Tips for Tire Safety & Maintenance
Keep yourself safe and help your tires last longer with these tips:
STUCK? Don’t keep spinning your tires. Avoid excessive tire spinning when your vehicle is stuck in snow, ice, mud or sand. The centrifugal forces generated by a free-spinning tire/wheel assembly may cause sudden tire explosion, resulting in vehicle damage and/or serious personal injury to you or a bystander. Never exceed 35 mph/55 kph, as indicated on your speedometer. Use a gentle backward and forward rocking motion to free your vehicle for continued driving. Never stand near or behind a tire spinning at high speeds, for example, while attempting to push a vehicle that is stuck or when an on-the-car spin balance machine is in use.
CHECK YOUR TIRES FOR WEAR. Always remove tires from service when they reach 2/32″ remaining tread depth. All new tires have treadwear indicators which appear as smooth banks in the tread grooves when they wear to the 2/32″ level. Many wet weather accidents result from skidding on bald or nearly bald tires. Excessively worn tires are also more susceptible to penetrations.
CHECK YOUR TIRES FOR DAMAGE. Frequent (at least monthly) inspection of your tires for signs of damage and their general condition is important for safety. If you have any questions or aren’t sure what to look for, let the tire pros at Appalachian Tire Products inspect them. Impacts, penetrations, cracks, knots, bulges or air loss always require tire removal and expert inspection. Never perform a temporary repair or use an innertube as a substitute for a proper repair. Only qualified persons should repair tires.
DON’T ATTEMPT TO MOUNT YOUR OWN TIRES. Everyone wants to save a few bucks but this is NOT where you should try. Serious injury may result from explosion of tire/rim assembly due to improper mounting procedures. Only specially trained persons should mount tires.
DON’T MIX TIRES OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND TYPES ON THE SAME AXLE. For optimum handling and control, Appalachian Tire (along with Goodyear and other tire manufacturers) recommend installing four (4) tires of the same type and size unless otherwise specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Before you replace your tires, always consult the vehicle owner’s manual and follow the vehicle manufacturer’s replacement tire recommendations. Vehicle handling may be significantly affected by a change in tire size or type.
SPECIALITY TIRES: When selecting tires that are different from the original equipment size, see us at Appalachian Tire in order to make certain that proper clearance, load-carrying capacity and inflation pressure are selected. Never exceed the maximum load capacity and inflation pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire. Always drive safely and avoid sudden, sharp turns or lane changes. Failure to follow this warning may result in loss of control of the vehicle, leading to an accident.
CAN’T BUY 4 NEW TIRES ALL AT ONCE? Fit the newest tires on rear axle.
MIXING DIFFERENT TIRES? If radials and non-radials must be fitted to the same vehicle, fit radials on rear axle. Never mix radials and non-radials on the same axle. When fitting snow tires or all-season tires to performance vehicles, always fit in sets of four. It is not recommended to fit tires with different speed ratings. If tires with different speed ratings are installed on a vehicle, they should be installed with like pairs on the same axle. The speed capability of the vehicle will become limited to that of the lowest speed rated tires. It is also recommended that the lower speed rated tires be placed on the front axle regardless of which axle is driven to help prevent potential over-steering.
Quality Products, Quality Service