Darren Williams stands at the tire studding station at Dick’s Point S in Battle Ground last week. Williams said that even this late in the winter, they’ll be studding tires.
The subject of tires may not be the most riveting one but, let’s face it, they are largely responsible for the safety of some pretty precious cargo — namely you and your loved ones. Bearing that in mind, Jeff McCrary, manager at the Battle Ground Les Schwab Tire Center, shared some industry insight into the modern day wagon wheel.
The obvious first place to start with a new set of tires is how to determine the best ones for a particular vehicle. It turns out that isn’t the most accurate way to approach the issue. According to McCrary, who has 17 years of experience with Les Schwab, determining the best tires is far more about application than it is about the make and model of your ride.
How much driving is being done? Is it commuting? Traveling mountain passes? All season tires with a higher mileage warranty could be the best option for most people driving passenger vehicles.
Another list of considerations comes into play for pickup trucks or SUVs. These vehicles were built for hauling and playing and working hard. For example, most half-ton pickups come off the lot with four-ply tires. McCrary said that installing six- or even 10-ply tires will better haul weight, help prevent sway and handle off-road driving with mud, inclines and rocky terrain.
Even within these heavier ply tires there are categories of highway tread for predominantly highway driving and all-season design to get a little more bite out of the tread. Within all-season, customers can further refine to mud terrain and off-road tread for even more aggressive driving needs.
Narrowing it down to the best tire for North County driving is also not a one-size-fits-all proposition. McCrary said that, overall, all-season tires work best due to the amount of rain the area receives several months out of the year. Unlike highway tires, all-season tires have open voids on the shoulder of the tire, allowing water to move away from the tread that contacts the pavement and provide much-needed traction in the instance of hydroplaning.
Ultimately, finding the right tire depends on the driver.
“I really have a hard time thinking there’s one tire that’s the best for our area,” McCrary said. “That’s why we have so much selection at Les Schwab and ask so many questions to our customers.”
The 2016/2017 winter season saw considerably more snow than we’ve seen this season but being prepared is always a good idea. Facets on snow tires can be damaging to area roads. To lessen that, McCrary pointed out that customers have options.
Studless — or studable — snow tires have holes where studs can be installed. What gives them great performance in the snow is that the rubber is more pliable. This soft rubber compound has more edges and more edges equals improved traction. McCrary explained that snow tires have “sipes,” or additional traction edges.
Sipes further grip the road in wet weather to provide yet another layer of traction and increase the stopping and starting power of vehicles. Although they are the most damaging on roads, studded tires serve their purpose in the form of delivering the best traction in ice or hard-packed snow.
Possibly the most common decision a consumer is faced with when purchasing new tires is the warranty rating. To buy a 40,000-mile tire or one rated for 80,000 miles, that is the question.
“We can sell 40,000-mile tires and the price is great and the tire is of decent quality. In comparison, we have an 80,000-mile tire and it last twice as long, it’s quieter, you get smoother driving, better all-season traction, it handles better, and is less than double the price,” McCrary said.
In essence, an 80,000-mile tire has more to offer than just double the miles. McCrary disclosed that four of their Mastercraft 40,000-mile all-season tires run $465, compared to $800 for an 80,000-mile set.
“You’re gonna buy two sets of Mastercraft to go the same distance down the road,” McCrary said. “You get more out of buying the better quality tires and you replace them less often.”
Still, there are some situations when McCrary agrees that the less expensive set is the better fit. Again, it comes down to consumer lifestyle. Some customers simply are not always in a financial position to invest in higher mileage tires; another customer might be looking to outfit a car for a few more months before selling it or trading it in; and other consumers might have multiple vehicles in the household and use one rarely or for short jaunts around town.
Now that you have a new set of tires, how does a consumer best extend the life of their purchase? Proper air pressure and regular tire rotations, according to McCrary. Maintaining suggested air pressure was made a little easier in 2008 when it became mandatory to install tire pressure monitors on valve stems. This sends a signal to the car when the tire is low.
For drivers with pre-2008 models, the good old fashioned tire gauge every 30 days or so works just as well. As a general rule, tires should be rotated every 5,000 miles to keep their wear evenly distributed. Monitoring air pressure and tire rotation will not only extend the life of your tire but improve gas mileage, as a properly inflated and evenly distributed set of tires literally rolls down the road with less resistance.
