Tires have long been an important feature of cars. They serve as a vehicle’s only contact with the road. They secure both the driver and the vehicle during travel, that’s why it’s important that a car owner knows which ones are best for their car.
If you use tires that are not suited for the environment you are driving on, if it’s under-inflated, or worn out, then you are putting yourself, your car, and other people at risk. Keep in mind that every move you make using your steering wheel, and regardless of the size of your vehicle is, driving will be a struggle if you don’t have good tires.
While I understand that price, availability, appearance, and reputation are important factors to consider when purchasing tires, your choice doesn’t have to be limited to these categories. Understanding what you need is also important. To educate drivers who may not be aware of how to make good purchase decisions for their cars, this article listed 4 tips on buying the best tires.
1. Understand the basics
Tires are flexible containers of compressed air that support a vehicle’s load. It also propels it forward, backward, and side-to-side, stops the vehicle, and cushions its load from road cracks and other imperfections.
The heart of every tire is called the inner liner. This gives the tire shape and holds in air. It’s wrapped around with fabric that is fastened by beads on the bottom that holds the tire to the wheel. On top of the fabric are steel belts whose job is to give the tire stability and make the tread pattern as flat as possible.
The tire tread is found on top of the belts. Tire treads have different patterns for different types of tires. Lastly, the sidewall on the tire gives it stiffness and ride characteristics such as the tire’s dimensions. Knowing these basic tire details is useful for your decision making when it comes to your tire purchase.
2. Tire capabilities
You’ll know what a tire is capable of by looking at the sidewall. It contains an alphanumeric code that tells the driver about its size and other capabilities.
The code usually follows this sequence:
- Type of tire (P or LT*)
- Width of the tire across the tread in millimeters
- Aspect ratio of the sidewall compared to the width
- Radial construction
- Diameter of the rim in inches
- Tire’s load rating
- Tire’s speed rating (T, H, or S)
- Indicator whether the tire is suited for all-season driving
- *LT stands for light-truck
It’s important that you know this code, particularly when you purchase online using tire shop finders. Tire shop finders like Go Gulong use information like the width and the aspect ratio to search for the customer’s preferred choices.
3. Consider how you drive
Determine what your needs and priorities are. What type of driving will you be doing? There are two common types of driving every driver does: firm and soft. Which one are you?
Aside from your type of driving, you also need to consider the balance between ride quality, noise suppression, fuel economy, wear, load capability, and cost. Every tire purchase is about this balance. Using it as a basis will help avoid over-purchase.
4. Take the manufacturer’s recommendation
The manufacturer would know what’s best for their own creation. Trust in them to make credible recommendations of which tires are best for your vehicle. They often base their recommendations on the size, weight, load capacity, off-road capability, and steering for your specific vehicle.
Final thoughts
Buying the best tires and wheels for your car secures and gives you convenience while driving. It is also a great idea to get aftermarket wheels that will match with your tires like Superspeed RF03RR Wheels. So make sure that you follow these tips so you know what is good for you and your car.
Author’s Bio:
Rosette has a knack for anything DIY, but not only that, she also knows a lot about manly chores and stuff as she spent her younger years immersed in books about hardware tools, equipment, and tires. As a child, she once dreamed of establishing her own hardware & tire store. Her career options may have changed, but today, she continues to write so passionately about her first love.
I agree with what you said that I should take the recommendation of my car’s manufacturer when buying tires because they know what’s best for my vehicle. My roommate needs to buy new tires for his BMW, so I’ll share what you said with him later. I’ll also suggest he buys used tires to save money. Thanks.