With all the tires you encounter every day, it is easy to forget their humble beginning and just how far they have come since the early days of automotive development. Follow along as we recap the incredible evolution that has taken us from simple rubber rings to the products we see today. The tire had …
We know that a lot of drivers are working pretty hard to make a dollar go farther and that the outlay for a full set of four tires – even inexpensive tires – can be considerable. That’s why we run across drivers pretty often who ask if it’s okay to just replace a pair of tires, …
Believe it or not, many new vehicles come without a spare tire. Manufacturers have a few different reasons for that, including weight savings, space efficiency, and cost. When you’re stuck by the side of the road, though, none of that really matters much, does it? Instead, these vehicles come equipped with an inflation kit and/or a …
There are so many tire designs on the road — all-season, high performance, touring, light truck — and even within a specific tire design, there may be several c hoices of tread patterns. What differentiates them, and what are the pros and cons of each tread design? — Directional tread has a pattern of grooves …
The tire is such a commonplace item — it’s on every car, every truck, every bicycle, every aircraft. It’s easy to not give the tire a second thought, but like every other technology, the tire has an interesting history of advances and failures. In the 19th century, carriages and wagons used steel strips for “tires” on …
Tires all look sort of the same…round and black…and people tend to think tires don’t change much over the years. That’s really not true, though – engineers and designers are constantly working on advances in tire designs for more miles, better fuel economy and better performance. Here’s a rundown of current trends in tire technology …
In a perfect world, all four tires would wear out at the same time. In the same perfect world, everyone would be able to afford a whole set of tires all at once. Unfortunately, things often just do not work out that way. Sometimes you may just have to replace tires as you can afford …
Your tires are a pretty big investment. Even with the cheapest set of tires, you’re going to be spending upwards of $400 on the tires, mounting, balancing, disposal fees and taxes. Since you laid down that kind of money, doesn’t it just make sense to make sure you get the most miles possible out of …
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 …
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 …
