Tires are an expensive purchase, so knowing when tires should be replaced is important for St. Peter drivers. Tires will just wear out with normal use. The depth of the tread on your tire determines how well it will stop, start and steer – especially in wet conditions. 4/32th of an inch (3.2 mm) of tire tread is considered a safe amount of tread.
Uneven tread wear can be a symptom of other problems, and simply replacing your tires will not prevent the same uneven wear from happening to the new tires. At Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter, we can inspect your tires for excessive or uneven wear. Unusual wear may lead to further inspection of steering, suspension or alignment problems. We can help with necessary repairs and with getting you the right tires for your needs.
Flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances can all be the result of driving around St. Peter on underinflated tires. Admittedly, it’s hard to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your vehicle manufacturer recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your vehicle tires are considered significantly underinflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.
New laws require all vehicles to include a tire pressure monitor system, or TPMS. This technology has been used by race car drivers for years. They are able to head off problems from underinflation by closely monitoring tire pressure on the track. It’s up to your vehicle’s manufacturer to determine which of many TPMS systems available they’ll use to comply with the law.
Obviously, all of this doesn’t come free for St. Peter drivers. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining the system will have a cost, replacement of worn or broken parts and tire repair cost increases.
Your safety has always been a priority at Autotronics of St. Peter. We want you on the road and accident free. We’ve traditionally provided things like tire rotations, snow tire mounting and flat fixes at a very low cost. We’ve been able to quickly and cheaply provide the service and pass the low cost on to you as an expression of our good will.
Like all other St. Peter service centers, here at Autotronics of St. Peter we’ve had to purchase new scanning equipment to work with the TPMS sensors and to update expensive tire change equipment to better service wheels equipped with the new monitoring systems. Our friendly and knowledgeable service technicians at Autotronics of St. Peter have been thoroughly trained on many systems and new tire-changing techniques. All of this adds up to significantly increased cost to perform what was once a very inexpensive service for you.
So when you start so see the cost of tire changes, flat repairs and rotations going up at Autotronics of St. Peter, please keep in mind that it’s because of government mandated safety equipment. We want to keep you safely on the road – and we’re committed to doing it at a fair price. This safety equipment will help you avoid the most common types of vehicle failure in St. Peter, and possibly a catastrophic accident.
Some of us St. Peter drivers just love tires. All those little rubber hairs on new tires and the smell is wonderful. St. Peter drivers live in a great time for tires. No matter how you drive between St. Peter and Cleveland, where you want to go or the look you’re after; there is a tire for you.
The same is true about wheels. The hardest part for St. Peter car owners is choosing from the thousands of wheels available at MN tire shops.
The team at Autotronics of ST Peter may not be able to help with that, but we can help you get some things in mind before you consult with your St. Peter tire professional. Let’s start with function and think about how you drive.
For example, maybe you have a large SUV but you don’t drive off-road around St. Peter, so an off-road tread isn’t important. Also, because you are not out bouncing over rocks in the MN backcountry, you don’t need a high profile tire to protect your rims. So that means you can probably go with the low-wide look.
If you have a winter season with rain and snow or if you find you need better ice and snow performance, they make great, high-performance snow tires that won’t make it look like you are driving a tractor.
There really are a lot of options for any given vehicle. St. Peter auto owners will find it very helpful to have a discussion like this with their St. Peter tire pro or the tire experts at Autotronics of ST Peter when they need new tires. You can find the best solutions for your driving needs and to make improvements in ride or handling.
Picking a wheel that is the same size as what you are now running is important and pretty simple. But, it gets trickier if you want to upsize. Just get some help when you go bigger. All that tire and wheel still needs to fit in the available space. You do not want your tires to rub when you turn or hit a bump. St. Peter drivers also need to make sure their brakes and suspension bits will fit with their wheel of choice. It doesn’t matter how great your car looks if it’s not drivable.
Taller, wider wheels and tires probably weigh more than your stock shoes. And it’s “unsprung” weight – that has a big impact on brake performance. The upsized shoes increase rotational inertia – if you go too big you may need to upgrade your brakes to compensate.
Another possible problem is an inaccurate speedometer. This happens because the number of rotations can change with the new wheels. Fortunately, speedometers and odometers are all controlled by the engine computer; so it is manageable to get it reprogrammed at Autotronics of ST Peter to compensate for the bigger tires.
No matter what you are after: low cost, long life, high performance, traction or stunning good looks, your wheel and tire professional at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter, MN can help you identify your needs and give you a custom fit. With all the options available, you don’t have to compromise. There is a tire out there with your name on it!
This technology has been used by race car drivers for years. They are able to head off problems from underinflation by closely monitoring tire pressure on the track. It’s up to your vehicle’s manufacturer to determine which of many TPMS systems available they’ll use to comply with the law.