Advice:
Buy brand-name summer tires and don't neglect them
by Phil Bailey

Tires are like VCRs and CD players. On an inflation-adjusted basis, they are much less expensive today than they used to be and at the same time are technically superior. At one time, someone changing a wheel at the side of the road was a common sight. Today it is a rarity. In springtime, those drivers who have chosen to keep their summer tires on a separate set of steel or alloy wheels will experience the lowest possible cost of changing over and will be up and running in no time at all.

Although it is an expensive option in the beginning, having two sets of tires and wheels pays off enormously in the long run. It doubles the time before more new tires are needed, it prevents bead damage every time the tire is mounted or removed and it preserves the pristine condition of those magnificent alloy wheels, which are after all, mostly a cosmetic addition to your vehicle.

In winter, the likelihood of damaging a wheel is far greater than in summer and steel wheels are much easier to repair or replace.

So, in spite of having taken every precaution with your tires, having them rotated, keeping the wheel alignment on track, keeping the pressures adjusted properly, you now need another set of boots.

But which ones should you choose? Michelin invented the steel belted radial back in the mid sixties and this company is still outstanding in its technology. I particularly like their baby and tire advertisement, with the theme "Because so much is riding on your tires". This is so true. Without good road grip from a tire that has plenty of tread left, anti-lock brake systems will take forever to stop the car, aqua planing in thunderstorms will become a real problem and safety in general is badly affected, where the rubber meets the road.

Many other good tire companies have joined Michelin these days. Goodyear, Pirelli, Firestone, Bridgestone, Toyo, Yokohama, Dunlop, Continental, Goodrich, Sumitomo and Uniroyal are most of the more prominent names of companies that produce first class tires.

Which is one of the reasons that tire prices have remained virtually the same over many years. Good old-fashioned competition.

Nevertheless, you can actually buy black rubber doughnuts (I hesitate to call them tires!) for as little as $35. I absolutely guarantee that such tires will cause enormous trouble, especially if driven at higher speeds in hot weather. Steering vibration, sidewall bulges and broken belts will happen.

This does not mean that you should not buy your tires from a large volume warehouse type operation, so long as a well-known brand name is prominent on the sidewall, or the name of the manufacturer can be established beyond doubt.

The description of a tire as "All season" is a misnomer. It may mean something in Arizona or Florida, but in Canada such a tire does not exist. Unless, of course, you winter in the South or only venture out when the roads are dry and clear.

One inescapable fact is that the harder the compound in a tire, the more kilometers it is guaranteed to last, and the less traction it will provide in slippery conditions. A really grippy performance tire might last 30,000 kilometres if you are lucky, but it will provide you with the most phenomenal road holding imaginable. For the average motorist, something in between is a good compromise and "all season" will be acceptable for summer use only.

Changing tires and oil does not legally require the employment of qualified automotive technicians, so that staying with the car to watch how the job is done, will be very much to your advantage. By this means, you will avoid the sad experience of one client of mine, who backed out of the bay only to have all four wheels fall off in the parking lot, not one single wheel nut had been applied. That cost the store over $3000 in bodywork repairs.

Also, make sure that your wheel nuts are finally tightened to specification using a torque wrench not an air gun. Over torqueing of wheel nuts will distort brake rotors and will prevent you from ever changing a wheel on your own.

Even so, as with most things automotive, price is exactly proportional to quality and, leaving out the owners of modern performance cars such as Corvettes and Vipers, who may have to pay up to $2000 for a set of tires, you should be able to obtain a good set of premium tires for your car for less than $400. Don't forget that very often the price shown in the weekend flier does not include mounting, balancing, or the application of a new tire valve. You will need to establish this ahead of time if you are comparison-shopping. Road hazard warranties do not generally apply if you slam into a curb or a deep pothole.

Also a tire tax now applies to the sale of every new tire. In Quebec, it is a $3 charge. Let me assure you that this money is not being wasted; the Government-run mechanism for orderly disposal of used tires works very well. I've used it several times and I'm impressed with the efficiency of the system.

Some less scrupulous garages may also take this opportunity, while your vehicle is on the lift, to find lots of other work to do. If they will let you into the shop to see for yourself and if the work involved is less than $150, it is probably worth getting it done there and then to save the cost of duplicating labour charges. But if the story is $500 or more and you're not allowed to see the problem for yourself, because the car is back out in the parking lot, then you should ask for a written estimate and get a second opinion.

Tires are your last line of defence. As we have said before, much of the trouble with SUV instability can be traced back to tires that have been neglected, under inflated, or overloaded. So once your new tires are installed, don't forget about them. Buy a dial type pressure gauge and check them before every long journey and once a week if possible. And make sure your gauge is accurate. In our shop we have never yet found a car or truck whose tire pressures were perfectly balanced, we have always had to adjust them almost every time.