THREE TIPS WHEN BUYING NEW TIRES

Sometimes we are not so bright, but tires are one of the essential components of our vehicle.

The type of tire we use, especially if we are going to replace the original ones, can determine aspects such as fuel consumption, braking capacity, cornering behavior, and the feeling of general comfort while driving. In buying car tire, it is vital to make a right choice on what type of tire we buy for our car and to facilitate this task, and we have prepared three tips that will be very useful:

1. UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES

The manufacturer of our car has already done some previous work to determine the type of tires that fit their performance and specifications correctly. Knowing, and above all, understanding the technical requirements will allow us to see the margin, we have to choose an alternative tire within the recommended parameters. It is essential that you identify the measure, for which we will use this example: P 255/55 R 18 97T

Rim type: passenger (P), light truck, or van (LT), spare, or temporary (T). If the rim does not have any letters, it may be a European "metric" measure, so we recommend consulting the owner's manual.
Rim width: measured in millimeters, it is the first number that appears in the measurement, in this case, 255 mm, and it goes from side to side.
Rim Profile: is the ratio between the height of the side of the tire and its width; In our example, the profile of this tire is equivalent to 55% of its width. The lower the profile, the feeling of handling when cornering will be more pleasant, although on the other hand, the sensitivity to potholes increases.
Construction: In our example, the R means that it is a Radial tire, which is the case for most light car tires. Other options are D (diagonal construction) and B (belted).
Wheel diameter: it is measured in inches and is the indicator to find the rim that corresponds to the edge. In our example, we talk about 18 inches.
Load Index: indicates the certified weight that the tire can support safe maximum inflation. The 97 in our example corresponds to a number within a referential table of load indexes, which translates to 730 kilograms for our example.

2. DETERMINE YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS

This is a significant point because it must complement the aesthetic considerations when choosing a tire since there may be equivalent options in the measure, but with a design for very different uses. So, ask yourself if there are specific climatic conditions that determine your driving (frequent rains, heat, dry environment); the place where you usually drive (motorways, country roads, urban streets, etc.) and finally defines the type of driving that best characterizes you (you like to feel the curves or you prefer a greater feeling of cushioning). These and other questions, you should be able to ask yourself with the help of an expert advisor to help you think through all the details that define your specific needs.

3. VERIFY THE POSSIBILITY OF A CHANGE IN MEASUREMENTS OR SPECIFICATIONS

You must make sure that the tire you choose meets the specifications of the manufacturer of your vehicle types. Thus, you may find a tire that seems very striking to you, but that is outside the factory measurements, so the result could be excessive fuel consumption, loss of stability in extreme situations, or accelerated wear of individual components. There are enough alternatives on the market for you to find the tire that you like and that meets all performance and safety parameters.

Let us inform you and advise you in the process of choosing tires for your vehicle. On our website, you can find the inventory we have, with a wide variety of brands and models. What we will do is understand each case and make a suitable recommendation, in addition to ensuring that the installation of the new set of tires is carried out correctly. We hope these tips are helpful for your next tire purchase.