You might need to buy tires when your tires are worn out and need maintenance. On the other hand, if you are buying a new vehicle, whether second hand or brand new, you need to be sure of a few things about the tires. Buying new tires could be a time taking experience because you have to choose from multiple tire brands. A lay man who is not so aware of the tire specifications could have difficulties while choosing the right tire for his vehicle. Also they might end up in choosing an insufficient tire for their vehicle. This article is for all of those people who are not sure about what tires they need to buy.
What type of tires should I buy?
Generally people tend to replace tires with similar tires in size, potential and specifications. This practice should be followed because your vehicle would work better with the type of tires it came with originally. So replacing them with a same or comparable pair would retain the quality and reliability your vehicle was built to provide. You can get to know this by looking into the data imprinted on the tires.
What is imprinted tire data?
The width is a three-digit figure at point 1 that represents the distance between one sidewall and the other in millimetres. The proportion between the width of the tire and the height of the sidewall is known as the ratio represented in point 2. Tires can also be classified as radial or non-radial, as denoted by the letter R as seen in point 3.
The diameter, given in inches on point 4, must match the size of the wheels on your car. The load index on point 5 is a measurement of how much weight a tire can support. The maximum speed of the vehicle must be at least as high as the speed rating.
Other information such as load capacity shown on point 6, safety regulations, and association symbols can also be found on the sidewall to help you decide if it's safe to drive with this tire or not.
There is no need of all tires replacement
The front tire of a car wears out faster than the rear tires. It's twice as expensive to replace four tires as it is to replace two. Check with your local tires shop about the condition of the back tires before you buy a new set. They may still be good for thousands of miles.
If you are replacing worn out tires, place the new ones on the back and rotate the old ones to the front. The fresher tires will assist keep the vehicle steady while hydroplaning in rainy or snowy conditions. If you just require two tires rather than four, place them on the rear of the vehicle..
If you are replacing tires on an all-wheel-drive vehicle, make sure you follow manufacturer's instructions. It is not advisable to purchase a single tire at a time. If one of the tires on one side of the vehicle becomes damaged, replace it with a new one on the opposite side.
How much should I be paying?
Another thing which is important is how much you are willing to pay for your tires. There are different rates for different types of tires in the market as per your need. People sometimes go for cheap tires and end up in replacing their tires again and again so before doing this, make up your mind, research a lot about the tires and then choose the one that would go a long way away with you.
Get more useful information with Continental tires.