Shopping for Wheels and Tires
Monday, November 3rd, 2008
I recently bought new tires for my Pontiac Bonneville, although my old tires were only 7 years old and still had tread on them. But here in Arizona we have to consider more than just tread and time. The heat wears tires out. I mean you can cook an egg on the road during Arizona’s summer months.
So I bought new Michelin’s, but I did not purchase new wheels. I mean if my car was younger (it is a 97 with about 100,000 miles on it), I might have considered Custom Wheels, not only for the sporty look, but due to safely considerations, too. In fact someday I will investigate how to make a car safer on Arizona’s highways, since we travel through desert summers and mountain snows, and up and down canyons, and over dirt roads.
One place to start my study is the web site www.wheelfire.com, a site devoted to wheels and tires. (Check out their wheel specials.) Their “TECH” area features sections on Speed Ratings, Tire Sizing, Load Index, Tire Pressure, Treadwear, Traction and Temperature, Noise and Vibration Problems, Mounting and Balancing, Centerbore and Hubcentric Rings, Wheel Offset, Bolt Patterns, Wheel Fitment and Plus Sizing, Wheel Care, Torque, and Wheel Construction.
www.wheelfire.com looks like a good place for both learning about wheels and comparison shopping, and I will certainly bookmark the site.
