@keith yes indeed, agreed, and even the local Walmart has these tires so I can get them done today, though i am also waiting for the local tire shop (the guys who installed the DriveGuard) to first get back to me.
Btw, I have to drive the car around at low speed for a while with new tires, correct?
Not so much anymore, but I still like to keep it at or under 50 for 50 miles with brand new tires. That barely gets me home from the place I usually buy my tires because I have to take the back roads. You do NOT want to do 50 on the interstate around here.
If you buy new tires before your trip, Iād suggest that you drive around some at 50 or so and then go back and get the wheels re-torqued. Your owners manual probably tells you this anyway.
I have never heard that.
I had no idea about re-torquing, and have never done this, I see. Btw, Walmart does not do alignment, only installation and balancing, which I thought was strange: is alignment not needed with new tires?
There is a discussion about alignments. When Is An Alignment Needed? Asking Mechanics and those with similar skills - #18 by Purebred
Alignment is not always necessary with new tires, but is not a bad idea.
and Iād suggest you stay away from Walmart for tires. Iāve had bad experiences with them and the tires they sell. The price savings was not worth it. Stick with Discount, Firestone, or other tires shops.
Thanks! I will stay away from Walmart.
From the @Barkydog suggested link, it does appear generally not needed though it is a bit unclear. Maybe I will do it anyway, since I always have done it with my Volvo.
From reading all this, I realized that the miles on the tire are only one part of the equation: the number of years also matter. Makes sense, but had not thought about this before.
For over 10 years and over a hundred thousand miles, I too drove with tires of all sizes on my cars. We put on whatever cheap used tires the local gas stations had that we could get another 5K of use on. It was not uncommon. When money was tight, we did what we had to.
I donāt remember any adverse effects from it on my cars or my friendsā cars.
Iām not endorsing this behavior, especially where AWD is involved. But it does happen. I would not be critical of anyone I see doing it.
Never been that way myself, but I expect there are fewer mountain passes to deal with if you head south to 40 before reaching Denver. Which 335 road are you referring to?
Alignment is not needed for new tires, in fact it can be detrimental. Often the alignment racks themselves are out of alignment (calibration) and can end up making your car worse. Only do an alignment if you see a problem such as rapid tire wear, unusual tire wear patterns or drivability issues. Otherwise, if it aināt brokeā¦
My local Walmart does a very good job with tires. I was pleasantly surprised when I got new tires for my truck. But like any other big box or chain store, some are good, some not so much. Ask around.
Frankly, that is true about everything actually, in a way. Unless we have a history (which I donāt, unfortunately), it is difficult to tell with the local store. I still prefer going to the local tire guy, but the Walmart guy will be faster. If alignment is not an issue, then it is also cheaper: they have the tire and they do the installation for free. Also, issues on the road can be better sorted out, as long as they are not serious.
I guess it really is to bypass I35 through Kansas City, and instead take I-70 to I-335 to I-35.
Thereās a picnic area in Donner Pass. I stopped for lunch one summer when I was bicycling through. Chipmunks stole food right off my plate while I was eating - never seen an animal so brazen.
I agree. I leave threads I donāt care for alone. Spleen isnāt a contribution.
----->This right here! Pay attention to this!<-----
Sport or touring tires become skis in the snow and no amount of stability control will make the car act like itās on dry ground.
How do I figure out if the Bridgestone DriveGuard is M&S rated? It claims to be Grand Touring and All-Season. Thank you.
This will tell you what you need to know. In short, look for the M+S logo on the sidewall.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=33
Thank you. Both the older Touranza EL-400 and the newer DriveGuard have M+S on their walls.
This has been such a learning experience for me! Sorry to those for whom this thread has dragged on.
Look on the sidewallā¦ Edit: Ooops answered already!
No problem, I have learnt that unlike any other product that I can think of, the tireās body is the most informative.
Chains: CA does require all vehicles CARRY chains (traction devices) in specific regions (think mountain passes, high elevations) in winter, and to mount them when specified. They also must be CA approved. If your socks are approved, fine, if not return them and get something that is approved (and that fit!). Theyāre quite serious about this. You should look up whether the areas youāre considering driving are covered, but I would guess parts of Hwy 40 are - itās pretty difficult to get across CA without encountering some higher elevation. Even if chains arenāt mentioned in your manual (Iām surprised if theyāre not), you can ask a dealership for advice.
Tires: Itās generally a good idea tires to be the size (or one of the sizes) the manufacturer specifies for your model, and that they be matched in both size, design type (preferably make and model, and roughly matched in tread wear. Excessive difference in diameter may be detrimental to traction control devices (if on the same axle), transfer cases (on AWD vehicles). They also might confuse stability control and ABS systems, but Iām not sure of this. You donāt need winter (snow) tires, All Season tires with a M&S rating are good, and even regular tires are legal in winter. (Under some snow/ice conditions, cars with M&S tires arenāt required to mount chains while cars without M&S ratings are required to mount chains.) However tires specified for summer use only shouldnāt be used in cold climates as their rubber becomes brittle at lower temperatures (around 40 degrees, but specific to the model) and will be damaged if they move before being allowed to warm up, which could be days.