I Bought Tires from TireRack.com, This is What You Should Know.
The tire I bought: Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
When should you buy new tires?
We decided to replace all 4 tires since the original tires on this 2020 VW Jetta were already below 5mm in tread, after only 31k miles, and at least one of the tires had to have a puncture repaired.
Typically, with a Front wheel drive car like this one, you can get away with replacing just the two lowest tread tires, but since all 4 were low, it was a good opportunity to switch out to a potentially better performing and longer lasting tire.
Routine Inspections
Planning ahead = Increase Safety
Planning ahead is crucial. The worst time to look for tires is on the side of the road with a flat, blow out or from a spin out due to lack of grip. Accident’s happen, but some tire related roadside emergencies could have been prevented with routine inspections and proper preventative maintenance.
Click Below to learn more about Routine Tire Inspections.
You should check your tires based on how frequently you drive, every 1k miles or so doesn’t hurt, but for me, I perform monthly tire inspections.
Old tires with a lot of tread = Still can be safety risk!
Below is an example of DOT stamp with the Production Date:
The average life of a tire is four to five years regardless of mileage.
The older the rubber, the more at risk you are for cracking, gradual loss of pressure, and potential blow outs due to under-inflation, hardening or rubber might decrease grip, which can be especially reduced in rain/sleet/snow/ice. So if you buy a tire that’s already 2-3 years old, it might not last as long as you hope!
How to buy tires online?
Reading Tires
Reading Tire Sizing
Look for this pattern above on your car. For example, on this 2019 VW Atlas, it has 18″ rims, so the tires that it runs from the factory are a size 260/55R16. That reads as follows, the width is 245mm, the Aspect Ratio is 60 and the diameter of the tire hole is Rated for 18 inch rims.
Reading the tread wear patterns on tires is a science. The good news is that just about anyone can read the writing on the sidewall. So go out to your car and take a good photo of the face of your wheel.
Tire Options
All Season, Summer, Winter, Eco/Green Tires. Speed Rating, Tread Depth, Mileage Warranty, tread patterns, temperature ratings, etc.
There’s just so much to consider, so while you can just go to your local tire shop and get whatever they recommend or just match the OEM provided tires, that doesn’t always mean that you are getting the Best Tire or the Best Deal…
High Performance Summer Tires
These actually provide the best traction on both Dry and Wet conditions, but require a second set of tires (and rims if you can swing it) for when the temperatures drop (unless you don’t live somewhere with seasons)
High Performance All Season Tires
These will compromise dry and wet traction for better traction in a larger temperature range. These are supposed to perform better than Summer tires between 32-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Those in true snowy climates, should still use dedicated Winter tires/wheels.
High Performance Winter Tires
If you live where it snows more than a flurry or if you do a lot of driving in temperatures below 32 Degrees Fahrenheit, then you should run a dedicated set of winter tires. I’ve always run Bridgestone Blizzaks, but now there are so many options to choose from. My go to for every vehicle is to secure a used set of original wheels from the forums/facebook marketplace/ebay/etc. and then use that set as winter wheels because the fitment will be perfect, I can use the OEM wheel bolts, and stock tire sizing.
Why buy tires from TireRack.com?
I have been buying tires from The Tire Rack since 2012.
For me, they have been the cheapest, with the most options, plus a Free nationwide road hazard protection!
Free 2-Year
Road Hazard Protection
Road hazard damage isn’t covered under tire warranties. Repairs reimbursed up to $40/tire & if necessary complete tire replacement (up to $599).
Free Road Side Assistance
Complete roadside assistance including service for tire changing, fuel, lockout, battery jumping, and 25-mile complimentary towing (for tire-related services only)
Free Shipping
& Easy Installation
Tires can be shipped to you, or directly to a recommended installer. Tire Rack has a network of over 9,000 trusted tire shops including mobile installers that can come to you, that offer transparent pricing so you know the exact cost before choosing a shop.
Never-Ending
Love of Tires
These folks built a dedicated test track for to personally evaluate Braking, Slalom, and Wet tire performance.
What should you do while your tires are getting installed?
While not absolutely necessary, I always recommend that folks take the opportunity to inspect critical components while their wheels are off the car. This is why I like going to local tire shops, it gives me the chance to actually be with the car while they swap tires.
While the wheels are off
You might as well do some safety/maintenance checks
