For example, are you more concerned with wet road traction than dry road handling? Do you want run-flat tires, which let you drive on them if they lose pressure? Do you want a smoother ride, or do you like to feel the road?
Part of the problem with buying old junk car is that it can be difficult to tell the difference between a tire with lots of wear left in it and one that is less than a year away from biting the dust.
Buying cheap wheels instead of tires that are more expensive could possibly hurt you in the long run. Cheaper ones are cheap because they are made with lower quality materials. When buying cheap wheels, you sacrifice a whole host of traits that come only with more expensive tires and the most important one is safety. What that means is the tire will not have as good of a grip on the road as more expensive tires and it will be affected more by imperfections and debris on the road. cheap tires also tend to be louder than and not as quiet as more expensive tires.
All the same, use the Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) to determine how long your tires’ tread will last. All tire manufacturers have accepted this measure as standard, and it is enforced by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Tread, already present wear, and impact resistance are analyzed to give an idea of how many miles the tires will last.
Another big reason why gas consumption increases is because a lot of people drive around in cars with under inflated tires. When tires are flatter more of their surface area gets in contact with the ground. While your car may run smoother it will also run slower. Moreover, it will cause your car to use more power and gas than it would need to with properly inflated tires.
In general, always buy tires at least in pairs. Never put one new tire on one wheel when the other has considerable wear. Generally, it’s best to put your new tires on the front to take advantage of better steering and handling with a new tire. But if your car is rear wheel drive, be aware that badly worn tires in the back will cause your car to skid and lose control quickly in wet or slippery conditions. If you rotate your tires regularly, say every 7500 or 10,000 miles at least, then your tires should all wear out around the same time and it’s best to replace all four as a set.
One interesting feature about online research is that the great price you may have found at your local tire dealer may be even less online. This is because of the competition online between websites. Those websites offering high prices will not get as many sales as those selling the exact same tires for less. The most popular brands are Michelin, Goodyear, and BF Goodrich. These are also often cheaper than other tire brands. However, good deals can also be found with other brands, too, like Bridgestone, Firestone, and Cooper Tires. So, it pays to see what works best for your car.