All Tires Are Round But All Tires Are Not Equal According a study by J.D. Powers and Associates people are keeping their cars, trucks and SUVs longer than they did even a few short years ago. I can relate to this trend. This year I chose not to trade in my current vehicle for a shiny new one. With the decision to keep my vehicle I will get the opportunity to do something I have not had to do for years; buy a replacement set of tires. Admittedly I do not log the same number of miles of most drivers which is somewhere between 12,000 and 13,400 per year. Add to that I am not an aggressive driver so my tires should last longer. That being said I will need to know when it is time to retire (no pun intended) my tires and purchase new ones. A common method for testing to see if the tread is still healthy enough for everyday travel is to use a penny. Apparently both the American and Canadian penny will do the trick. Another source suggests the new method is to use a nickel. Will I use this method as my gauge, probably not. Disrupting my peace of mind is worth the bit of money I would save by riding on tires for a few miles longer. It is understandable why some people will wear their tires out as much as possible to get maximum value from their investment. This can end up being a very costly saving program. While you do improve your traction on dry surfaces when your tread is worn down it becomes a hazard in the rain. Tires with worn out treads have an increased likelihood of hydroplaning (floating on top of the water.) According to tire experts the average lifespan of a tire can range from a high of 60,000 miles of a quality tire to a low 20,000 of a cheap tire. With such a wide gap in what you can expect from your new tires it is vitally important that you have someone on your side that truly knows tires. In most cases that someone will work for a Tire Shop or Dealership. When you go a tire shop or should I say tire shops take the time to get to know the salesman, manager or owner (this is often the same person). Three things not to do at the tire shop. Avoid acting like you know more than you do about tires. Avoid simply asking for a pair exactly like the ones that are already on your vehicle. They may never have been ideal for the way you drive or where you drive. Avoid being the one who asks all of the questions. A tire dealer who cares about his product and service should be asking enough questions to determine your genuine needs. If it seems like all they want to do is sell you a set of tires then move to another tire shop. Choose your tires and your tire dealer wisely. That way they both may be around to serve you for a long time.
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