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A Plain Guide to Car Tires and How They Wear
How car tires are built, the main types, what the sidewall markings mean and why tires wear unevenly, with pointers on spotting problems early.
Care and Safety
Tires and Wheels
How tires and wheels work, wear and get maintained.
How to Change a Flat Tire Safely
A careful, step-by-step way to swap a flat for the spare: choosing a safe spot, loosening the wheel nuts, jacking, tightening in a star pattern and rechecking.
How to Check Tire Pressure at Home
How to check and adjust tire pressure with a gauge: when tires count as cold, where to find the correct figure, how to add or release air and what to avoid.
How to Read the Markings on a Tire Sidewall
Decode the size, load index, speed rating, DOT date code and other markings on a tire sidewall, using a hypothetical example to show how each part reads.
Spare Tires, Run-Flats and Sealant Kits Explained
Compare full-size spares, space-saver spares, run-flat tires and sealant or inflator kits: how each works, their limits and what to check on your own car.
Summer, All-Season and Winter Tires Compared
How rubber compounds and tread designs differ between summer, all-season and winter tires, what each does well and how to choose for your climate.
Tire Rotation and Balancing Explained
Why tires are rotated and balanced, the common rotation patterns, how often it is usually done and the signs of an imbalanced wheel.
What a Wheel Alignment Does and When You Need One
What camber, toe and caster mean, how poor wheel alignment shows up in tire wear and steering, and when a check is worth having.
What to Do About a Slow Puncture
How to spot and find a slow tire leak, what a proper repair involves, when a puncture can be repaired and when the tire has to be replaced.
When to Replace Tires: Tread Depth and Age
How to judge when tires are worn out: measuring tread depth, using wear indicators and the penny test, and how age affects rubber even with deep tread.
Related topics
More in care and safety
Maintenance and Repairs Routine upkeep, batteries and what repairs involve. Cleaning and Storage Washing, waxing and protecting a car in storage. Car Safety Safety features, child protection and crash ratings. Warning Lights and Diagnostics Understanding dashboard signals, noises and basic diagnostics. Engine, Fluids and Under the Hood What the main fluids and components do and how they are checked.