Linda Cate

No, a run-flat tire does not wear faster by default; pressure, alignment, load, and road surface usually decide its tread life. Run-flat tires get blamed for short tread life all the time. The truth is less dramatic. The reinforced sidewall that lets you keep driving after a pressure loss does not automatically grind the tread […]

Most drivers pay $15 to $30 per tire, or about $60 to $120 for four, before TPMS kits, disposal fees, or road-force add-ons. If you’re buying new tires, the mounting and balancing bill is usually smaller than the tire bill, but it still matters. For a normal passenger car, many shops land in the $15

Most passenger tires last about 40,000 to 70,000 miles, though tread wear, age, pressure, alignment, and tire type can swing that range. If you want one number, here it is: many everyday passenger tires make it somewhere between 40,000 and 70,000 miles. That said, tires do not wear on a neat schedule. A touring tire

A missing valve cap won’t stop a car at once, but dirt, moisture, and a slow leak get more likely the longer it stays off. Most cars can still be driven for a while without a tire cap. The cap is not the main thing holding air inside the tire, so losing one does not

Les Schwab often fixes a repairable flat for free, while a tire that fails inspection usually moves you to replacement instead. A flat tire puts one question above everything else: what will this cost? If Les Schwab is the shop you’re weighing, the answer is better than many drivers expect. In plenty of everyday cases,

Nitrogen-filled tires lose pressure a bit slower, yet plain air works well for most cars when you check it often. That sales pitch at the tire shop can sound bigger than it is. Nitrogen is not magic. It will not turn an average tire into a longer-lasting, better-gripping tire on its own. What it can

Stuck tires in snow often free up with less wheel spin, packed traction under the drive wheels, and a gentle rocking motion. Snow can pin a car in place in seconds. Pressing harder on the gas feels right, but it usually makes the rut deeper and the snow slicker. A better move is slower. Stop

A tire in 295/55R20 size stands about 32.8 inches tall, with a sidewall near 6.39 inches and circumference near 103 inches. If you typed “How Tall Are 295 55R20 Tires?” into search, the plain number is 32.78 inches in overall diameter. That puts it a touch under the common “33-inch tire” label many truck and

New tires don’t change wheel angles on their own, but worn rubber can reveal an alignment issue that was already there. A fresh set of tires can make a car feel tighter, quieter, and easier to place in a lane. So the question comes fast: did the new tires throw off the alignment? In most

108 marks a 2,205-lb load rating per tire, while T means the tire is rated for up to 118 mph under test conditions. When you spot 108T on a tire sidewall, you’re looking at the tire’s service description. That short code tells you two things at once: how much weight one tire is built to