Tips And Guides

Practical tire tips and guides that explain what the codes on your sidewall mean and how to make the right call when something goes wrong. Start with how to read a tire size, the tire speed rating chart, and the load range chart, then dig into repairs like patch vs. plug and the signs you need new tires.

Shopping soon? Our tire buying and maintenance guide walks through choosing the right tire, and tire warranties explained shows what that mileage promise is really worth. For brand-by-brand verdicts, browse our tire reviews.

142 Articles
Feathered tire tread wear
Tips And Guides

Feathered Tires: How to Spot Them, What Causes Them and How to Fix Them

Run your hand across the tread of your front tires and you might notice something odd. Sliding one way, the tread ribs feel...

Retorquing lug nuts after new tires
Tips And Guides

Do New Tires Need to Be Retorqued? Why Lug Nuts Deserve a Second Check

You drive away from the tire shop on a fresh set of tires, and the counter clerk mentions, almost as an afterthought, that...

Tire alone versus tire mounted on a rim
Tips And Guides

Do Tires Come With Rims? What You Actually Get and When a Package Makes Sense

You add four tires to an online cart, notice the price looks reasonable and then stop to wonder whether that number includes the...

Underinflated tire and traction
Tips And Guides

Do Underinflated Tires Give Better Traction? The Myth, the Exceptions and the Risks

The logic sounds airtight. Let some air out, the tire flattens, more rubber touches the road and you get more grip. It is...

Installing new rims at a shop
Tips And Guides

How Much Does It Cost to Install Rims? Labor, TPMS and Alignment Explained

You found the wheels you want, the price looks right and the checkout button is waiting. Then the real question shows up: what...

Tire rotation at Walmart
Tips And Guides

Walmart Tire Rotation Cost: What You Pay and When It’s Free

Tire rotation is one of the cheapest services a car ever needs, which is exactly why it gets skipped. Drivers put it off,...

Old car tire showing age and dry rot
Tips And Guides

How Safe Are Old Car Tires? Age Limits, Date Codes and Dry Rot Warning Signs

A tire can look perfectly healthy and still be a problem. The tread is deep, the sidewalls are black and the car drives...

Tire on hot pavement in summer heat
Tips And Guides

Can Tires Melt From Heat? What Hot Weather Really Does to Your Tires

A heat wave rolls in, the pavement shimmers and the air above the highway wobbles. It is easy to picture your tires going...