Car Tires: Using Online Resources to Buy New Discount Tires for your Car or Truck
When people think about buying tires for their car or truck, their first thought is usually head to the local garage or auto parts store. But in the internet age, your first stop should be at an online tire site to do some research first. There are many sites focussed on tire reviews and recommendations, especially if you are looking for high performance tires and not just discount tires. 1010tires.com is one such site, with special information about winter and studded tires - do you need them? What to look for when buying seasonal tires? It's all there. For example: "If you regularly encounter ice, unplowed snow, or slush, then you're going to need winter tires. Winter tires will give you that extra traction, braking and handling you'll need to confidently drive on snow and ice. They have specialized tread compounds to handle the cold temperatures. The tread remains flexible to prevent snow buildup and help with traction on ice. Even at 15mph, in tests conducted on ice, vehicles equipped with winter tires stopped from 1/2 to a full car length shorter than identical vehicles on all season tires. Without winter tires be prepared for fishtailing on corners and spinning out on that icy hill. ABS, traction control, and vehicle dynamics control are limited by the grip the tires can provide. These are all safety features you don't want to fail under emergency circumstances."
They also have a section on winter driving tips - handling skids, getting unstuck, black ice, etc. When it comes to buying tires, they have a large inventory and can order specialty tires, usually within a few days. Shipping prices are less than you think - a sample order of 4 tires came in at $47 worth of shipping costs - not that bad compared to the $20 you might pay to overnight a digital camera to you!
The Tire Rack is a leader in performance tires and wheels, with warehouses in Indiana, Nevada, Delaware or Louisiana for quicker shipping and delivery. They also have a search function on their site for finding a local installer. They allow you to shop by vehicle (to find the best recommended tires for your car) or by tire if you know what you are looking for. They also have a nice decision guide for walking you thru the tire buying process, and a "Selecting the Right Tire" section covering everything from replacing just one, 2, or 4 tires, choosing the right size, the need for special seasonal tires, comparing price and value, when to replace tires, and more.
Vulcantire.com is an online and mail order tire store based in Utah. They carry all tire inventory in stock, usually shipping in one business day. They also sell tire chains and accessories. They include a tire guide with information on tire size, alignment, mounting and balancing, rotation, air pressure, speed ratings, and chains.
Even Walmart sells a lot of tires, and their website has a section on "Is it time to buy tires?", covering wear and damage, and the famous penny test to check tread depth. For Car Tires, they offer information like: "Passenger tires: These are the most cost-effective tire types available. These tires have higher profiles that offer a smooth ride and longer wear, with an emphasis on ride comfort and low noise. These tires are typically all-season offering traction in a variety of conditions.
Touring tires: A step-up from passenger tires, touring tires offer enhanced performance combined with excellent ride quality. These tires typically have a slightly lower profile and wider tread than an equivalent passenger tire for improved handling and stability at high speeds.
Performance, high performance and ultra high performance tires: Designed for higher speed handling and stability, tires in this category are typically used to maximize the performance of sports cars and sedans. These tires are increasingly used to enhance the look of just about any vehicle. They feature lower profiles and larger diameter wheel sizes, stiff sidewalls for improved cornering response, lower rolling resistance and increased tread stability." They also have sections on budget tires, finding the right size tire, and tips on tire mainenance and safety. Check out both their website and retail store when looking into new tires. With their famed low prices, you can often get cheap tires at Walmart, and Costco (if you are a member) often has good prices on discounted tires as well.
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