Top 5 Tire Questions

October 19, 2016

Firstly, kudos on going out of your way to learn about your tires. They’re crucial to the safety and performance of your vehicle. At Xtreme Tire Garage if you’ve got questions about tires, we’ve got answers! Here are the top five questions our customers ask us:

Can I use my all-season tires instead of winter tires?

When it comes to staying safe during winter temperatures and driving conditions, we strongly recommend winter tires. Manufacturers use a softer rubber compound to construct winter tires. These give your vehicle better grip and traction in winter temperatures. If you need to brake heavily or stop quickly winter tires have the control to prevent sliding.

Can I just get two winter tires instead of all four?

Four winter tires optimizes your vehicle’s handling and traction, so we highly recommend that you install all four of your winter tires. Winter tires are made from soft rubber and at about seven degrees Celsius the rubber in all-season tires starts to get harder (hard rubber doesn’t grip the road well). Winter tires have more traction in colder conditions because they are softer, so they grip the road even when it’s cold. If, say, your front tires are winter tires and your back tires are all season tires then you’re creating dangerous driving conditions for yourself. When you hit the brakes your front tires will stop, but without that extra traction your back tires will keep going and you risk fishtailing off the road.

How do I know when to switch my tires?

Temperature is the key consideration. A lot of the time people assume that winter tires are only for when it starts getting snowy and icy. But when it’s cold, even if it’s clear and there’s no snow, winter tires outperform all-season tires. You should change over to your winter tires when the temperature is regularly below seven degrees Celsius. When it’s regularly above seven degrees Celsius switch back, or you’ll risk damaging the soft rubber on your winter tires.

Where can I keep my tires when I’m not using them?

You can keep your tires here at Xtreme Tire Garage. We want things to be as convenient as possible. Storing your tires here means you don’t have to transport your dirty tires in and out of your car. We’ll clean, electronically catalogue and store your off-season tires in our climate controlled warehouse.

Is there any way I can extend the life of my tires?

Absolutely! When it comes to your tires and longevity, safety and fuel economy play a role. Check your tire pressure once a month; the recommended PSI should be in your owner’s manual. Only check if you’ve been stationary for three or more hours. Also, get your alignment checked. Poor alignment causes uneven wear. This important regular maintenance can prevent big problems later on. Also, rotate your tires every ten thousand kilometers. And lastly, do a regular visual inspection of your tires for wear or damage. If you suspect your tires are damaged or need to be replaced give us a call. We’ll help you choose the best new tires for your vehicle.