Buying New Tires? How Fresno Drivers Can Find the Right Fit for Their Car
Even if a set of tires comes from a respected brand and is made from high-quality materials, it might not meet your vehicle’s needs. There are several reasons why this could be the case: your new tires could be the wrong size, poorly suited to your local weather conditions and roads, or even just a bad match for your driving style.
The best way to sidestep these issues is to purchase tires that are ideal for your car and driving habits. Do you need help knowing what to look for the next time you stop by a Fresno tire shop? If so, here’s a guide to finding tires that fit your car perfectly.
Keep These Factors in Mind
When it’s time to visit tire shops in Fresno, CA, the first thing to remember is that tires aren’t a one-size-fits-all product. There are all kinds of tire varieties, and while you’ll have a chance to read all about these products in a bit, you should start by finding out precisely what you’re looking for.
The good news is that finding tires for a tire replacement isn’t a particularly complicated process. Just take the time to consider a few key factors, including:
- Your vehicle’s required tire diameter: Before anything else, you need to ensure your new tires are the correct diameter for your car. It’s not hard to find this information, however. Just check the sticker on your driver’s-side door or the numbers on the sidewall of your existing tires.
- Local road conditions: Do you spend most of your time driving on urban highways, rural dirt trails, or suburban roads? All these surfaces call for different types of tires — a fact you should consider while tire shopping.
- Weather conditions in the area: The weather you typically experience also affects what tires you need. Spend a few minutes thinking about the climate in your area and what tires can help you navigate these conditions.
- How you tend to drive: Are you a speed freak with a sports car to match or an average person looking for a comfortable ride? Either way, you’ll want tires that fit your specific needs.
Consider These Tire Varieties
Now that you’ve considered what you and your vehicle need from a set of tires, it’s time to continue this process. Take a look at the tire varieties listed below and find the option that best fits your priorities:
All-Season Tires
If you drive in various weather conditions, all-season tires are ideal for you. These high-performance tires can provide excellent handling on both wet and dry pavement. But despite their many advantages (such as top-notch tread life and fuel efficiency benefits), they don’t do well on ice or snow.
Summer Tires
As you’d expect, summer tires do very well in warm weather. They’re also great at providing traction on wet roads and offer better overall grip compared with all-season tires. On the other hand, these tires are made of soft rubber, which hardens when it gets cold. That makes them an even worse choice for winter driving than all-season tires.
Snow Tires
Unlike all-season and summer tires, snow tires are built with wintery climates in mind. These wheels are formed from a specialized type of rubber that won’t harden when temperatures dip below freezing. As a result, they’re the perfect choice for people planning to drive on cold, snowy, or icy roads.
Touring Tires
Touring tires are a premium option known for their low amount of road noise, smooth rides, and exceptional handling. Along with these factors, touring tires have a great tread lifespan and are incredibly reliable. But like summer tires, these tires are more effective in warm weather conditions than when it gets cold.
High-Performance Tires
If you drive a luxury sports car, you’ll want high-performance tires to match. These tires tend to be wider and have a shorter sidewall than other tires. They’re also built to handle high speeds and tight corners while gripping the road like racing tires do. But that high level of performance comes at a cost — in this case, a rapid tire wear rate.
All-Terrain Tires
Are you an SUV or truck owner who mostly — but not always — drives on paved roads? If so, all-terrain tires are exactly what you’re looking for. These tires boast deeper-than-average treads and a robust form that helps them deal with rough surfaces like mud, sand, and rocks. Plus, they’re equally good at dealing with standard paved roads.
Mud Tires
If you’re constantly going off-road with your vehicle, you may want to go one step further. Mud tires have even deeper treads than all-terrain tires, making them the perfect choice for driving on mud. (The tradeoff is that these tires aren’t nearly as good at handling roadways and highways as all-terrain tires.)
Know How To Read Tire Information
When you’re planning to purchase new tires, it pays to know a few basic facts about the tires you already use, such as their size and type. While this information might not be written in plain English on your tires, it’s all there — you just have to know what to look for.
First, look at the first letter(s) on your tire’s sidewall. That indicates the type of tire you’re using — “P” is short for “passenger,” while “LT” means “light truck.”
After that, you’ll see three numbers and a slash mark. Those numbers list your tires’ tread width, expressed in millimeters. On the other side of the slash, you’ll notice two numbers, an “R,” and one more set of two numbers. The first two numbers in this section refer to the height of your sidewall, and the last two numbers are your rim diameter (in inches).
For a comprehensive guide on tire shopping and selecting the right tires, make sure to check out our Comprehensive Fresno Tire Shop Guide to gain valuable insights and information.
Find the Best Fresno Tire Shop
Buying new tires is a complex process, and even seasoned drivers can use some assistance when looking for the ideal set of wheels. Luckily, this isn’t a process you have to tackle by yourself if you choose a qualified Fresno tire shop like Goodguys Tires & Auto Repair. When you do, you’ll be supported at every step in this process by ASE-certified mechanics who know all there is to know about tires.
Are you ready to find new tires that fit your car like a glove? Don’t wait any longer — take a look at what our tire shops in Fresno, CA, and beyond have to offer!
