Your Car Care REPs have just rolled into the shop and ready to chop it up with you. A car just wouldn’t be a car without 4 important components…wheels. Your tires and rims are vital parts of your vehicle and they greatly enhance the look and feel of your car as well. Most people overlook their ride’s tires and rims until disaster strikes. Today we’ll be talking about proper tire and rim care. So get a grip as your Car Care REPs get it in.
Let’s first start with tires. Tires are the only part of your ride that should come in contact with the road. Tires may seem like a simple piece of equipment but they are vital not only to your car’s performance, but also to your safety. Car tires’ main purpose is to allow your car to adhere to and “GRIP” the road. Tires should be strong enough to withstand not only driving on the road with a load, but also braking and rough weather conditions. Tires have oils in the rubber that like to be flexed so that they can stay dispersed. When tires are subjected to extreme weather conditions such as hot or cold temperatures and poor maintenance, they can experience cracking especially in the sidewall area. If your tires show signs of collecting brake pad dust on them, don’t ignore it. Brake pad dust can contribute to premature tire break down. Keep tires clean from brake dust and road grime frequently. If you are using a tire dressing its suggested not to use silicone-based tire shines because they will draw moisture away from your cars tires. Try to use water-based tire shines when possible.
Another overlooked tire aspect is air pressure. So many people do not check their car tires pressure until it is visibly low. When tire pressure is low or not the same all around you are not riding as efficiently as you could be. You have probably seen (maybe have even done it yourself) people play the “kick the tire” game to check if their tires air pressure is low. Low pressure or over pressurized tires are not a game. This can cause a tire blow out which is extremely dangerous. Tire pressure gauges are as essential as a wheel jack. Always keep one in your ride and check your tires’ air pressure frequently.
Tire tread inspection is another tire check that you should do monthly. Tire tread ensures that your car grips the road especially during wet and snow conditions. To see if your tire tread is getting low you can use the good old “Abe Lincoln penny” method. Place the penny within the tire’s grooves and channels. Insert the penny so that Abraham Lincoln’s head faces downward. Check to see whether you can still see Abe’s face. If the tire tread obscures his face, then your tires probably don’t need to be replaced. If the tires grooves are shallow enough that all of Lincoln’s face can still be seen, it may be time for new tires. Tire tread depth should be 1/16” or more. Upon entering into the winter season you should change tires to winter tires. Winter tires will help your car ride better during snowfall and help avoid black ice. A good time to rotate your tires is at the end of a season.
Tires are not only essential for an auto’s operation but can also give a particular look and feel to your car, adding more character. Do you remember the days of White Wall tires?? I sure do. If you wanted to have a stylish car back in the days, your car wasn’t complete unless you had White Walls on it. Today Low Profile and High Performance tires have taken the place of White Walls. Low Profile tires are also known as rubber bands on the streets because of their extremely short sidewalls. Low Profile tires average price range is $105-$200 each. Low Profiles give more appearance of the rim on vehicle. Because they are thin in nature, Low Profile tires don’t absorb impact of speed bumps and potholes well and have a tendency of damaging rims – which is our next topic up for discussion.
Car rims are also known as Car Shoes in-car culture. Typically, wheel sizes start around 13” for smaller cars and go all the way up to around 22” rims even 26” for larger automobiles. You may have heard the term “Riding on DUB’s”, this refers to a car that sits on 20 inch rims. Common materials used to manufacture rims are alloy and chrome metal. Both have their pros and cons. Alloy material is light and adds less weight to your vehicle overall, but they lack shine and durability that chrome rims provide. Chrome rims are a lot stronger and give off a remarkable luster to them but they are heavy and expensive in some cases. Relatively new to the game of rims are Forged Alloy Rims which give you the best of both worlds. Forged Rims are strong and lightweight and if polished can give off an outrageous shine.
Rims have become a popular item used to accessorize autos in the past 20 years. I personally remember when spoke rims were the craze. You either had to have BBS rims or Dayton rims on your ride for it to be complete. Then 5 star rims hit the scene and it changed the landscape of car rims forever. Many years later Spinners a/k/a Sprewells came onto the scene and it was like heroine to a 4-deuce junkie. Everyone had to have some. I must admit Spinners are one of the most creative rims I have seen on the market to date. I never imagined that there would be a rim that would keep spinning after the car has come to a complete stop. (Chris Rock voice) Look!! They still Spinnin!! Nowadays there are a plethora of rim manufactures and styles that have flooded the market; Deep Dish, Teardrops, Colored Rims plus many more. It’s almost impossible to keep up with the latest styles. A new style that I truly appreciate is Lipstick style rims. These are the rims that have an accent color painted on the lip or edge of the rim (colors can be red, yellow, green, etc.) that goes around the circumference of the rim. It’s a thin colored line about ¾” wide, hence the term Lipstick. This accent color can be the same color as one’s brake pads and tops off a car’s look to a tee.
Depending on the manufacture or brand of rims they can cost a pretty penny. Average pricing of rims go for $1,200 to $3,500. Remember, always do your homework when rim shopping, it’s a big investment. It’s worth finding out the pros and cons before purchasing. Be sure to protect your rim & tire investment with wheel locks. Because there’s nothing worse than coming out the dance hall only to see your baby sitting on cinder blocks instead of sitting on chrome. OK, thanks for chillin with us. Your Car Care REPs have got the seat warmers on and ready to roll out! Until our next episode, keep shining.
Your Car Care REPs have just rolled into the shop and ready to chop it up with you. A car just wouldn’t be a car without 4 important components…wheels. Your tires and rims are vital parts of your vehicle and they greatly enhance the look and feel of your car as well. Most people overlook their ride’s tires and rims until disaster strikes. Today we’ll be talking about proper tire and rim care. So get a grip as your Car Care REPs get it in.
Another overlooked tire aspect is air pressure. So many people do not check their car tires pressure until it is visibly low. When tire pressure is low or not the same all around you are not riding as efficiently as you could be. You have probably seen (maybe have even done it yourself) people play the “kick the tire” game to check if their tires air pressure is low. Low pressure or over pressurized tires are not a game. This can cause a tire blow out which is extremely dangerous. Tire pressure gauges are as essential as a wheel jack. Always keep one in your ride and check your tires’ air pressure frequently.
Tires are not only essential for an auto’s operation but can also give a particular look and feel to your car, adding more character. Do you remember the days of White Wall tires?? I sure do. If you wanted to have a stylish car back in the days, your car wasn’t complete unless you had White Walls on it. Today Low Profile and High Performance tires have taken the place of White Walls. Low Profile tires are also known as rubber bands on the streets because of their extremely short sidewalls. Low Profile tires average price range is $105-$200 each. Low Profiles give more appearance of the rim on vehicle. Because they are thin in nature, Low Profile tires don’t absorb impact of speed bumps and potholes well and have a tendency of damaging rims – which is our next topic up for discussion.
