Queens Tire Dealer

....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 drivi ... read more

Emergency Winter Roadside Kit; YOU NEED ONE! (part 2) Stay warm 1) Keeping your body temperature regulated and avoidance hypothermia in a winter emergency is crucial. Please keep your clean cloth items in plastic bags to make sure they stay dry. Pack extra pairs of gloves and socks along with an extra hat and/or a facemask to keep you as warm as possible so you can change if yours get wet while changing a tire. Also, a second pair of insulated shoes or boots are important as extremities need extra warmth and if one pair gets wet. 2) Store at least two blankets in your kit or in your trunk. Include chemical hand warmers and a mylar blanket which looks like a thin piece of aluminum foil, but works with your body heat to keep your temperature consistent. Wool blankets are warmer than acrylic and don't skimp on the size. You will need this to keep your entire body warm and comfortable.5: Include flashlights 1) Your emergency kit should include several fl ... read more

At 106 St. Tire & Wheel, we get a lot of questions about wheel alignments...so we thought it would be a good idea to set the record straight and clear up any misconceptions. Your car leaves the factory with the wheels set at specific angles for proper drivability, stability, and handling. The crucial alignment angles for the front wheels are toe-in/toe-out, referring to the direction in which a wheel points (relative to a dead-ahead straight line); caster, which refers to the position of the top of the wheel, and camber, which is the offset of the suspension relative to an imaginary vertical straight line behind the wheel. Many newer vehicles also are designed with adjustable rear suspensions, and a four-wheel alignment ensures that the rear wheels' “thrust angle” is at a proper relationship with the front wheels. There are only two major signs that can indicate improper wheel alignment. One is a persistent pull to the right or ... read more

If you've driven around in Queens, NY very much, it's no secret to you that we've got more than our share of potholes. You can try to keep a sharp eye out for them and dodge them or swerve around them as much as possible, but eventually you're going to drop a wheel into a moon-crater-size pothole that rattles your teeth. Here are some ideas on how to minimize the damage (and auto repair bills) that come from encounters with potholes. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Underinflated or overinflated tires are going to be much more prone to damage or blowouts from hitting a pothole. Properly inflated tires will also absorb more of the jolt, lessening the chance of damage to the rim or suspension parts. Slow down if you see one coming up and you can't avoid it. Easing your way through a pothole drastically reduces the risk of damage to a tire or rim. Watch cars in front of you. If you see other drivers swerve, there's a good chance they're trying to miss a pothole, and you shou ... read more