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It's always a good time to check your tires
By BOB ENGLISH
Thursday, April 15, 2004
The change of seasons from winter to spring used to be marked by the traditional activity of changing from snow to summer tires.
But while many Southern Ontario residents have become convinced of the added safety offered by the new breed of "winter" tires, the majority now put their faith in all-season tires and so no longer partake in this biannual ritual.
But it's still a good time to check for problems and evaluate wear on your tires before betting your life on them during long, holiday-weekend drives.
Much as we tend to ignore them, tires are the most important factor affecting safety on our vehicles and hot temperatures, higher speeds and heavier loads can contribute to catastrophic failure. Checking out your ride's rubber needn't be onerous and replacing tires doesn't need to break the bank.
"Anybody can do a basic check," says Gus Liotta of Goodyear Canada.
He suggests visually inspecting the tires, looking for nails, metal et cetera embedded in the tread and for suspicious scuff marks or cuts in the sidewalls. Also look at the tread to detect uneven or unusual wear patterns and to assess wear. Tire pressures should be checked as a matter of course, at least once a month.
Liotta says how long a tire lasts depends on the vehicle and the driver's habits. The average tire should last 60,000 km plus, if tire pressures have been maintained and they've been rotated at least once every 10,000 km. But you can wear out a set in 20,000 km if your careless. A premium tire can be warranted to last 130,000 km or more. (Liotta is a committed tire guy, so he recommends rotating your tires every oil change (about 5,000 km) and annual wheel alignment checks.)
The legal limit for tire wear is 2/32 of an inch and most all season tire treads are 10-11/32nds when new. If they are worn to about 4/32nds they should be replaced.
"You should never wait until they are at 2/32nds because you're not getting any traction at that point, particularly in the rain or snow," Liotta says.
If you need a new set of tires visit your service shop or a reputable tire dealer, says Andy Robinson of Bridgestone/Firestone Canada.
Here, if they're serious about selling you the right tires, you'll be quizzed about your driving habits, perhaps how long you're planning to keep the car, your mileage expectations and how important such things as safety or fuel economy are to you. There are an astonishing number of tire applications out there, Robinson says, and you really need the help of an expert to determine the right tire for you.
"If he doesn't ask these questions he's not doing his job," Liotta says.
You can, of course, do some homework on the Internet. All the tire companies have websites you can find by searching under the brand name.
"Particularly when it comes to high-performance products, more and more of our customers are using websites to research their purchases," Robinson says. You can also compare the warranties being offered.
Forty per cent of motorists choose the same tire that came on their vehicle as a replacement. Not a bad idea, as they were selected, or in some cases designed for, a specific vehicle. But while you can't go wrong buying tires with the same size, speed range and load range, you can also choose a tire that offers different characteristics. Depending on how much you want to spend you can buy a tire that offers higher mileage, more cornering and braking performance, or even a better, quieter ride.
Every tire sold in Canada must meet Department of Transport standards, so all are "safe." The cheap ones just don't provide the same level of safety. What you're paying for when you step up in price are higher levels of the performance features.
A glance at Canadian Tire's catalogue show its Motomaster all-seasons range from $39.49 for its 100,000-km value tire, $53.99 for a 115,000-km tire, $79.49 for a 130,000-km tire and $96.99 for a 160,000-km unit. Various other brand-name tires are similarly priced. "Most companies offer a good, better, best selection," Robinson says.
You can find the size of tire on your vehicle in the owner's manual or on the sidewall of the tire.
Tires are sized in an odd mix of imperial and metric measurements. Typical numbers you'll find there are P205/70R15. The first is the tread width, the 70R is the aspect ratio (indicating the sidewall height is 70 per cent of the tread width), the R stands for radial, and the 15 the wheel rim diameter in inches. There's also a letter to indicate speed rating.
Every tire is speed-rated, which means they've been tested to operate at a certain speed for a given period of time. "We prefer to call it a performance rating because there's more involved than just speed," Robinson says.
He recommends you replace tires with those with the same speed rating, not so much because you're likely to be running at continuous high speeds, but because the tires also have other characteristics that effect vehicle handling.
Some buyers balk at the cost of these tires, but Robinson says there is a lot of technology built into them that allows the car to handle more effectively. If you want to sacrifice some of that performance, and exchange it for, say, more ride comfort, you can go to a lower speed rated tire.
Putting on larger tires, for cosmetic purposes or higher performance, is something that should be done only after consulting an expert, as clearance and suspension geometry issues that could prove dangerous are involved.
The owners manual in your glove box is a good source of tire information, particularly as it relates to vehicle safety and warranty issues.
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