As a Top Rated Local® towing, recovery, and roadside assistance company, we’ve seen it all when it comes to vehicles. We’ve seen cars and trucks totaled, flat tires from the oddest objects, such as screwdrivers, minor fender benders, and chipped glass. We serve customers with auto repair shops in Vermont and New Hampshire. We also are a tire center where we repair and patch tires, as well as replace tires.
One thing that we here at B&B Towing and Recovery in Brownington have learned in our over ten years of being in business is that many customers are clueless when it comes to tires. Some have a rudimentary understanding that tires are important, but as long as they spin and get them from place to place, little else matters. This is fine and dandy when you visit our trusted tire center where we continually put our customers’ needs first and never sell you something you don’t need. However, elsewhere, that may not be the case. In this blog post, our goal is to boost your knowledge of tires just a tiny bit so you have a basic knowledge of tires. Contact us today for all your auto repair needs!
HOW TO CHOOSE TIRES
Do your tires need replaced? Tires are vital to safety when on the road, and it is important to replace them before they wear out too much. Two things that B&B Towing and Recovery in New Hampshire checks for are tread depth and tire age.
- Tread depth is basically how much tread your vehicle has left. Tread is the outside of your tire that makes contact with the ground and wears out. As this tread wears away, you gradually lose traction that impacts your ability to stop, which is not a good thing in our snowy winters. One sign is bald tires (hardly any tread visible). For us auto repair professionals, we check to see if your tire is at 2/32nds of an inch left of tread. Here in Vermont and New Hampshire, tires should be replaced at 6/32nds of tread in order to navigate winter driving conditions safely.
- Secondly, the age of your tires is important. Most auto repair centers and tire centers recommend replacing your tires if they are more than six years old and definitely so if they are more than 10 years old. However, this is a general guideline. If you drive more, this will be sooner. If you take public transportation a lot and barely drive, your tires will last longer.
WHICH TIRES TO CHOOSE
With so many makes and models to choose from, you can get dizzy from the selection. When you go to a trusted tire center and auto repair center such as B&B Towing and Recovery, we’ll give you a few options to choose from, thereby narrowing it down for you. However, as a consumer, there are certain tire specifications to look for. These include:
- Type of tire
- Width of tire
- Aspect ratio of the sidewall compared to the width
- Radial construction
- Diameter of the rims
- Tire’s load rating
- Tire’s speed rating
- What type of weather the tire is meant for
The more important of these tire aspects to consider are the speed rating and the load rating.
- The speed rating matters because of the driving force of wear and tear — heat. The higher the speed rating, the better the quality of tire because this means the tire can dissipate heat better, thereby resisting the natural tendency to break down. This is important if you drive on the highway a lot where the longer and the faster you drive, the hotter your tire becomes.
- Load capacity is mostly for those either driving trucks who will be towing heavy loads. For passenger vehicles, most tires will suit your needs since there’s only so much weight you’ll be hauling around (even with your Irish Wolfhound, Great Dane, and English Mastiff in the back). However, if you plan to do any kind of towing (such as towing your kids’ ATVs or dirt bikes in a trailer), you’ll need a higher load rating. These tires are made specifically to hold more air with more plies, which are the rubber and cord layers that your tires are made from, which affords a better towing experience and wear on your tires.
A TIRE’S TRACTION
Ultimately, what makes a tire safe is traction, which is your tire’s ability to grip the road. This is important, depending on where you live. For those of us in Vermont and New Hampshire, a winter tire is your best bet. Winter tires are designed for traction in the snow and ice and are different from all-season tires, which have only about half the traction in the snow that dedicated snow tires have. They have superior tread patterns and softer rubber that enables more of the tire to be in contact with the road. However, if you invest in snow tires, know that you’ll also need to invest in a set of all-season tires because snow tires will wear rapidly because of these characteristics for the snow. A great tire center such as B&B Towing and Recovery will usually swap these out for you for no charge. While it may seem like a hassle to have two sets of tires, one you have to store in the off-season, in the long run the safety will be worth it, and your tires will last twice as long since you’ll only be using them half the year.
YOUR TIRE BUDGET
Obviously, we’ve simplified the tire buying process. There is much more to tires than what is mentioned here, and if you so choose, you can do a lot more research on your own. B&B Towing and Recovery is always happy to help as well with any questions you may have regarding tires.
One last consideration that will help you when choosing tires is to determine your budget. Tires run the gamut on cost, and the more expensive, usually the better the quality. Tire financing is available at most auto repair shops, usually through the tire company themselves, so be sure to ask if you are interested. From high-performance tires that are designed for our inner race driver to break free to the traditional standard tires that will work well in your daily life, there’s a tire that will fit your needs, wants, and budget.
HOW B&B TOWING AND RECOVERY CAN HELP
B&B Towing and Recovery serves both New Hampshire and Vermont with auto repair service, towing, truck repair and tires, roadside assistance, auto glass repair and replacement, and power sport needs. Tires, intricate to the working capacity of our vehicles, occasionally fail, either from wear and tear or from damage. In that instance, we offer towing, roadside assistance, and a full-service mobile auto repair service that will come to your location and fix your car then and there, from simple tire changes to all-out motor overhauls. Our mission is to serve our customers the best we can, which includes coming to them when they can’t come to us.
Of course, we haven’t forgotten our roots of power sports, ATVs, and off-road motorcycles. We offer parts on all of your favorite off-road vehicles, as well as service. We also continue to offer motorcycle and off-road gear so you stay safe when you’re off-road. B&B Towing and Recovery aims to be your one-stop shop for all your vehicle repair needs, from ATVs, vehicles, golf carts, and even lawn mowers. So while you’re getting your new tires, we can repair the chip in your windshield too. If you are in the Brownington, Lyndonville, St. Johnsbury, and their surrounding areas, give us a call today. We will be more than happy to get your car or truck repaired and get you back on the road once again. Contact us today!
