Resources

Tire tips & safety

Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers want you to get more out of your tire and auto service dollars. Since the advent of performance cars, Performance tires are representing a larger and larger part of your budget. We'd like to offer some helpful hints on how to get the maximum return on your investment.

Tire pressure

Your car's operating manual will list the manufacturer's recommended air pressure for both city and highway driving. This information is also available from Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers upon request. Check your air pressure after 5 days as slight changes will usually occur immediately after installation.

Pressure and performance

For some drivers, cornering and handling may be more important than tread wear. Increasing tire pressure will generally improve traction but may cause center rib wear. A harsher ride will be noticed and the impact of the car's suspension may cause damage or increased wear on your shock absorbers and front-end components.

Caution: Do Not Over-inflate Your Tires. Observe The Maximum Pressure Warnings on the Sidewall and the vehicles door sticker. Under steer and Over steer may be corrected by adjusting pressures between the front and rear tires. Call Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers for free specialized help involving this procedure.

Alignment

Misalignment, which is responsible for a high percentage of uneven tread wear problems, can be caused by a loose steering or suspension mechanism, impact from potholes and bumps, or continual "settling" of your car's suspension due to aging. Some cars hold their alignment well but there is no way of telling whether your car is properly aligned except by checking it periodically. (At least every 10,000 miles)

There are three possible elements in misaligned front ends - Toe-in, Camber, and Caster.

Toe-in (or Toe-out) is the direction in which your tires point.

•2. Camber is the angle in which your tires contact the pavement.

•3. Caster is the angle of your car's suspension upright relative to perpendicular. Caster misalignment affects the car's steering more than tire wear.

Once again, some deliberate misalignment is used to special purpose applications such as race cars or towing heavy trailers. Also, radial tires may require a different alignment from non-radials. Check with Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers or your car dealer for more details. Front-end misalignment will not cause tire vibrations or steering wheel oscillation.

Tire wear from mechanical defects

Unusual wear patterns are most often not caused by defective tires although tires usually get the blame. Such things are shock-absorber wear, brake problems, loose front-end bushing, tire imbalance, etc., cause a very high percentage of uneven tread wear. Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers offers free inspection for drivers who notice peculiar wear patterns and we have descriptive reference material on hand which may help in identifying the causes of unusual wear.

Tire sidewall cracking

Because of ozone and other pollutants in our atmosphere, slight cracks in the sidewall area of your tires may occur. These cracks are generally harmless and are a normal part of the tire's aging process. Should you feel that these cracks (sometimes referred to as "checking") are excessive, have a Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers salesperson take a quick look. Any crack, regardless of cause, which is deep enough to expose tire cord material should be checked immediately.

Equipment

Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers constantly monitor the industry to determine which manufacturers are providing the best mounting & balancing equipment. Each year we replace outdated machines with newer, safer, and more accurate equipment. Inferior equipment can cause bent rims, scratches, misbalance, and improper bead seating. Most comebacks are related to errors in the mounting and balancing process. However, Kost Tire & Muffler at our return rate is about 1% compared to a 5% national average. All work, including "Mags" and specialty wheels, is completely guaranteed.

Tire service work is a complex business. We hope you will rely on professional personnel for tire related work.

Tire repair

Punctured tires generally run under inflated, or are "rim-pinched" by the weight of the car. Although this may appear to be repairable with just a plug or patch, the inside may have been damaged beyond repair from the heat buildup or debris which has gone through the tire.

Proper flat repair requires disassembly of the tire and rim, a complete inspection involving a casing spreader or similar device and then a proper repair and reassembly. Although a plug placed through your tire from the outside may fix a flat, the safest method (especially in steel-belted radials) is to apply a chemically vulcanized patch outside the tire. A proper flat repair can ensure continued life from a tire; an improperly repaired flat can cause additional tire damage and an unsafe driving condition.

Tire rotation

There are two schools of thought regarding tire rotation. The first believes that tires should be rotated every 5,000 miles so that small irregularities in your car's mechanical condition will not "ruin" a tire prematurely.

The other suggests that tires should not be rotated since rotation will subject 2 or more tires to the same potential scuffing. Proponents of the second theory also believe that tires tend to "lope" or exaggerate scuffing once a wear spot occurs and that moving a tire, once it is unusually worn, will result in that tire continuing to wear down in the same spot even though the mechanical cause of the uneven tread wear has been removed.

Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers feel that tires on any vehicle should be rotated every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Frequent inspections may reveal a specific wear pattern which in some cases may be corrected if attended to. It is better to correct the problem causing an unusual wear pattern than to wait until a wear pattern is set into the tires which may not be able to be corrected.

In any case, careful visual inspection and a visit to Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers will help increase your tire's service life.

Certain unusual rotation methods, such as turning a tire and wheel 90 degrees on your car's axle, may help eliminate brake pedal throb. Check with Kost Tire & Muffler for more details should you encounter this symptom during moderate or hard braking.

Mixing radials & non-radials

Tires with the most traction (drag factor) should be placed on the drive wheels of your vehicle to increase directional stability. Mixing tires improperly from side to side may make your car want to turn, like the arrow missing a feather. For proper mixing of radial and non-radial tires consult Kost Tire and Auto Care Center for a technical opinion. Caution: Improper Mixing May Cause Dangerous Handling Characteristics In Your Car.

Recommendations

Drive sensibly. Habitual fast starts, fast braking, and hard cornering will significantly reduce the number of miles which you receive from your tires. As much as possible, avoid potholes and sharp objects in the road. If you are riding on steel-belted radials, do not assume that they are immune to cuts and punctures. Use a rubber protestant like Armor All occasionally (usually available in pump-spray containers) to maintain the dark, new appearance of your tires and to shield them from the drying, cracking effects of the ozone in the air, sunlight, road chemicals, and extreme variations in temperature. Store your tires in a cool, dark place when not in service.

Summary

Compared to the service which many motorists receive from their tires, you may expend the mileage and the longevity of yours by as much as 30% to 50% just by servicing them regularly. That's money in your pocket and there are significant savings in fuel consumption and the added benefit of improved handling performance. Last, but not least, there is the peace of mind which goes along with knowing that the tires under your automobile are in top-notch, safe condition. We hope that you are pleased with your new tires and with the service you have received. Thank you for visit the Kost Tire and Auto Care Centers website. Please visit one of our many stores.

Tire inspection

When you inspect your tires, look for these warning signs: Any punctures, cuts, cracks, splits? Any bruises, bumps, bulges? Uneven tread-wear indicators exposed? If one of them loses air quickly, is the wheel rim bent, crack, rusted or otherwise damaged? Also, out-of-round tires can cause excessive vibration. If you find any of these signs on any of your rubber, get it fixed right away. Call a Store nearest you at any time for any reason with any Tire & Auto Service Problem. Our helpful, friendly store managers will be glad to assist you.

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