Learn
Tire guides from a working tire shop
The questions we answer every week, written out properly and sourced. Read it, check it yourself, or have us look at it.
Topics
Start with the one that brought you here
10 guides across 6 topics, each one standing on its own.
Guides coming soon
Tire Basics
What a tire is made of, the main tire types, and how all-season, all-terrain, touring and performance tires differ.
3 guides
Reading Your Tire
Every marking on the sidewall: size, DOT date code, load index, speed rating, UTQG grades, XL, M+S and max pressure.
Browse Reading Your Tire1 guide
Tread & Wear
Tread depth in 32nds and millimeters, the penny and quarter tests, uneven wear patterns, and how many miles tires last.
Browse Tread & Wear2 guides
Pressure & TPMS
Finding your PSI on the door placard, checking pressure cold, heat and pressure, the TPMS light, sensors and nitrogen.
Browse Pressure & TPMS2 guides
Damage, Flats & Repair
Sidewall bubbles, nails and flats, plug vs patch, pothole and curb impacts, and the spare tire in your trunk.
Browse Damage, Flats & Repair1 guide
Florida Driving & Weather
Rain and hydroplaning, heat and tire aging, hurricane-season prep, Florida tire rules and choosing tires for a no-snow climate.
Browse Florida Driving & WeatherGuides coming soon
Buying Guides
When to replace tires, two or four, LT vs P-metric, EV and run-flat tires, trailer tires and buying tires online.
Guides coming soon
Wheels & Fitment
Plus sizing, using a different tire size, staggered setups, wheel offset, bolt pattern and center bore.
Guides coming soon
Maintenance & Service
Rotation patterns, balancing vs alignment, a monthly-to-yearly checklist, the week after new tires, and noise or vibration.
1 guide
Tire Age, Storage & Records
How old is too old, dry rot and sidewall cracks, storing tires in the heat, recalls and tire registration.
Browse Tire Age, Storage & Records
New
Recently added guides
- Reading Your TireInteractive
How to Read Tire Size: What 225/65R17 Actually Means
How to read tire size, one piece at a time: width, aspect ratio, R, rim size, load index and speed symbol, plus LT and flotation sizes like 31x10.50R15.
4 min readRead
- Reading Your TireInteractive
Tire Date Code: How to Read the DOT Number on a Tire
Find the tire date code on your sidewall, read the four digits for the week and year it was built, and use the full DOT number to run a tire recall check.
4 min readRead
- Reading Your TireInteractive
UTQG Ratings Explained: Treadwear, Traction, Temperature
What a UTQG rating like 500 AA A really measures, who assigns the grades, why treadwear isn't a mileage promise and how to use the grades when you shop.
5 min readRead
- Tread & WearInteractive
Tire Tread Depth Chart: When to Replace Your Tires
A tire tread depth chart in 32nds and millimeters: what 2/32 and 4/32 mean, why rain changes the math, and how to measure your own tires in five minutes.
4 min readRead
- Pressure & TPMS
Tire Pressure and Temperature: How Much PSI Changes
How much tire pressure changes with temperature: the 1 to 2 psi per 10°F rule of thumb, the physics behind it, and how to set it right in any weather.
4 min readRead
- Pressure & TPMSInteractive
TPMS Light On? Solid vs Flashing, and What to Do Next
TPMS light on? Solid usually means a tire is low. Flashing, then solid, means the system has a fault. What the federal rule says and what to do next.
4 min readRead
Start here
The five-minute monthly check
If you only ever do one thing from these guides, do this: once a month, with the tires cold, walk around the car.
Check pressure on all four tires and the spare, cold, against the placard on the driver's door jamb.
Look at tread depth: find the wear bars, and measure three grooves across each tire.
Scan the sidewalls for cuts, cracks or bulges. Have anything you find inspected.
Note anything new: a pull, a shimmy, a noise or a warning light.
Something look off? Have it inspected. The shop in Sunrise will look at it, or call (954) 773-1896 and describe it.
Blog
From the blog
- Vehicle GuidesInteractive
Best Tires for Tesla Model Y: A Neutral Buying Guide
Best tires for Tesla Model Y, minus the rankings: what Tesla's manual says about size, load rating, T-marked tires, foam, rotation and replacing in pairs.
4 min readRead
- Buying & PriceInteractive
Buying Tires Online vs a Local Shop: Honest Trade-offs
Buy tires online vs a local shop: where each is strong, how to compare the full installed cost, and the size, fitting and registration steps either way.
5 min readRead
- Rain, Heat & WeatherInteractive
Car Sat All Summer? Tire Checks for Returning Snowbirds
Back for the season and your car sat all summer? Check tire pressure, flat spots, sun cracking and tire age before the first drive, and plan for spring.
5 min readRead
Read it, then get the right ones
Free shipping to the 48 contiguous states and DC, or free to our Sunrise shop for installation in South Florida. Not sure what you need? Call and read us the size on your sidewall.