Tire safety

Over time, normal driving conditions can gradually knock these angles out of balance, resulting in wheel misalignment. Impacts from potholes, curbs, or rough roads, as well as worn suspension parts, can alter the wheel geometry. When that happens, you may start noticing symptoms of bad alignment, such as your car pulling to one side, a crooked steering wheel, or uneven tire wear. In this guide, we’ll explain the main causes and symptoms of wheel misalignment, explore how it affects tire performance and handling, and clarify essential alignment angles.

Tire dry rot is the deterioration of the rubber in a tire that occurs due to external factors, including exposure to sunlight, extreme weather conditions, and aging. Dry rot manifests through cracks in rubber, brittleness, and overall weakening, posing a safety hazard due to the risk of tire failure and blowouts. NHTSA recommends tire replacement when symptoms of dry rot, such as brittle sidewalls and hard texture, appear.

Tires are subject to constant stress on every road trip, sharp corner, or aggressive braking. They wear out, and sooner or later, you need to replace tires. Understanding when to change your tires is not just about how much mileage you've put on them. It's about reading their symptoms and taking actions for safety and performance on any road you tackle. Many drivers are guided by tire validity period. And this is right, but only to a certain extent...

A flat tire is one of the most common dangers that can befall a driver. Spare tires can save the day after a severe puncture, ensuring that you reach your destination safely. Spare tire use has limitations, however, which all drivers should be aware of. In this article, we will talk about the distance limit that you can safely drive on a spare and what types of spares exist.

Run-flat tires are tires that use reinforced sidewalls that support your vehicle's weight even with zero air pressure, allowing you to keep driving after a puncture for 50 miles more. While run flats can keep you driving to a safe location instead of stopping immediately on the side of the road on a flat tire, they come with both advantages and disadvantages related to ride comfort, cost, and long-term value that you should know about.

If you drive a car in the U.S., you’ve probably heard the term tire or wheel balancing tossed around at tire shops. Some drivers think it’s optional. Others confuse it with wheel alignment. But proper balancing is one of the simplest services that directly improves tire life, vehicle comfort, and highway safety. Here you have a clear, expert-backed guide to what wheel balancing actually means, why it matters, and when your car needs it.

The Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake and M+S tire markings refer to weather conditions in which the tires feel like fish in water. While the UTQG rating explains a tire's traction, temperature, and service life, the Snowflake and M+S markings are about weather versatility.

Check your tire tread depth with a penny, a quarter, a tread depth gauge, or the built-in wear bars, and learn what each reading means. The penny test shows the 2/32″ legal minimum, and the quarter test shows 4/32″, the depth at which AAA recommends replacing tires. This guide also explains what bald tires are, why they’re dangerous, whether they’re illegal, and what causes bald spots.

Tires are complex, high-tech vehicle parts designed for safety and performance. Following old or wrong advice related to tire use and maintenance can shorten tire life, waste fuel, and even raise the risk of accidents. The most common mistakes drivers make with tire use include: replacing only two tires, relying on all-season tires in extreme winter conditions, pumping too high or too low pressure, skipping tire rotations, and driving on worn tires for too long.

Picking the right tires for trucks and pickups might be challenging. These vehicles typically cover both smooth and rough terrains. As such, pickups and trucks need tires that deliver confidence for tacking off-road surfaces and comfort when switching to smooth roads. This guide helps you narrow the list of available tires for pickups and trucks to ensure your truck is properly prepared for the road ahead.