....how long your tires last can be up to you and this article will tell you how and why.
It's fair to expect 50,000 miles from new tires or the tires that come with any new vehicle. However, like anything tire life depends on so many factors. If you leave a light bulb on day and night its going to last a shorter time then if you just turn it off after few hours, right?
In NYC we drive under "severe" conditions. Stop and go in heavy traffic is tough on a car's brakes. Pot holes and other less than perfect road conditions impact tire life and so does "maintenance apathy" meaning if you don't maintain proper tire inflation, get wheel alignments, rotate tires, guess what, you may not get that 50,000 miles which is a broad guideline and not an absolute for sure.
One of the large tire companies recently won a big case against an owner who claimed the tires she purchased were defective. Turns out the tire company could scientifically demonstrate through wear patterns that she had been driving on under-inflated tires. They also traced her maintenance records and found there was little or no maintenance on her tires like alignments, tire rotations, etc. There were passengers injured and she lost the case which she tried to pin on one of the tire company. In house counsel which giant rubber conglomerates can afford give on staff lawyers something to do like defeat bogus claims with hard science. So, please, don't risk anything like this by doing a little bit of tire maintenance on what is, for most Queens drivers, a major investment.
Factors contributing to how long tires last are:
- the tread wear rating
- is the tire a performance summer tire or an all-season tire
- the type of vehicle it is mounted on
- how it is driven
- how well the tire is maintained
The life span of your tires will absolutely be shortened if you drive on under inflated tires. If you do not do routine wheel alignments you can expect the same. If you rarely or never have your tires rotated expect your tires to wear prematurely. At 106 St Tire and Wheel, we recommend that tires be rotated every 3,000 to 5,000 miles even if they don't show signs of wear depending on what the conditions are you do most of your driving under. There's a 2000 mile difference above, so you need to think back to what kind of miles you put on your car? Do you drive in NYC? Are you in Nassau County? Highway miles? Be a bit analytical about the above. Tires are a major investment and our business is focused around saving our customers money.
Also since oil changes are needed ABOUT every 3,000-5,000 miles (again, what kind of road conditions do you drive in? "Severe" city driving?) we have paired a great deal for our customers. Tire rotation can be done with oil change intervals. Your car will already be off the ground making this the perfect two-for-one and we have it priced that way; buy an oil change, most cars $25, and get your tire rotation is free. And "smart" maintenance means having your tires rebalanced if your car has developed a vibration.
Do you drive a front wheel drive car? If so, remember, the tires mounted in front carry most of the vehicle's weight while driving and while braking and cornering.
We hear a lot of complaints about certain types of cars and how many miles the tires get on a brand new vehicle. That varies tremendously and we can't know if this is the driver or the car or the road surfaces or the tires or a combination of things.
In general, this is our advice after 25 years in the tire business: don't automatically purchase the cheapest tires. Our experienced techs and tech team can help you get the tire you need for your style of driving and the road conditions you drive most of the time. And be honest we want to fit the tire for your real driving needs so you will get more mileage and better performance.
Since this is the only part of your vehicle on the ground, do you want to skimp here when your family's life depends on what is going to be touching the ground when you are doing 60 miles an hour?
We're not the driving style police, we want you to get the most for you money, be happy with your tire purchase and be our customer again and refer your friends and family.
And to that end, we will help you choose tires that have high tread wear and traction ratings and bear in mind that performance tires with higher speed ratings may not last long. A well balanced combination of wet traction, low noise levels, ride comfort and a high tread wear rating will probably be your best bet.
Also, keep in mind that every 106 St Tire & Wheel location in Queens will check your tire pressure and give you compressed air free if your tires are under-inflated as a community service. Remember, proper tire pressure saves lives.