Safe Driving Tip #5: Tire Pressure!
A professional driver explains why proper tire pressure is so important -- and how it can save you money at the gas pump. It's from Ford Motor Company's Driving Skills for Life program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi_MRJTWYpo
We are adamant in our household about tire pressure, being on the West Coast we have excessive heat in the summer , in the winter temperatures are cool however not gauging your pressure can cause poor gas mileage, where and tear on your tires a car to go out of aligment amongst other things. I believe that your video clearly says what should be done and others need to be proactive and watch it, it certainly reminded me of what is necessary.
We are adamant in our household about tire pressure, being on the West Coast we have excessive heat in the summer , in the winter temperatures are cool however not gauging your pressure can cause poor gas mileage, where and tear on your tires a car to go out of aligment amongst other things. I believe that your video clearly says what should be done and others need to be proactive and watch it, it certainly reminded me of what is necessary.
Yes, that is a good video.
Car tires are so important to safe driving, and a lot of people over look their tires, and only pay attention to them when they have a flat.
We are adamant in our household about tire pressure, being on the West Coast we have excessive heat in the summer , in the winter temperatures are cool however not gauging your pressure can cause poor gas mileage, where and tear on your tires a car to go out of aligment amongst other things. I believe that your video clearly says what should be done and others need to be proactive and watch it, it certainly reminded me of what is necessary.
Yes, that is a good video.
Car tires are so important to safe driving, and a lot of people over look their tires, and only pay attention to them when they have a flat.
I honestly don't understand why, my sister does the same thing and then ends up with problems in the end. No matter how many times we tell her , apparently she has cotton in her ears.
Keep reminding her, and try to get her to take a look at that video, and some of the others here. You can copy the url and email it to her.
I will have her sign-up when she comes to our house her computer is down but I will defintely have her get invovled, she certainly does need to see the video.
I will have her sign-up when she comes to our house her computer is down but I will defintely have her get invovled, she certainly does need to see the video.
Tire pressure and good tires are so very important. Make sure you have good tread too. There are some things to save money on, but I don't believe tires are a good place to do it. These are what keep you on the road and that is key to safety. When you consider how long a GOOD set of tires will last, it's really just a few pennies more a day, if that, for the security of knowing you'll have a better chance against whatever hazard (black ice, hydroplaning, etc) you have to face.
Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Posts: 705
Location: McLean, VA, USA
Posted:
Fri May 28, 2010 10:04 pm
Yep, tires is not something I save on, but I don't go for top of the line Michelins either - they are quite overpriced. Yokohama Avid works quite good for me for many years on many cars - great traction both dry and wet, and pretty good lifespan. And it costs twice as low.
Last edited by Misha on Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
I agree with you Misha...I usually go for middle of the road tires (middle of the road in terms of pricing, not that I drive in the middle of the road )
I bought some Pirellis for my wife which I think are very good...the old tires she had were Toyos (her dad got them) and I thought they were quite poor. They didn't last very long before losing tread and one of them ended up with a very dangerous tear in the sidewall.
It seems like people are very divided on tire brands, and I've read some people really dislike Pirellis, but these have been good, so I'm happy.
There's really only a couple reasons to go big when buying new tires. If you've got a fancy sports car like a Porsche or Audi, buying higher quality tires to get the most from your car is a no-brainer. Also, if you've got a heavy-duty truck that you use off-road from time to time, then it only makes sense to get tires that will not get wedged in mud or dirt. I have a '08 Camry and I'm about due for a change. My local tire store says I need premium Michelin or Bridgestone tires, but for a mid-sized car like mine, it's probably best to just get the mid-range tires. And one last thing: if you live in severe winter weather climates, that may be reason enough to spend a little extra on tires if it means getting better tread designs to combat the snow.
This clip here gives a brief demo of winter tires vs. all-season ones:
*link snipped
You all under stated an important point: The tires are not just important, they are the single most important adjustment that your safety will depend on!! More than good springs, shocks, alignment, steering, sway bar, struts, lowering, rims, wheelarms, engine, transmission, differential, brakes, aerodynamics, etc - all of the performance goes down through the tires and to the road. If the tires are no good, your performance will be rubbish no matter how good the brakes/engine/suspension are, not by a little!
It's important to distinguish the tires contribution to safety in two fields: Primary and secondary safety. The tire's primary safety is in it's ability to give the car good and predictable handling characteristics, and as much grip as possible. Secondary safety means that the tires is not going to blow-out.
Unfortunately, modern rules and instructions around the subject of tires revolve only around it's secondary safety. For instance, it is advised not to use tires over the age of six years, as they might blow-out due to rubber degration and layer seperation of the tire. However, even a four years old tire is dangerous in terms of primary safety.
Assume a child ran into your path or another car ran red in front of you, or any other emergency situation which might happen in any given moment during any given drive, with good tires you have a fair chance of stopping in time and even if the braking distance does not suffice, you can even brake AND manuever around the obstruction. With old/worn/rubbish/under-inflated tires, you will never stop in time!
I tend to divide tires into three categories: The first is quality tires, which include the lead designs of each of the major tire companies. Any such tire is perfectly good for road use. The second category involves cheaper tire models, either from a large company or one of it's divisions, which are best avoided if you have a choice, even if they might cost less.
The third category involves tires from unknown brands and manufacturers, mainly from the far-east. These tires are legal. That is, they give you adequate secondary safety, but in a simple braking test they will be revealed as more rubbish than a worn tire! Avoid them like your life depends upon it, because it does!
About tire pressure: While it is true that tire pressure changes with the temperature, YOU don't need to readjust it! If your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure, and the weather changes cause the pressure to increase or decrease, it does not change the actual amount of pressure inside the tire, so you don't need to change the pressure.
If a tire has a proper 32PSIG as recommended, and the cold reduces it to 28PSIG, consider this 28 to be the new 32 and don't change the pressure up. If the tire pressure is 30 (which is two PSIG short) and the heat of the sun or of driving on the tire increases the pressure to 32PSIG, consider 32 to be the new 30, which means that you still need to put two extra PSIG into the tire!
Over-inflation is no where as bad as under-inflation. In fact, over-inflation a tire with two-three PSIG more, will actually increase grip, rather than reduce it, and it will NOT induce increased wear in the center of the tread. An over-inflated tire is also least voulnrable to blow-outs on paved roads.
Check the pressure each week, or even twice per week; two weeks at the very most. To make this easy (and accurate) purchase a small pencil gauge. It's easy to carry around, simple to use and very cheap, and it's still more reliable and accurate than the gauge at the gas station! Also visually check all four tires before EVERY time you enter the car!
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