Off-road tires are usually easy to spot.  They are typically large in diameter, have high sidewalls and open treads, and have sport cleats extending well outside the normal footprint of a road tire.  They are made of soft rubber compounds for added grip, and have deep treads for the same reason.

There is an incredible array of off-road tires available in the marketplace.  Not only the tread pattern, but also the tire’s size and design affect how well it will perform in a particular environment.  Knowing essential questions to ask and what answers to expect when buying these tires can make or break the experience of four-wheeling.

When purchasing off-road tires, the essential questions are: what type of terrain will the vehicle drive on?  Mud, dirt, rocks, snow, or gravel?  Are there elevation changes, or is the ground relatively flat?  Is the area well-traveled or untouched?  Is the terrain wet, dry, or arid?  Knowing the expected driving conditions will help the vehicle owner and tire technician narrow down the choices of tread pattern, open area, aspect ratio, and special enhancements to a reasonable range.  Tires for deep mud bogging are quite different than tires for sand dunes or snowy hills.

The next essential question is: what maximum tire size can be placed on the vehicle before it needs to be lifted or altered in some way?  For those on a budget, or those new to four-wheeling who aren’t ready to go full tilt, deciding whether or not to lift the truck can be an important decision; it will limit the number of places a vehicle can go, or significantly add to the cost of ownership in both initial outlay and maintenance cost.  Choosing the correct tire diameter is a personal choice for the owner, but has limitations when frame lifting is part of the decision.

The final question is strictly up to the vehicle owner to answer: how will the vehicle be used in its lifetime?  If strictly used for four-wheeling entertainment, then a full-blown set of off-road tires is the right way to go.  However, if the truck or SUV will be a daily driver and a weekend warrior, then the owner must also consider the cost and hassle of swapping between two sets of tires. In a case like this, all-terrain tires may be a better choice than off-road tires.

Off-road tires should never be used on paved roads.  They can be dangerous, since they do not provide the necessary traction for proper control or maneuverability.  For trekking through the back woods, open fields, mud pits, and snow-covered hillsides, off-road tires cannot be outdone in performance and enjoyment.  Selecting the right tire from the outset will maximize both.

When the proper off-road tires are selected, four-wheeling can be enjoyed to the very max!  TireVan offers a large selection of tires and can help you select the best off-road tires for you and your vehicle.

If you have any questions about extending the life of tires, visit us at tirevan.com and also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or watch our Tire Buying Tips videos on YouTube.

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Just as all-season tires are a compromise between summer and winter tires, all-terrain tires are a compromise between off-road tires and street tires. Since these tires must provide acceptable performance on and off the highway, tread pattern tends to be a little tighter to generate surface contact for street driving, while still allowing enough open area to displace mud, snow, and dirt when used off-road. These tires do have lugs like their off-road counterparts, but the lugs are tightly-spaced and less aggressive than a true off-road tire.

All-terrain tires are very close in design to winter tires, with an open-tread design and the addition of sipes to move water, snow, and mud aside.  They tend to generate more road noise than a true street tire due to their open and deeper tread design.  They are typically made of softer rubber compounds than street tires, which means they will likely have a shorter tread life.  Unlike winter tires, all-terrain tires usually include lugs located along the sidewall for an additional grip in deep mud and snow conditions.  They are also ruggedly-built to withstand off-road abuse, with extra plies at the tread and sidewall reinforcement.  Since these tires typically have high sidewalls, cornering and maneuvering on the street will be soft.  The upside, though, is that high sidewalls allow for deeper bogging action off-road.  Almost all tire manufacturers such as Michelin, Bridgestone, Maxxis, and Dick Cepek etc. produce an all-terrain line of tires.

All-terrain tires are an excellent alternative for budget-minded vehicle owners who want to have the flexibility to go four-wheeling without changing tires.   They perform acceptably in both street driving and four-wheeling applications, If you are in the market for all-terrain tires and reside in the Washington DC and/or Philadelphia metro areas, then visit TireVan’s website or call us at 877.847.3826.

