One of the dozens of services we offer is tire repair and replacement in NYC.
You can bust your tire anywhere, and anytime. We offer 24 hour road side assistance in Manhattan NY. Our towing service also offers tire repair and replacement. If you are next to our shop, come on in, and we will fix or replace your tire.
After fixing or changing your tire you will need to get a tire alignment. We also offer that service. Just speak to the mechanic at the shop and ask to get your tires aligned.
We are a Authorized dealer for Good Year tires and for a dozen other companies. If you need your tire replaced, we will do it for you.
THE BENEFITS OF CORRECT AIR PRESSURE
Experts agree that keeping the correct air pressure in your tires is as important as giving your engine a tune-up. In fact, the economic benefits may be even greater. With the right amount of air pressure, your tires wear longer, save fuel, enhance handling, and prevent accidents. Failure to maintain the correct air pressure can result in poor gas mileage, reduce tire life, affect vehicle handling, and cause vehicle overloading. If you consider these factors, then the need to routinely check your tire pressure is even clearer.
CHECK AIR PRESSURE ROUTINELY
Because tires do so much without appearing to need attention, it’s easy to forget about them. However, tires do lose pressure each day, through the process of permeation. In cool weather, a tire will typically lose one or two pounds of air per month. In warm weather, it’s common for tires to lose air at an even higher rate. Tires are also often subjected to flexing and impacts that can diminish air pressure as well. So it’s important to realize that refilling your tires is as important as refilling your gas tank. In fact, associating the need to refill your tires with the need for refilling your fuel supply can also be a useful reminder.
Check the air pressure in your tires every other time you stop to fill up at the gas station. That interval will allow you to check your tire pressure consistently enough to maintain recommended air pressure. Another good time to check air pressure is when the tires are rotated. Many vehicles have different tire pressures on the front and rear axle, so remember to have this adjustment made.
Also remember to have the pressure in your spare tire checked. The space-saver type spare requires a much higher air pressure level than other tires, and is virtually useless (due to overloading) at lower air pressure levels.
WHERE TO FIND AIR PRESSURE INFORMATION
The correct air pressure may be found in the vehicle owner’s manual or on the tire placard (attached to the vehicle door edge, door post, glove box door or fuel door). The placard tells you the maximum vehicle load, the cold tire pressures and the tire size recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.
Another valuable resource is tire load/inflation tables. Your local Discount Tire/America’s Tire should have a copy. Not only will this document tell you the correct tire pressure for stock sizes, but it will provide the information on optional plus sizes as well. A good example would be the findings on a Honda Civic with the stock size 185/65R-14. The recommended air pressure is 28 psi. Plus one size is 195/55R-15 with a recommended air pressure of 32 psi. Plus two size is 205/45R-16 with a recommended air pressure of 36 psi. Note how the air pressure increases with plus sizing to meet the load carrying capacity for the car.
OTHER FACTORS CHANGE AIR PRESSURE
In addition to routine air checks, other circumstances necessitate a visit to the air pump. Seasonal changes or altitude changes create a rise or drop in air pressure (for every 10 degrees change in temperature, tire air pressure changes 1 psi). Perhaps the most overlooked factor is vehicle loading for trucks and RVs. Since these vehicles can be configured and loaded in many ways, actual tire loads should be used to determine the proper inflation pressure. This is best determined by weighing the vehicle. Keep in mind that vehicle loading can change from trip to trip.
Sometimes a small nail, screw or other object will puncture a tire and then act as an inefficient plug. Air pressure drops slowly over a matter of hours or days, undetected by the driver. Your best defense in this circumstance is to be alert to the symptoms of this. Be aware of any pulling or vibration that seems unnatural. Listen for any ticking sounds, which will be especially audible at slow, parking lot speeds. If you detect this, get off the road and inspect the tires on the side of your vehicle where the pull, vibration or unusual sound is occurring. A bulging sidewall and/or excessively hot tire indicates a slow leak. Put on your spare tire and have your tire dealer repair the punctured unit. Ask the repair technician if any sidewall damage has occurred (a powdery residue inside the tire indicates this condition). If sidewall damage has occurred, you will need to have the tire replaced.
