Tyretraders.com: low-profile tires

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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Tyres
are arguably the most important component
on your vehicle. They are, however, among the least understood
features. Allow me to list and pop a few common misconceptions about
tyres.  <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1.
The tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in my new car makes sure
my tyres are adequately inflated.  The
truth: TPMS isn't required to issue a warning until pressure is 25
percent below the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation. That's "well
below the pressure required for safe driving," according to AAA
and "barely adequate to carry the vehicle's maximum load,"
says the Rubber Manufacturers' Association. TPMS is intended as a
last-minute warning before imminent tyre failure, not as a monitor to
make sure your tyres are properly inflated.  Buy
a quality tyre gauge and set your tyre pressure to at least the
vehicle manufacturer's recommendation, which is found on the driver's
door jamb. I'd rather you set your tyres 3 or even 5 psi high rather
than 1 low. tyre-pressure gauges can be inaccurate, and tyres leak as
much as 1 psi per month. Higher pressure improves hydroplaning
resistance and, if you're like many folks, you may not bother to
check your tyres again for six months.  <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">2.
When replacing
only two tyres,
the new ones go on the front. </div>
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 The
truth: Rear tyres provide stability, and without stability, steering
or braking on a wet or even damp surface might cause a spin. If you
have new tyres up front, they will easily disperse water while the
half-worn rears will go surfing: The water will literally lift the
worn rear tyres off the road. If you're in a slight corner or on a
crowned road, the car will spin out so fast you won't be able to say,
"Oh, fudge!"  There
is no "even if" to this one. Whether you own a front-,
rear- or all-wheel-drive car, truck, or SUV, the tyres with the most
tread go on the rear. Don't believe it? <a href="http://youtu.be/--Hb5kQCaTg" target="_blank">Watch
this</a>.  <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">3.
A tyre is in danger of bursting if pressure exceeds the "max
press" number on the sidewall.  The
truth: The "max press" number has nothing to do with a
tyre's burst pressure. The "max press" and "max load"
numbers indicate the pressure at which the tyre will carry the
maximum amount of weight. A new, quality tyre will not pop at an even
multiple of the "max press." I'm sworn to secrecy about the
exact burst pressure, but I wouldn't hesitate to double the "max
press" of any new passenger-vehicle tyre on a new wheel. But
hitting a big pothole at super-high pressures may cause a
failure.  <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">4.
The "max press" is where the tyre offers its maximum
cornering grip.  The
truth: If you didn't read the previous point, do so now. Many law
enforcement officers cling rigidly to the misconception that the "max
press" is secret code for maximum at-the-limit traction. It's a
coincidence that many low-bidder tyres offer increased grip at 40 or
more psi. But that's all it is: a coincidence. If I were going to
race a stock ex-cop Ford Crown Victoria on street tyres on a
road-racing circuit, 45 psi front, 35 psi rear wouldn't be a bad
place to start. (The tail would be, in Nascar lingo, too loose for
safe street driving.)  <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">5.
Low-profile tyres fitted on large-diameter wheels improve
handling.  The
truth: The short sidewalls of low-profile tyres enhance
the tyres' response when the driver first turns the steering wheel.
That gives the driver the (often false) feeling the tyre has tons of
grip. But after that initial movement, it's the tread compound—the
stickiness of the rubber—that determines how well the tyre grips
the road. Also, the combination of a large-diameter wheel and
low-profile tyre is usually heavier than the original equipment. This
means the suspension may not be able to keep the tyre in touch with
the pavement.  <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">6.
All tyres with the same designation are exactly the same size.  The
truth: Think all 225/35R19s (or whatever tyre size) are exactly 225
millimeters wide and their sidewalls are exactly 35 percent as tall
as the tyre is wide? Not exactly. And unlike what's commonly believe,
these designations are not about
production tolerances.  All
the tyres of a specific part number or stock keeping unit (SKU) can
be can be slightly wider or narrower than the nominal width and their
profile can be slightly taller or shorter than the stated percentage.
Why? A wider, taller tyre puts more rubber on the ground, which is
good for a performance tyre. A shorter, narrower tyre uses less
material, thus reducing costs in a business where profit margins
almost never break into double digits. So tyremakers might scrimp a
bit here and there. It's a bit like how a 2 x 4 is not, in fact, 2 by
4.</div>

6 Common Tyre Myths Debunked

Tyres are arguably the most important component on your vehicle. They are, however, among the least understood features. Allow me ...