Linda Cate

Semi tire chains belong on the drive axle tires, with the smooth tire side in and the slack pulled out again after a short roll. If you’re chaining up a tractor in sleet, wind, or packed roadside slush, speed helps. Order helps more. A clean chain install comes down to three things: the right wheel […]

A 235 tire is 10 mm wider than a 225, and if the sidewall ratio stays the same, it also ends up a bit taller. When drivers compare 225 and 235 tires, the headline change is width. A 225 tire is 225 millimeters wide, while a 235 tire is 235 millimeters wide. That 10 mm

Many new vehicles skip a spare and come with run-flats or a sealant kit, so check the trunk before you sign. Do new cars have spare tires? Some do. Many don’t. A spare used to be standard. That isn’t true anymore. Plenty of new cars ship with a compact spare, a repair kit, run-flat tires,

Costco tire rotation is usually free for tires bought there, and Costco doesn’t post one flat public rate for outside tires. If you bought your tires from Costco, the answer is pretty simple: rotation is normally part of the package you already paid for. You don’t walk in and get a fresh labor charge each

No, a spare tire fits only when the wheel pattern, clearance, load rating, and rolling size work with the car. A spare tire is not a one-size-fits-all part. Two cars can both ride on 17-inch wheels and still need different spares. The reason is simple: the tire is only half the story. The wheel itself

Yes, a small tread puncture can be repaired safely, but a plug alone is often a stopgap rather than the best long-term fix. A tire plug can be safe in a narrow set of cases. That usually means a small puncture in the tread, no sidewall damage, no signs that the tire was driven flat,

Yes, a short trip can be okay when air pressure stays steady, but a sidewall puncture, fast leak, or low tire makes driving risky. A nail in a tire does not always mean you need a tow truck right away. In plenty of cases, the tire holds air well enough for a careful drive to

Yes, a failed TPMS sensor is often covered during the basic factory warranty, while battery wear, impact damage, and corrosion usually are not. A dead tire sensor feels minor until the warning light stays on. Then the real question hits: is this a warranty repair, or are you paying out of pocket? In many cases,

A temporary spare usually lasts no more than 50 miles, and it should stay at 50 mph or less. A donut tire is built to get you off the shoulder and to a repair shop, not to carry on like a regular tire. In most cases, the working rule is simple: keep your speed under

A Y marking on a tire means it is rated for sustained speeds up to 186 mph when carrying its stated load under test conditions. The “Y” on a tire sidewall is a speed rating. It tells you the tire’s tested speed ceiling, not the speed you should drive. On passenger tires, Y means up