Few things about driving are more frightening than losing traction — and losing control of your car — during the winter time. The type of tires that hold your car to the ground can significantly impact your car’s handling characteristics.  That’s why you should always use tires appropriate to the conditions of the road.  That means putting on a set of winter tires when there is snow on the ground.  Read this article from CNN to learn more.

Why to buy snow tires

Have you observed any of these signs of trouble when inspecting your tires?

• Cracking or cuts in the sidewalls.
• Uneven tread wear. This can be caused by improper inflation, misaligned wheels, damaged tires, or by problems with suspension parts.
• Excessively worn tread. Most modern tires have tread-wear indicator bars running across the tread, which signal the minimum allowable tread depth of 1/16-inch. When the tread wears down to these bars, it’s time for new tires. Inexpensive tread-wear gauges are available at auto-parts and tire stores.
• Bulges or blisters. If you see a bulge or blister on the sidewall, replace the tire at once. These signal potential weak spots that could lead to tire failure.
• Excessive vibration. Tire vibration may be a sign a wheel is misaligned, unbalanced, or bent. It could also signify internal tire damage. Don’t ignore vibration: Have the vehicle serviced at once.

If yes, then according to Consumer Reports, your tires are exhibiting early warning signs of tire failure.  Stop by Frank’s Tire for a new set of tires to keep yourself and your family safe!

A Purdue University professor says he has developed a “smart” tire that can sense damage when it loses air pressure. “Some tire damage is not easily detected,” says Gary Krutz, director of Purdue’s Electrohydraulic Center. Krutz’s system uses sensors that let drivers know “when a tire condition has degraded,” according to Purdue officials. “The sensors also can notify drivers of low air pressure or unbalanced air pressure between tires.

Purdue University develops ’smart’ tire

With winter here, Continental Tire North America, Inc., is launching a “45-degree Make the Switch” campaign. “It’s a fact: as temperatures drop below 45-degree, so does an all-season tire’s ability to grip the road. And that can lead to dangerous driving conditions,” said Joerg Burfien, director of R & D, Continental Tire North American, Inc. “Since all-season and winter tires are about as similar as sandals and snowshoes, we’ve launched this program to encourage our customers to stay safer in winter by switching to Continental Winter Tires.

Continental Winter Tires are available at Frank’s Tire Service. Call, stop by, or click the link below to find out more!

Temperatures Are Dropping: Time to Make the Switch to Continental Winter Tires

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. offered exchanges Friday for certain tires sold for use with minivans and small trucks, but insisted the decision is not a recall. Goodyear believes that some of these tires under adverse conditions can have tread separation. It offered to exchange P215/70R14 tires sold under 23 private label names, including Douglas, Kelly, Mohave and Republic, in the United States and Canada.

Goodyear offers to exchange certain small truck, minivan tires

You wouldn’t buy out-dated milk or medicines, and you shouldn’t buy out-dated tires either. This next viewer discovered, in a horrifying way, what all consumers should understand– you need to know when a tire was made before you buy it.

Be safe: Check age of tire before buying

Low-profile tires do not inherently wear out quicker because of their sidewall height. Most do wear out faster, though, because the majority of low-profile tires are high-performance.  Learn more by clicking here:

Will low-profile tires wear out faster than normal height tires?

Did you see the flurries this morning, New York? Many drivers are now racing to get the snow tires on before the roads become too slick.

Road crews, tire shops getting ready for first snow of the season

Hype or high performance? There’s probably a little of both when it comes to inflating your tires with nitrogen. The practice has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years as a way to maintain constant tire pressure, save gas and extend tire life.  But does it work?  We doubt it!  But this article tends to disagree with some ambivalence.

Inflated reputation? Nitrogen filling more tires, but its edge is debated