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1.      Maintain proper tire inflation pressure: Tires that are underinflated by 20% will reduce tire life by as much as 16%.  Using real numbers, a car’s tires that are underinflated by 6 psi will cause a 60,000-mile tire to last only 50,000 miles.  Since tires are porous, they constantly lose air pressure , which must be replenished regularly. Temperature changes also have an effect;  a 10-degree Fahrenheit change in temperature will result in a 2-psi difference in tire pressure.

2.      Rotate your tires regularly: Tires wear differently depending on their position on the vehicle.  To keep all tires wearing evenly and to maximize tread life, they must be rotated at regular intervals.  Industry recommendation is to rotate your tires every 2^nd oil change (about 6,000 miles). You should refer to your owner’s manual for manufacturer recommendations specific to your vehicle.

3.      Check alignment regularly:  Alignment of the steering tires affects tire life, as does total alignment (front to rear).  The life of your tires can be positively impacted (as much as 30%) by ensuring that your wheels are properly aligned. Road hazards can knock a vehicle out of alignment quickly and unknowingly, and therefore total body alignment should be checked on a regular basis.

4.      Replace worn components immediately:  Almost every part of a vehicle exhibits some level of wear over time, and much of that wear can affect tire life.  Shock absorbers, wheel bearings, tie rod ends, springs, and ball joints are a few common wear items influencing alignment and tire life.  The result of some types of wear is misalignment, while other types of wear can cause vibration, imbalance, and inconsistent contact between the road and the tire.

5.      Reduce top speeds when driving:  According to Tire Industry Association (TIA), the relationship between wear and speed is linear.  The faster a tire goes, the more heat it retains and the faster it wears.  A 20-mph increase in average speed, from 55 mph to 75 mph, can decrease tread life by up to 30%.  This change in speed will require a 60,000-mile tire to be replaced after only 42,000 miles.

Learning to read and understand tire wear can allow early detection and correction.  Inspect the tire surface regularly for cupping, feathering, and distortion; know how to correct it to add mileage back to a tire headed for premature replacement.  It is also important to understand the effects of improper maintenance are cumulative; running tires that are both misaligned and underinflated can reduce maximum tire life by as much as 30% to 40%.

If you have any questions about extending the life of tires, visit us at tirevan.com and also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or watch our Tire Buying Tips videos on YouTube.

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Congratulations to our social media team at TireVan for winning Philadelphia Business Journal’s Social Media Stars Award for our 12 Days of Christmas Campaign!

Click here for the full Philadelphia Business Journal Article.

For more information check out our blog post on how to check tire tread depth

Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season Tire

Ever since their introduction in 1977, all-season tires have become a popular choice for car owners and manufacturers.  Ninety-eight percent of replacement tires sold in the United States today are all-season tires, and many new vehicles come equipped with all-season tires as standard equipment. All-season tires are designed to perform adequately in all four seasons, thus offering car owners the advantage and convenience of having only one set of tires.

All-season tires are a hybrid of tires that are used on dry, wet roads in summer conditions and wet, icy roads in winter conditions. They are designed first for hot weather traction and wear, and secondarily for cold weather conditions. All-season tires are distinguished by the M+S (mud + snow) emblem on the sidewall.  The only industry standard for a tire to earn this rating is that 25% of its tread footprint be open area which allows manufacturers a lot of latitude in design and performance. Consumers should consider the temperature, speed, and tread-wear ratings prior to purchasing their next set of all-season tires.

Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grid All Season Tire

In areas of temperate climate, all-season tires tend to perform adequately.  But they can be a compromise in extreme winter conditions. This is because the compounds used to manufacture all-season tires typically begin to harden at around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, making them less than ideal for heavy snow conditions.  When compared side-by-side on snow-covered and icy roads, winter tires outperformed their all-season counterparts for stopping distance, acceleration, grade-climbing, cornering, and maneuverability by as much as 20 percent in each test.  Not surprisingly, FWD and AWD vehicles handle much better on all-season tires than RWD vehicles because of their sophisticated handling schemes and weight distribution.

For many drivers, all-season tires are an adequate option. For a wide selection of all-season tires by brand, please visit http://www.tirevan.com/tires/tire-brands. As always,  if you have any questions about what tires are the right choice for you please leave your question on this page and we will respond promptly.

