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TIRE INFORMATION |
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| Important Tire Safety Tips: Did you ever stop to consider the importance your tires mean to you and other drivers like you? All too often we take the function of the tires for granted and fail to properly maintain them for optimal performance and safety. If you stop and think of the demands we drivers put on our tires, there are few devices we depend on more than the tires we ride on every day. You count on your tires to provide a smooth and pleasant ride while being tough enough to handel various road and traffic conditions. We want them to maintain traction on searing hot summer days and cold winter nights as well as to shed water and mud on contact so we can maintain control of our vehicles in constantly changing weather conditions. They must bend and flex with every curve in the road yet with a few pounds of air pressure they must keep the crushing weight of loaded trucks and cars suspended above the payment at over 60 mph . They are to do all these things for thousands and thousands of miles…with little or no attention from us? Please take the time to monitor the condition of your tires. Most likely their condition is a result of choices you've made and they will serve you much better if you follow the few tips below. If you want to know more, follow the site links at the top of this page. It will be time well spent. Thank you. 1. Check tire inflation pressures frequently, including your spare. Always check pressures when the tires are cool and maintain the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacture. The recommended pressures are usually listed inside the driver's side door panel or glove box door. 2. Have your tires rotated at least every other oil change, (5,000 to 6,000 miles) to maintain even tread wear and good traction. 3. Check the tires for injuries such as cuts, abrasions and impact damage resulting in belt separations. If you find a foreign object in the tread or suspect impact damage, have the tire inspected and repaired by a trained specialist. 4. Never overload your tires. The maximum load and maximum inflation pressure of the tire is molded into its sidewall. This is not the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle but you can only handle the maximum load if you are also using the maximum inflation pressure. Running tires at these maximums may cause other tire factors such as traction or tread wear to be at their minimum performance level. 5. If your vehicle is stuck, avoid excessive tire spinning. The centrifugal force generated from tire spinning could result in a sudden tire explosion and possible injury. Use a gentle backward and forward rocking motion to free the vehicle. 6. Never mount radial ply tires on the same axle as non-radial tires. That condition could create vehicle instability resulting in a sudden loss of control and serious injury. 7. Never drive on tires with less than 2/32nds of an inch of remaining rubber. Replace tires as soon as the tread wear indicators become visible in the tread. These will appear as a solid bar across the thread. Failure to replace tires may result in loss of vehicle control and serious injury. Tire Nomenclature The tire nomenclature is simply a concise way of describing the tire. This information usually includes: Rim diameter Aspect ratio Tire section width Construction type Lets see what the nomenclature "P215/75R15" tells us about the tire. "P" Denotes the tire size to be classified as "P-metric" which means that it is a passenger tire. If it does not begin with a "P", then the tire is a European metric size. "215" Means that the cross sectional width of the tire is 215 millimeters "/75" Means that the aspect ratio or the height of the sidewall is 75% of the 215 mm width. Don't substitute lower, squatter tires on cars whose specifications call for higher aspect ratio tires. Check your car's instruction manual or a dealer's fitment guide and choose a tire that matches or exceeds the load carrying capacity specified. "R" Means that this is a radial, steel belted, tire. "15" Is the size rim that the tire is to mount to. |
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