HOW TO CHECK AIR PRESSURE
Properly checking tire pressure requires an accurate air gauge. Many people believe that they can check air pressure just by looking at the tire and judging the sidewall appearance. Also, many people use air meters at service stations, which can be grossly inaccurate due to exposure or abuse. Invest in a quality air gauge. For trucks and RVs, use a dual-head inflation gauge that is calibrated up to 120 psi at 2 psi increments.
When checking your vehicle’s tire pressure, make sure the tires are “cold”. Cold air pressure means that the vehicle has not yet been driven one mile. Remember that driving on a tire increases its temperature and air pressure. If you must drive more than one mile for air, check and record the air pressure in all your tires before you leave. Once at the tire dealer, measure each tire’s inflation again and then note the difference. Inflate the tires with low pressure to a level that is equal to the recommended cold pressure plus the difference at the higher temperature.
Finally, after completing the pressure check, make sure that the valves and extensions are equipped with valve caps to keep out dirt and moisture. Remember to replace the valve assembly when you replace the tire. It’s your best assurance against a sudden or consistent loss of air pressure.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
How can routine air pressure maintenance impact our environment?
Consider that fewer tires per year would end up in the landfills and scrap heaps that trouble our ecology. How many tires are we talking about? We estimate that most drivers lose from 10% to as much as 50% of tire tread life due to under-inflation. That’s a significant statistic. Now consider the extra fuel we burn to push cars along on soft, under-inflated tires. Tires do require extra energy to roll if they are under-inflated. While the statistics vary widely and can be somewhat inconclusive, the implications are staggering. Maintaining tire pressure may seem like a low priority in our busy daily routines, but it adds up to big environmental consequences. We must all take action to do the right thing.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED TO REPLACE MY TIRES?
Tires are just like any other part of a motor vehicle, after using it for a while, you’re going to develop some wear and tear and eventually they are going to get worn out and need to be replaced.
Driving worn out tires can be very dangerous. It can cause your car to drag to one side, make your rides feel rough, cause your alignment to get thrown off and cause other parts of your car to become worn out quicker, which could cause you a lot of money in the long run and worst of all your tire(s) can get blown out, which could cause you to lose control of the car and get into a car accident. So before any major problems occur here are some quick and easy ways to tell when your tires need replacing.
First…
Keep an eye out for any cuts, bubbling or cracking in the sidewall of the tire. If you find any of these, take your tires to a local tire retailer immediately for a professional inspection. Because of the delicate nature of the tire sidewall, you should consider installing your spare tire before driving.
Checking the depth of the tire tread. Checking the depth of the tire tread will enable you to see how many you’ve got left before you need a new tire(s). One way of doing this is by inserting a penny in one of the grooves with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it is time to replace your tire.
Make sure you tires are inflated properly. Proper inflation is crucial if you want your tires to last a long time. If your tires are underinflated, the sidewall will sag, causing excessive wear on the outside areas of the tread. Under inflation also results in excessive heat, which accelerates wear and may cause a blowout.
Check for any abnormal wear-n-tear. If the tire tread depth is uneven, observe where the wear-n-tear is occurring. You should be able to determine what’s causing it and if it’s not too late, correct the problem before you ruin the rest of the tire’s life expediency. The four most common reasons for premature tire wear are improper inflation, misalignment, lack of rotation and front-end wear. These are things you may want to have inspected at a reliable service center.
Keep your wheels aligned. Wheels that are out of alignment can cause severe damage to your tires. This can also cause decrease traction due to reduced contact with the road. Over time, a slight misalignment can cause a lot of uneven or premature tire wear. If your tires are not aligned properly your tires will wear down a lot faster. If the alignment is off you’ll notice somethings wrong while you’re driving; your vehicle will not drive as well as it did in the beginning and, in the most extreme cases, you could have a pretty difficult time maintaining control of the car. It is recommended that an alignment check should be done with every other oil change.
Now that you know how to tell when your tires are worn out and need to replaced, make sure to check your tires on a regular basis. By keeping your tire’s wear-n-tear to a minimum, you and your passengers will be safer on the road and you’ll save a lot of money down the road. Ignoring wear-tear on your tires can quickly lead to more serious and more expensive problems, so always keep your tires on top of the priority list.