tire wear, but that does mean you've got to replace your tires more often or have them rotated on a regular basis. You decide which one is really the hassle.
Tire rotation is just a process of taking your front tires off the car and putting them on the rear, then replacing the front tires with the ones that were on the rear wheels. Usually, there are particular intervals at which this should be done. It's easy to get it done at a garage - the car's just lifted up, and the tires are rotated quickly and easily using professional grade tools. It's a cheap process, and while you can do it at home, this is probably one of those things it's easier to have done by a professional.
Of course, there's a right way and a wrong way to do the job. On a front wheel drive car, the right front tire should be placed on the right rear wheel, not the left, and the left front goes to the left rear. The rear tires, however, don't go straight forward. Instead, the tire on the left rear goes forward onto the right front wheel and the right rear tire is put onto the left front wheel. Your back tires should cross over when they're put onto the front of the car.
Doing it differently may cause a problem, since the point of tire rotation is to equalize the wear that your tires are subject to. With more equal wear, you're less likely to get a thin spot, and you won't have to buy new front tires nearly so often. Remember that worn treads, particularly on the drive wheels, can actually be pretty dangerous. After all, you don't want to drive or steer on a surface that doesn't have any grip left.
That, plus structural stability, is one reason you always want to have good treads on your front tires. By rotating, you'll get even wear and you won't be in danger of a skid or a blowout, and you'll save money by replacing those tires less often. So, if your tires haven't been rotated recently, have it done. It may seem like a hassle, but it's a good idea in the long run.
Tags: car tires, suv tires, tire rotation, Tires, truck tires