The Most Common Tire Myths and Misconceptions

June 14, 2019 Published by Writer Leave your thoughts

The tires are one of the most important parts of your vehicle. After all, they’re all that stands between your vehicle and the road! Unfortunately, for people who don’t have a lot of experience with vehicles, it can be easy to fall into the trap of believing some of the common misconceptions that exist about tires.

Here are a few examples of some of these myths and misconceptions and the truth behind them, from a mechanic in Lubbock, TX:

You should always replace all four tires at the same time: While it certainly is beneficial to replace all of your tires at once, it’s not always necessary or feasible for you to purchase four new tires at the same time. Let’s say you have some relatively new tires and just one of them blows out. The other three are still in fine condition, so it doesn’t make sense to replace them. Why spend all that money replacing the tires when three of the four will continue to serve you just fine?
New tires should go on the front axle first: There’s a common misconception that if you purchase two new tires, you should place them on the front axle of the vehicle. However, the truth is that new tires should always be placed on the rear axle when purchased two at a time. The tires on the rear axle have much more to do with maintaining control of your car, especially when you’re driving on slick surfaces. Those tires give you better tread depth and grip, and are more efficient at evacuating water. This will help you to prevent hydroplaning and improve emergency handling.
As long as a tire is the same size as the old one, I can use it: There are more variables than just size to consider when purchasing new tires for the vehicle. You also need to consider load index and speed rating. The placard inside your vehicle’s doorjamb or the owner’s manual should both give you all the information you need to replace your tires properly and get the best (and safest) results.
Having all-season tires means you don’t need snow tires: All-season tires are designed to give you good performance in just about any condition, but if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, that doesn’t mean you don’t also need to think about purchasing snow tires. In deeper snow and ice or in extremely cold weather, you’ll still get much better performance with winter tires, as they’ll provide still better traction and handling than you’d get out of an all-season set.
Tread is the only thing that matters when considering replacement: While tire tread is certainly important, there are other elements you should consider. Has the material degraded over time? Is there damage in the sidewall? Are the edges of the tires wearing improperly? These are all things you’ll want to take into account.

For more information about tires and replacing them, contact a mechanic in Lubbock, TX at M & M Tire & Service Center today!