Buying New Tires for Your Vehicle

Sooner or later, you will have to buy new tires for your car or truck. No tires can last as long as the life of the vehicle. In fact, expect to change tires several times over the life of your car or truck, especially if you bought the vehicle brand new. Tires expire, no matter how well you maintain them.

When should you buy new tires?  There is no single period that can be specified for the life of a tire. The type of vehicle, type of tire, driving style and road and weather conditions are among the factors that need to be taken into consideration. All these affect the tire’s treads. Federal law mandates that tires should be replaced once the tread depth measures 2/32 of an inch. Experts recommend, though, that those who routinely drive in rough weather should change tires earlier, when tread depth measures 4/32 of an inch. Monthly checks on tire tread depth are also recommended.

How should you choose the new tires to buy?

In buying new tires, tire type and size are among the first things to determine. This is usually indicated in the vehicle’s owner’s manual, the fuel filler door or in a placard in the glove compartment or doorjamb in a format like the following example:  P205/55R16 94V. It is very important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations strictly.

The letter P means you should get a passenger-car tire or a light duty truck tire. If the prefix letters are LT, it means the tire should be a large truck tire or a heavy duty light truck tire. Some tires do not show any prefix so in such cases you should consult the dealer.

The three numbers following the prefix represents the cross-section width of the tire, measured in millimeters. The next two numbers represent the ratio of the sidewall height to the cross-section width. In the example, the cross-section width is 250 mm while the sidewall height is 55% of that.

The letter following the ratio indicates whether the tire is a radial tire (R), a bias tire (D) or a belted bias tire (B). The two numbers next to it indicate the wheel diameter, measured in inches. This is followed by two other numbers specifying the tire’s load rating or maximum load capacity. Never buy tires with a lower load capacity than the car manufacturer’s recommendation because this could result in tire blow outs.

Finally there is the letter indicating the tire’s speed rating or maximum possible sustained speed while maintaining road grip. V for example means 149 miles per hour. The speed rating indicated represents the extreme, though, and should not be the basis for driving speed.

New tires can be expensive, though. How can you buy cheap tires?

Do not be lured into buying cheap tires from questionable sources. You will just most probably regret the decision. You may be able to save a few bucks but you don’t have any guarantee on the quality of the cheap tires you bought. It would be much better to scout around for discounts from authentic dealers. The mark down may be not as hefty but at least you are assured of quality.

How about used truck tires or used car tires? Aren’t used tires cheap tires? Why not find dealers of used tires in Tampa FL?

Unless you really know how to evaluate the condition of tires, it is not advisable to buy used tires, especially for cars. For trucks, the more reliable used truck tires are retread used tires. You may find dealers of retread used tires in Tampa FL. Car owners are advised to stick to new tires.