How to Know When to Get an Oil Change

There are a lot of variables that impact when to change your oil. Most shops recommend changing it every 3,000 miles, but new cars in optimal driving conditions can sometimes go as far as 5,000 miles, whereas older cars, cars that often tow heavy loads, or cars that often drive in extreme cold/heat might need to replace their oil as often as every 1,000 miles. Drivers also need to consider which kind of oil they … Read More

Spare Tire Options

When purchasing or replacing a spare tire, there are several things to consider. Here is a list of your options with their pros and cons to help you make an informed decision. Full-Size Matching Spare: Pros: Your regular tires could last a little longer as you now have five to rotate, and if you have to use your spare you can drive on it for a while rather than going straight to the repair shop. … Read More

How to Care for a Spare

While blowing a tire is enough of a headache, many actually exacerbate their troubles because they don’t know how to properly use and care for a spare. Learning (and employing) these simple techniques can save you a lot of pain in the future. Check your spare tire’s air pressure often—about once a month. There is nothing more frustrating when you have a flat tire than having a flat spare as well. Also, check its inflation … Read More

Anatomy of a Tire

Most people think of tires as simple technologies—some rubber poured into a mold. And to be honest, tires do seem pretty simple when compared to the jumble of metal under your hood. Tires suffer from under-appreciation because most of their technology is always hidden from view, buried under a thick layer of vulcanized rubber. To get an idea of the anatomy of a tire, the average car tire is built from over 200 materials converted … Read More

How many new tires do I need?

Replacing four tires If you begin with four new tires, they should all grow old together. So ideally, every so often you would buy a whole new set of four tires. That’s the best scenario and a very common scenario as well. But that’s not always the way things go. Sometimes one or two tires wear out long before the others. The main reason this happens is because owners forgot to rotate their tires. When … Read More

Car Maintenance Checklist

Spring is here. The good news is that your car made it through another winter. The bad news is that, if you’re like most people, you’ve neglected it the whole time. That’s why the powers that be have orchestrated a National Car Care Month.  Sure, it might be a bit kitschy, or a way of pushing product, but it comes at a good time. April is warmer which makes being outside with your car much … Read More

Checklist for storing tires

So it’s time to store your winter tires. Here’s a checklist to follow and make sure you’re storing them properly. To moderate some expectations, it’s important to know there’s no right way to store a tire. There are just general guidelines that will help prolong their life. Step 1: Remove tires Most people remove the tires completely from the rims and install their new tires on the old rims; But for people using specialized tires, … Read More

To patch, or not to patch

You went camping and woke up to a cool morning breeze, the sound of water running over stone, and a flat tire. Few things ruin a scene like that. Say goodbye to the beautiful memory. While Ma makes pancakes, you’re getting out the jack and spare. By the time you’ve loosened and lug nuts, and put on the spare tire, everyone else has eaten and you get to enjoy cold scrambled eggs, links, and pancakes. … Read More

Wheel Alignment

Every winter new potholes form, and every spring we patch them up, but not before we hit a few of them. Potholes, curbs, and speed bumps can cause your wheels to get out of alignment. You will know your tires are misaligned if you feel the car pulling to one side or the other. It can be a gentle pull, or in severe cases you might have to actually hold your steering wheel partially turned … Read More

Balancing your tires

Why it’s important Over the years cars have become a lot lighter. And lighter cars mean safer, faster, and longer lasting cars. So it’s mostly a positive. On the other hand, heavier cars with softer suspension generally offer a smoother ride. Owning one of the lighter cars built during the last couple decades means you will feel a lot more of the road beneath you. Today, getting and keeping your tires balanced is more important than ever because … Read More