How to Find the Perfect Tires for Your Ride

Winter is coming. Does it make sense to switch to winter tires? Fred’s Auto Repair shop is the auto mechanic near you to help find the right tire based upon your objectives and the overall driving conditions. The available types of tires are distinguished by broad categories:

• Season
• Comfort
• Handling
• Terrain
• Tire Size

Winter, Summer or All Season?

Winter tires are recommended in areas where the temperature is consistently below freezing – especially when snow or ice is persistent. Summer tires perform best in warm weather. All season tires perform best from about 30 degrees to 90 degrees. They are suitable for moderate use from high single digit temperature to very low triple digit temperature.

Road Noise and Cruising

Touring tires are optimized to reduce road noise which helps reduce fatigue for long drives. Paired with softer suspension, this option smooths out jarring from bumpy roads.

Improved Performance and Grip at Higher Speed

Some of our customers are lead-footed and want better grip while cornering. With those priorities, we’d recommend high performance tires that are speed rated paired with a stiffly sprung suspension. Usually this type of tire will have a lower aspect ratio. That is the height of the sidewall represented as a percentage of the width of the tire. Suppose the markings on your tire begin as P225 / 45. That indicates a tire width of 225 millimeters with a sidewall height 45% of that measurement.

Off Road Much?

Off road tires have stiffer sidewalls to reduce puncture and wider tread patterns to remove mud. While 48% of new vehicles sold are SUVs, most trucks are limited to road and highway traveling. However, some do go off road for recreational or commercial reasons. If you drive through sand, woods, rock, snow or mud frequently, you are better served with M (mud) or S (snow) rated tires.

Auto Mechanic Expertise

What makes buying tires complex are the varying nature of automobiles as well as drivers. Not only does Fred’s Auto Repair boast 45 years of serving Westchester County‘s drivers, but also a couple of our mechanics come from a rich racing tradition. Our Head Mechanic, Javier Solis, raced VW Beetles in Paraguay decades ago. His experience in racing coupled with his expertise as a mechanic informs our service, including choosing tires for your car. When you decide to outfit your car with new shoes, we’ll be sure to look at your suspension and align your car, if needed.  We recently earned a best of Westchester Award as recognition for excellence in automotive service. Call us to schedule an auto mechanic appointment near you and join our growing roster of satisfied customers.