CAUSES OF VEHICLE VIBRATION

Vehicle vibrations can occur for a myriad of reasons. Some vibrations can be caused by normal vehicle operation (engine, transmission etc.) and others can be due to abnormal conditions in tires, wheels etc. The following factors can lead to vibration in a tire and rim assembly:

• Weight imbalance
• Bent rim (out of round)
• Out of round tire
• Force variation of the tire (caused by inconsistent sidewall stiffness)
• Suspension wear or failure
• Brake wear or failure
• Out of alignment
• Wheel bearing issues

Weight imbalance is most evident when a new tire is installed on a wheel. Since neither the tire nor the wheel are perfectly round, the chances of this new assembly having precise weight distribution about its radial and lateral center are virtually impossible. There are two types of tire imbalance – static or dynamic. Static imbalance causes a tire and wheel assembly to move up and down whereas a dynamic imbalance causes the assembly to wobble from side to side. Most tire balancing equipment in the marketplace today can diagnose such imbalance and correct weight imbalance issues through dynamic (also known as spin) balancing. However, out of round rim or tire issues and problems related to force variation of the tire can’t be diagnosed as easily by everyday tire balancing equipment.

ROAD FORCE BALANCING

To accurately diagnose and resolve vibration problems unrelated to weight imbalance, most high-end dealerships—and TireVan—use Hunter Engineering’s GSP9700 Vibration Control System and its exclusive Road Force Balancing Technology. The Road Force analyzer can “test drive” your tires before they ever hit the road. A load-roller exerts up to 1400 pounds of force against the rotating tire and wheel assembly, which enables the equipment to seek out inconsistencies in the stiffness of the tire while also measuring wheel and tire run-out. The roller measures the run-out of the assembly under load and automatically recommends the necessary corrections. The GSP9700 is also capable of diagnosing and recommending solutions for weight imbalance.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM ROAD FORCE BALANCING?

To be honest, all vehicle owners can benefit from road force balancing. It is always helpful to “test drive” the tires before the vehicle gets on the road. This enables the technician to proactively resolve potential tire/wheel vibration problems that a driver may encounter in the future. That said, we would like to emphasize that Road Force Balancing is especially beneficial for individuals who drive high-performance vehicles with low-profile tires (45- series and lower). This is simply because the less rubber  between the rim and the road, the more you tend to feel the subtle sidewall stiffness differences on ride quality. If the stiffness is within the correctable range, the GSP9700 helps the technician match the lowest spot on the wheel to the highest point of the tire. This optimal positioning of the tire on the wheel helps maximize ride quality by minimizing the effects of rim variation and tire force run out.

Balancing with road force technology is considered to be “best in class.” In fact, some tire manufacturers use this technology at their production facilities to test newly produced tires prior to shipping them to retailers. This is why TireVan recommends and offers Road Force Balancing as an option to all our customers.

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It’s All In The “TIN”

Like most products, tires have serial numbers which are also known as Tire Identification Numbers (TIN). Unlike the serial number for a car or an MP3 player which are individually unique, the TIN comprises of codes that identify the batch of your tires. The TIN begins with the letters – DOT (Department of Transportation) and are then followed by ten to twelve letters and/or numbers. These numbers identify the manufacturer, the location where the tire was manufactured, the tire size, and the week and year the tire was manufactured. Over time subtle changes have been made to these codes so here are some specific tips on how to decipher the age of a tire.

For Tires Manufactured After 2000

For tires made after 2000, the last four digits of the TIN are  the most important. Of the four digits, the first two digits identify the week the tire was made and the last two digits determine the year. For instance, if your TIN was “DOT U2LL LMLR3609,” that would mean the tire was manufactured during the 36^th week of 2009.

For Tires Manufactured Before 2000

For tires produced prior to 2000, a similar concept applies but only the week of the year is  stamped on the sidewall. To find out when the tire was manufactured, you would have to look at the last three digits. The first two digits represent the week of that year and the third number represents the year of the decade in which the tire was created. This can be a bit problematic because in most cases there is no way to determine the decade of production. In some cases, tires produced in the 1990’s may have a small triangle after the TIN.

