Here's something you've never thought about!
It's not your tires that support the weight of your car...it is the air pressure in your tires!
Think about that, please? It may give new meaning to something critically important and that's maintaining the correct air pressure in your tires so your vehicle gets proper traction, handles the way it is supposed to and your tires get the durability they are supposed to have.
Winter is approaching, traction is critical to your drive in snow and ice.
Handling is important all the time but even more so in the winter, right?
You cannot set your tire pressure and forget about it. It has to be checked at least once a month. 106 St Tire & Wheel does this for free and offers free compressed air, so no worries, but the thing is you have to get yourself to one of our stores to maintain your tires in a safe condition to face the challenges of winter driving in the big city. Two of our locations are open 24/7 everyday of the year except Christmas:
106 St Tire & Wheel at 105-08 Northern Blvd
106 St Tire & Wheel at 106-01 Northern Blvd
Call us 718-446-6769
Our other locations are open most holidays, 7 days a week at 118-02 Merrick Blvd, 79-20 Queens Blvd and 45-13 108 St. We are here to help our customers and to insure safer drivers on the streets of Queens...hey, we live in Queens, we want you safe, we want us safe, we want everyone's kids safe.
Here's the real deal about tire pressure: it changes over time. Factors creating tire pressure changes and fluctuations:
· do you park indoors?
· do you have a pin hole leak?
· do you know what YOUR specific make and model's proper tire inflation is?
· what kind of road conditions do you drive over?
· how old are your tires?
· do you know that heat from the sun and where you drive affects your tire pressure?
· do you know that fall and early winter are the most important times to check tire pressure?
· do you know that tire pressure depends on time of day the pressure is tested?
Your tires, of course, contain compressed air which expands when heated and contracts when cool. If you park indoors your tire pressure will be higher and the same if you park outdoors in the sun but if its 15 degrees outside and you're parked in the sun, the sun will have minimal affect on your tire pressure due to the frigid conditions.
Temperature goes up...pounds per square inch (psi) of tire pressure goes up. Temperature goes down, tire pressure goes down. Temperature movement either way can affect traction, handling and durability of your tires not to mention safety.
In the winter, we don't have the same margin of error because road conditions will mandate every safety advantage a driver can get.
Did you know that for every 10 degree change in air temperature, tire pressure goes up 2 percent and down about the same amount when temperature goes down 10 degrees? Before we get even more complicated, let's ask you again...are you interested in the science or do you just want to attend to life without tire science?
Well, we know the answer. Most drivers are simply too busy to study tire pressure fluctuation and that's why 106 St Tire & Wheel offers this service for free. We understand the science, it's our business to know the answers to above; it's our profession.
We put a high value on safety and tire pressure is a safety issue first and foremost...it's also a performance issue (improper tire inflation causes accidents...thousands a year!), its an extending the life of your tires issue (under inflated tires wear out quicker), it's a pollution issue (under inflated tires burn more gas), etc.
Need anymore proof about what you don't know about tire pressure? Well, add one psi cold tire pressure to compensate for each 10 degrees temperature difference between the temperature in the garage and outside. BTW, is the garage heated? That counts too.
We're here at the 5 locations mentioned above to attend to these mundane issues and help you get the safest performance possible...and free of charge. Our pay off? Our kids will be riding sleighs and building snow men in Queens this winter just like your kids and we will be driving and parking in the streets as well just like you. See that Jeep on Francis Lewis Blvd? It could be me and rest assured my tire pressure will be proper and safe, will yours?
Happy Thanksgiving from the owners, managers and staff at NYC's premier tire and wheel dealer!