Without tires, you’re not going anywhere in your vehicle. Tires keep you safe and on the road in slippery conditions. They can be the difference between a life threatening accident or a terrifying moment and some deep breaths.

It’s important to know how to buy tires. You need to pick the right ones for your car and ideally you want to do it at a reasonable cost!

Choosing the Right Tire

Obviously you want to choose the right tire. However picking the right tire can sometimes be confusing. There are so many different tires that it can be tricky to know what tire should be chosen. Here’s an example and what it means:

Example Tire: P215/60R18 63H M+S

• P - The P in this style stands for the type of tire. In this case the P stands for passenger vehicle. P is the most common type of tire, but there are also LT tires that stand for light trucks. Those are obviously more common on sport utility vehicles and pickups. P tires can work on a  lot of light trucks as well so long as they don’t have consistent heavy loads or are towing a lot of things.
• 215 - This is the width of the tire in millimeters. Wider tires are more common on high performance vehicles or on larger vehicles.
• 60 - This is just the aspect ratio of the sidewall:width of tire.

• R - This indicates that the tire is of radial construction.
• 18 - This is the diameter of the rim of the tire. Big rims are on big cars. Some cars with rims that are really large can have a really bad ride to them if the wheel is almost all rim and very little tire.
• 63 - This is the tire’s load rating and a very important part of things. When replacing a tire you never want to replace it with one that has a lower load rating than what is already on the vehicle. This could potentially result in blowouts or quick flat tires.
• H - This is the tire’s speed rating. Tires can range in speed ratings with top speeds ranging from 99 to 186 mph. Obviously 186 mph is going to be more than enough for anyone who’s merely driving. Usually tires have a T or H rating. Those are rated at 118 and 130 miles per hour and can accommodate for any standard driving needs.

Maintenance Tips

If you want to keep your tires in good shape, you can do so by following a few basic maintenance tips. Here they are:

• Rotate - The reason for rotating your tires is so that they all wear at the same rate. Different tires will have different wear patterns. Thus the rotation.
• Tire Pressure Matters - Keeping your tire pressure consistent and proper means that the tire will always be properly inflated and will take longer to wear out. So keep it at the right level and check it constantly to make sure it isn’t changing too much for you.
• Check Tread Depth - If you check your tread depth you can determine how your tires are doing and will allow you to

Saving on New Tires

There are a few ways to get good deals on tires. Tires are always cheaper in April and October. The idea is to encourage people to buy tires that are specific for the seasons. Because of this, there are more sales during those times.

There’s no need to get extra big tires. Keep your tires at the recommended size. You should also purchase tires that match your driving needs. If you are merely a commuter, there’s no reason to get performance rated Z tires.

Sign up for notifications at websites that can let you know where there are rebates on tires. These warnings will allow you to buy good tires at good prices. Buying online can save you a lot of money as well!