Average life of a tire – When should they be replaced?

The life of a tire depends on various factors including exposure to sunlight, local climate, frequency of use and quality of care.  Since these conditions and factors can vary significantly from location to location and driver to driver, there is no hard and fast rule on how long a tire should last a user or when they should be replaced. Having said that, studies conducted by Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) & British Rubber Manufacturer Association (BRMA) suggest that tires should be carefully evaluated after five years of usage and tires more than 10 years old should be replaced as a safety precaution. An NHTSA study concluded that thermo-oxidative degradation (aging) in tires caused reduction in adhesion, increased hardness of most rubber compounds, decreased strength in steel belts and increased rate of cracking. Therefore, it is TireVan’s recommendation that tire buyers carefully look at a tire’s age before having it installed on their vehicle. If the tire you want is more than two years old then request a more recently manufactured tire. This will allow you to enjoy the maximum life of a tire. Also, in the interest of safety, it is recommended that you should consider replacing a tire that has been in service for 6 years or more.

We hope this article has been helpful and has increased your knowledge of proper car and tire care. Please remember to click “+1” if you found this information to be useful.

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It is difficult to read the paper, watch an auto store’s TV commercial or drive by the auto store’s physical location without seeing advertisements for tire sales.  As the economy continues to struggle, many consumers are paying closer attention to these tire sales in an effort to save money.  The problem is that many customers are unaware that these tire sales may not really be deals at all instead they could actually cost you more!

4 Types of Deals

There are 4 basic types of “deals” that you will come across in the world of tires.

1)      Discounted prices on tires for a “limited time only” – This type of  tire sale often comes with other requirements such as purchasing road-hazard warranty, tire alignment etc. (items that are normally considered “optional”).

2)      Buy x number of tires and get x free – -  Such a tire sale is generally associated with “house brand” tires or non name-brand tires which are hard to find and compare. In most cases, the retailers mark up the per tire price to to cover the cost of the “free” one.  C’mon, do you really think that a retailer will give away 2 free tires without a catch?

3)      Buy x tires and get free or reduced price service – In this type of tire sale a retailer simply rolls up the cost of service (mounting + balancing etc.) into the price of tire so you rarely get a “deal”.

4)      Every day low prices – This type of offer (even though it’s not a “sale”) is generally considered the best deal in the tire industry! The retailer’s offer in this case is not usually limited to certain brands or certain days of week and thus works out best for the consumer.

Tips on how to Avoid Unpleasant Surprises

Be sure to ask what brand and type of tires are included in the tire sale.  If the offer is limited to tires made by an unknown manufacturer, or are a “house brand” (tires that are only available at that tire store), you are most likely not getting a deal.     Be sure to do some research online before going into the store to purchase tires.  The more you know about your driving style, your tire needs and how to read and understand the ratings of a tire, the better chance that you will actually wind up with a good deal and not get ripped off.  Be wary of a tire store that tries to “upsell” you on items like alignments, brakets etc.  These are high profit services for a tire store and in many cases  tire stores make as much as 50% of their revenue from selling the customer something more than tires.

We feel that it is perfectly ok for a consumer to be skeptical of tire sales since many of them don’t turn out to be bargains afterall.  However, we would like to emphasize that there are some good, genuine tire stores that offer valid, quality deals. So, we encourage consumers to do their research and and ask their tire dealers the right questions before making the purchase.  As always, please feel free to call TireVan’s expert sales staff at 1.877.847.3826 or visit our website at www.TireVan.com for answers to your tire related questions.

If you found this article to be helpful, please share it with your friends and family on Facebook and on Google by clicking the +1 button below.

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At TireVan, we often get asked, “Can I buy two tires instead of four and if I only buy two will they go in the front or the back?

In this video, as part of TireVan’s Educational Series, we explain why new tires should be purchased in pairs and why they should always be installed on the rear axle.

Watch the other videos in our educational series to learn more about tire maintenance.
Visit TireVan at http://www.tirevan.com