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All those numbers and letters that appear on the sidewall of every tire that's manufactured and sold to the public have a very specific meaning. Many of the customers we serve at Texas Tire Sales simply come to the counter and say "I need new tires." Our store manager will go outside, look at the tires they currently have on their vehicle, come back inside and then start rattling off new tire options to the customer. Many times these ramblings are met with a blank stare as if we are speaking so...

Let's first cover the basics. What is Tire pressure? Tire pressure is the manufacturer's recommended pressure for a tire, dependent on load, speed, etc., usually given in bar or pound-force per square inch (psi). The proper tire pressure reading is COLD inflation pressure and is the inflation pressure of tires before the car is driven and the tires warmed up due to the fact that air expands as it heats up. Tire pressure readings taken when a tire is warm would be not be accurate. UNDER inflatio...

Tire rotation is an very important maintenance duty that the majority of people don't think about often enough. When done at the proper time, tire rotation extends the life of your tires, preserves tire balance and traction, maintains even tire wear on all four tires thus ensuring safe driving and even tire performance advantages. Let's  take a look at this simple and effective process. Whether you plan on doing the job yourself or having it performed by a your local tire store, it's important ...

Given today's economy,  it's no surprise that car owners are looking for any way they can to save money. They seek out coupons, deals and rebates more aggressively than they did just a few years ago. Tire dealers understand this therefore, in most tire stores and auto repair shops, deals are so frequent, that  you can't get near a tire store without being bombarded with number of "so called" deals. The question is, are they really that big of a bargain? Here are some of the most common tire pro...

The other day we had the SPEED channel on in our waiting area there was a show on the TV where they were making recommendations about various cool ways to modify your car. One of the things they mentioned was the benefit of filling your tires with nitrogen instead of air. I have always filled my tires with air and don't have any problem checking and refilling them when necessary but every now and then people will call or come in to TEXAS TIRE SALES and ask if we offer Nitrogen Inflation. We dec...

Does your car pull to one side? Does the steering wheel vibrate? Do you constantly have to make  steering corrections to keep your car traveling straight ahead? If so, chances are you need an alignment. Many handling problems can be corrected by complete four wheel alignment.  Another symptom that a car is out of alignment is uneven or rapid tire wear. To determine if you need an alignment, first check each tire and look for uneven wear patterns. The trouble with this method, however, is that i...

Changing a flat tire is not considered  to be a very enjoyable experience for most people.  Flat tires always seem  to occur at the most inopportune time for example, on your way to a first date, when you are wearing your best clothes or when you are already late for an appointment. Some of you, might be lucky enough, or wealthy enough to own a car with run flat tires. If that is the case, you might be able to avoid the experience of changing your own flat tires completely.  If you are like a l...

We have several people that visit Texas Tire Sales asking us to "plug" a hole in their tire.  We patch tires at Texas Tire Sales but we do not "plug" tires at either of our Tire shops.  I have never plugged a tire on any of my personal vehicles. I personally don't feel that it is the safest or most effective procedure for repairing a leaking or damaged tire. Yes, plugging a tire is cheaper than patching by about 5 or 6 dollars and that is likely the main reason many people request plugs.  The o...

Tire tread separation is a potentially dangerous condition wherein the tread of the tire separates itself from the casing or body of the tire. Most all of the tires made for the cars, light trucks, mini vans and SUVs that we drive today are steel belted radial tires. The most common defect in steel belted radial tires is tire tread separation. One of the most common complaints or problems that drivers have in regard to their tires is that they notice that the car shakes at a certain speed. Any ...

Vehicles registered in the State of Texas are required to receive an annual inspection. All vehicle inspections include a comprehensive safety inspection to ensure basic road worthiness.  Any vehicle registered in a county classified by Federal EPA as being in nonattainment status (17) are required to have an emissions test in addition to the safety inspection. The cost of the annual inspection is determined by the county of registration and the what type of inspection is required. Gasoline pow...