Learn & How To

Buying super-cheap tires that weren’t properly developed and tested can be dangerous for all traffic participants. Hence, I always recommend purchasing a set from a reputable manufacturer which spent the time to test its product in various conditions before sending it on the market.

But you know what’s worse? Tires that were worn out past their due date. They are a very serious safety hazard – around 11,000 traffic accidents occur every year due to bad tires in the USA alone (according to the NHTSA), which is considered a developed market.

Despite that, I see too many cars driving on tires with almost no tread, and sometimes I even notice wires showing on tires. It’s an issue that, sadly, some owners don’t take seriously and endanger their lives, but also the lives of other traffic participants.

Tires that were worn out past their due date won’t provide you with safe traction, but more importantly, they can also blow out and seriously destabilize your vehicle. But why cords showing on tires is so risky? And what should you do about it? Here is everything you need to know and what you need to do if you see a wire showing on one of your tires.

Today, most off-road/all-terrain tires come in P-metric (Euro-metric), LT-metric, or flotation sizes. However, most owners of 4x4s or SUVs don’t know what’s the difference between them, and only a few are educated about flotation tires.

Not to worry, though, as I’ll cover everything there is to know about flotation tires in this article in-depth, so you can have a clearer picture before splurging the cash. Let’s (not) dive in!

Many owners of premium vehicles that have run-flat tires also wonder whether they can plug them. On a regular tire, you could easily plug the puncture and continue driving, but is it the same for run-flats? Can you plug a run flat tire and call it a day?

It’s not an easy question to answer since there are many variables, so let’s dive into the world of run-flat tires and see whether you can repair one or not.

Inventors worked tirelessly in the past 200-300 years to find different means to cope with every obstacle that road cars encounter. The internal combustion engine is only part of the equation – to make everything work properly, carmakers also use various joints, axles, bushings, stabilizer bars, struts, bars, etc.

We take the modern car for granted because it’s so ubiquitous, but it’s a true engineering marvel that took years and years to refine. So, when somebody asks me, “why does my car make a noise when I turn, mate,” I always require more data. Because although some parts are more likely to cause noise than others, you can never say for sure.

All of this drove me to write this article, where I’ll explore every part that might cause a noise when you turn. So, without further ado, let’s dig in!

We advised the technicians to always check for problems, especially for unbalanced tires. And there is a very good reason for that – unbalanced tires can be unsafe and downright dangerous at higher speeds.

Hence, as a driver, it’s paramount to know all the symptoms of unbalanced tires and how you can spot them. It’s also important to know how to take care of your tires and ask your tire technician to rotate and balance the tires regularly. This is something that most drivers don’t do because they only use one set of all-season tires, but regardless, it’s a useful habit to visit the tire shop once every year.

With that said, let’s have a look at the most common symptoms of unbalanced tires and what you can do to mitigate them.

The braking system is by far the most important in any car when it comes to safety. Your vehicle might have all sorts of issues and still be safe, but having sound brakes is non-negotiable. Without functional brakes, an accident will almost certainly happen, and most of the time, it can be catastrophic.

So, when you hear noises coming from the car while braking, you should take immediate notice. Although brake systems in modern vehicles are bulletproof, bad things can still happen, especially in older cars. Therefore, you should ask your mechanic to regularly check and take care of your brakes so you can be safe on the road.

But, most of the time, noises you can hear when braking don’t come from the braking system. That’s mostly true for clunking noise when braking. These can come from various suspension components and can be dangerous, but they could also be an issue that’s not a safety hazard.

Regardless, you should always check to be sure, and this article will help you with that. So, let’s check all possible culprits of clunking noise when braking and how you can diagnose them!

The wheel is by far the most important invention of humankind when it comes to mobility. Without wheels, we wouldn’t have had cars today, or any land vehicle, for that matter. Wheels enabled us to transport goods and people at much higher speeds and much more efficiently than ever before.

Wheels, or rims as they like to call them, are also the most discussed item in automotive circles. Furthermore, they are almost always the first upgrade enthusiasts put on their vehicles, and buyers don’t mind spending exorbitant sums on getting the largest wheels possible when buying a new car.

However, it wasn’t always like this. In the past, hubcaps and wheel covers were all the rage, and large alloy wheels were nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, the automotive landscape is so advanced today that we have a choice of any style we want on our car – from hubcaps and covers to large alloy wheels.

There is one problem, though. Since wheels are so talked about, and mostly on the street, slang is the go-to language for describing them. As a result, people confuse wheels, rims, hubcaps, and wheel covers and sometimes use them interchangeably.

But worry not, as I’ll clear things out for you and tell you everything you need to know about hubcaps vs. rims and all similar products. Enjoy!

Are you hearing the tires rubbing against the fenders when turning or even when you hit a larger pothole? You might think it’s not a big issue, especially if it happens because of some changes you made; however, the issue can worsen over time and can also be very dangerous.

There are quite a few reasons that can lead to tires rubbing when turning. Most of them come from upgrades made to the car, but there can also be issues with some car parts. Regardless, you should immediately take steps to alleviate the issue, and this article will help you with that.

People today see tires as a simple and straightforward technology. However, it actually took us a very long to arrive at the modern-day, state-of-the-art radial tires that provide us with exceptional high-speed stability and comfort.

See, tires aren’t only rubber attached to a wheel – there is a lot more happening inside. If the casing of the tire was only made from rubber, it would’ve warped at very low loads, leading to instability.

Hence, the modern tire employs steel belts in the construction, which greatly increases the rigidity of the tire and leads to a much safer ride, even at very high speeds.

These steel cords, arranged as belts, are crucial in any modern tire, but what happens if one of them is damaged or breaks? You probably heard that from your tire technician, together with a recommendation for a new tire, but surely, one broken cord is not a big issue, right? Well, the issue is more serious than you would imagine, and here is everything you need to know about a broken belt in a tire!

So your engine refused to start, and the first thing you thought of doing was adding some gas to the tank. But even after doing that, your car refused to fire up. It’s a nightmarish scenario in our lives packed with things to do, especially since most of the time, our cars won’t start in the morning, right before we need to go to work.

But these are things you can’t always have control over. Modern cars reliably start almost every day, but every now and then, an issue will occur that will stop the engine from firing up.

But you shouldn’t have to worry, as most of the time, the problem is easy to fix and very cheap. So, without further ado, here are the main causes of your car won’t start after getting gas!