Tire Shopping Tips from American Pride Automotive

Buying new tires for your car, truck, van or SUV can be a daunting challenge. There are so many choices and advertisements, it's hard to know what's right for your vehicle and the way you drive. However, it's worth it to take a little extra time and make sure you get the right tires -- correct tires can improve safety, gas mileage and even the amount of time before you have to replace them.

We see lots of tires come in and have a few suggestions for when it's time to replace your tires:

1 - Don't buy the cheapest tire. It's a cliche, but you have a lot riding on your tires. Good tires are an investment in safety, gas mileage and overall performance and handling. Cheap tires are inexpensive to buy, but are often more costly in the long run when you end up replacing them sooner.

2 - Don't buy used! Used tires simply don't provide the ride, handling and performance you need. Even with used tires you're paying the labor to balance and mount the tires, so the savings often isn't much by the time you add in labor charges.

3 - Know the numbers and get the tires that are right for your vehicle. Don't compromise -- go with what the manufacturer recommends for your vehicle -- you'll find that information in the owners manual, and on a sticker inside the driver-side door frame. It's important that you get tires at least as highly rated as what the manufacturer suggests.

4 - Check the wheels -- if you have damaged wheels, it's only a matter of time before you have tire failure. The wheel is what the tire is mounted to and bent or damaged wheels can reduce the life of your new tires.

5 - Replace all four. Even if one or two of your tires still have some life left in them, it's best to replace all four at the same time. If you like, you can always have the tire with the most tread mounted as your spare (if your vehicle uses a full-size spare). Today's suspension systems work in unison, and having a tire that doesn't match in performance and tread depth can limit performance, and make it harder to identify other potential problems.

6 - Break your new tires in. Tires are slickest when they are new and there is less grip for the first few hundred miles while the compounds used during manufacturing wear off. Be particularly careful if you drive in rain during the first month or so after getting your new tires.

7 - Have them professionally installed. Don't skimp on having your tires installed. A professional will do the job right the first time, and will check other components while installing your tires, such as brakes and suspension. They will also stand behind their work and you'll have the confidence of knowing the job was done right.

If you have any questions about your tires, when to replace them, or the type of tire to use with your vehicle, please give us a call (757-595-2755) or stop by our Newport News/Yorktown or Williamsburg location.