The importance of good quality tires

winter tires

It is important to equip your car with quality car tires. The tires are a very important part of how your car performs and can even prevent hydroplaning.  Not many people even consider the importance of quality tires when it actually probably the most important part of how your car drives. Good quality tires can offer better traction, smoother ride, more silent drive, better fuel economy as well as hydroplaning protection to just mention a few advantages.

In addition, it is important to buy the right dimension tires for your make and model car or SUV and always follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire dimensions. This assures the proper handling of your car and in fact the wrong size tires can actually damage the transmission of your car. This is because changing the tire size, changes the gear ratio, which can cause strain on the transmission. To give an example if your current tires are the dimension 205/55R16 and you are looking to invest in winter tires then you would need to get 205/55R16 winter tires. These dimensions assure the best handling of the car and makes sure not to put strain on the transmission. The additional advantage of good quality winter tires in the right dimensions is better traction.

It is also important to maintain your tires, keeping an eye on tread depth, and tire pressure. The tread depth has an importance in hydroplaning in that not enough tread depth, a minimum of 2/32 inches, can increase the risk of hydroplaning. This is because the grooves on the tires work to siphon water away from the surface of the tires when the road is wet. If the grooves are not adequate due to not enough tread on the tires, it can lead to hydroplaning. It is also possible to hydroplane on slush (slushplaning) due to melted snow on the road. This means that even winter tires need to have proper tread depth as not only does it secure proper grip and traction but also allows for proper handling on slush.

There are many different tires on the market, tires for specific seasons as well as for all year-round use, which ones to get depends on what kind of driving you will be doing and what kind of climate you have where you live. If living in an area with severe winter weather, then you need to invest in either good quality winter tires or a good quality all-weather tire. Both hold the “Three peak mountain snowflake” symbol signifying that they have passed certain performance criteria in snow testing and can be considered severe snow service rated.

When shopping for a good quality tires make sure to consider the kind of driving you will be doing and what kind of weather you will be encountering, as well as to follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire dimensions for your make and model car. These are just a few of the things to consider when buying good quality tires.

For more information regarding tires, visit: www.nokiantires.com