If you ask ten drivers what tread depth you need for winter driving, you’ll get five different answers. Most of them are wrong. After years of testing tires through Colorado winters and comparing notes with our service team, I can give you the short version first, then we’ll back it up with the numbers. The … Read more
Yes, it is bad to mix new and old tires on the same car. Tires with different tread depths grip the road unevenly, which can cause unpredictable handling, longer stopping distances, and a higher risk of hydroplaning in the rain. On all-wheel-drive vehicles, mismatched tires can also damage the transmission and drivetrain. Tire manufacturers including … Read more
Yes – old tires that look fine can still be dangerous. Tread depth and tire age are independent safety factors, and rubber compounds degrade over time even when the tread looks deep enough to drive on. A tire with full tread can still harden, crack internally, or begin separating from its steel belts, and the … Read more
If you barely drive, your tires will typically last 6 to 10 years from the manufacture date, even when the tread looks fine. Time, not miles, breaks down the rubber compounds in your tires through oxidation, ozone exposure, and UV damage. A car that sits in the driveway can end up with unsafe tires long … Read more
How do you know if a used car needs new tires? It is one of the first questions we hear from people who just bought, or are about to buy, a pre-owned vehicle, because the previous owner never left a tire maintenance log behind. Tires are the only part of the car that touches the … Read more
Yes, it is worth replacing tires before a long road trip when any of these are true: tread depth is below 4/32 inch, the tire is more than 6 years old, sidewalls show cracks or bulges, or uneven wear points to an alignment or suspension issue. If your tires pass all four checks, inspect them, … Read more
Your tires are wearing on the inside edge because the wheels are tilted or angled in a way that forces the inner shoulder of the tread to carry more of the vehicle’s weight. In most cases the culprit is negative camber, which tilts the top of each wheel inward toward the engine bay, or toe … Read more
You should replace tires based on both age and tread wear, not one or the other. Tread depth tells you how much grip is left, but rubber ages even when a tire sits in a garage. Manufacturers disagree on the exact age cap: Discount Tire recommends replacement at 6 years, while Michelin says 10 years. … Read more
Finding a nail in your tire is one of those small moments that can ruin a whole day. The first question most drivers ask is the obvious one: how long can you drive on a tire with a nail in it before it becomes unsafe? The honest answer is that it depends on where the … Read more
If you drive on bald tires in the rain, you face a sharply higher risk of hydroplaning, a much longer stopping distance, and the chance of losing steering control on wet roads. Bald tires have no tread left to channel water away from the contact patch, so your vehicle essentially floats on a thin film … Read more