Tire Shop Near Me – Romeoville, IL

Structure of a Tire

A lot of technology and engineering goes into your tires, much more than you might imagine at first. Let us take a moment today to have a look at the basic design of the tires you will find here at our tire shop. With each of these parts of your tires, we will also look at what they are made of. Your tires will typically consist of:

• Innerliner – This is the innermost part of your tire and consists of a rubber compound. It is used to make sure your tires stay inflated, and it does not come into contact directly with the road––at least it should not.
  Ply – Numerous body plies are laid over the innerliner and provide strength and structure for the tire. The plies are typically made of fiber cords woven together and coated in rubber.
• Belt – Steel belts are placed over the plies to add more strength to your tires, below where the tread will be. This helps take abuse and provides greater stability while you are driving. Kevlar cords can also be used to add more strength if desired.
• Sidewall – This is the part of the tire between the tread and the wheel. It is what you see when you look at your car from the side. The sidewall is made of rubber compound and is where you will find information about your tire, such as its type, date of manufacture, and weight limit.
• Bead – The bead is the inner part of your tire that creates a seal when placed onto your wheel. It is typically made of steel that is coated in rubber to ensure a strong seal and good durability.
• Shoulder – This is a small part of the tire located where the tread and sidewall come together, which helps to make cornering smoother and keep you in control.
  Tread – The tread is the surface of your tire that comes directly into contact with the road while you are driving. It is made from a rubber compound and includes grooves to help disperse rain and snow, allowing your tire to maintain grip while you drive.

There are a lot of different rubbers and synthetic polymers that go into your tires, along with fillers and curing agents. But all of it comes together to make a strong, reliable tire that is designed to keep you safe on the road.

Different Types of Tires

Although there are numerous types of tires for you to choose from here at the Romeoville Toyota tire shop, some of the most common include:

• All-Season – These are good all-around tires designed for use in any kind of weather. If you drive during winter and summer, in storms and nice weather, then this is a good choice.
• Winter – Specifically made for winter weather, these tires are good at dealing with snow and slush. You will find studded versions of them available that offer superior traction on ice.
• Summer – Specifically made for summer weather, these tires are good at handling heat and offer a good ride in sunshine or wet conditions. They are not good for snow or very cold weather, but if you have a sports car or similar vehicle, then you probably want them.
• All-Terrain – These tires are typically used for going off-road. As the name suggests, they are designed to handle all different kinds of terrain, with wide grooves that can help maintain traction in mud and sand.

If you are not sure which type of tire you need for your vehicle, then we are happy to help.

Why Do I Need to Replace My Tires?

As the rubber wears down or is damaged through daily use, your tires become less safe to drive on. Just by driving your vehicle, you place a lot of weight and strain on your tires. Any damage or excessive wear to them weakens your tires and creates the very real possibility of a blowout while you are driving. Even if nothing quite that disastrous occurs, tires that are worn offer a less pleasant ride, are unsafe in bad weather, and can negatively impact the fuel efficiency of your vehicle.

When Is It Time to Replace My Tires?

There are a couple of ways to know when it is time for new tires on your Toyota. For one thing, get into the habit of looking at your tires regularly and inspecting them for punctures, excessive wear, or other damage. If your tires are damaged in any visible way, then it is time to replace them.

You should also check the tread on your tires every so often to make sure it is still in good shape and deep enough. Use a penny or quarter and insert it into the tread with the President's head facing down toward the tire. If you cannot see the top of his head, then your tread is still deep enough. If you can see the top of the President's head, then your tread is getting worn. Using a quarter gives you more time to replace your tires; if you use a penny and see the top of Lincoln's head, then you need to replace your tires as soon as possible.

Finally, the rubber in your tires will break down over time, through no fault of your own. Even if you treat your tires well and drive carefully––even if you do not drive at all and have a car with tires on it sitting in a garage for years, the rubber will still break down. After five years, really keep an eye on the condition of your tires. If your tires are ten years old or older, then you need to replace them right away.

Do I Need to Replace All Four Tires?

Once you've determined that you do, in fact, need new tires, a common question that pops up is: do I need to replace all four tires? This is a worthwhile question, as the answer varies depending on what model you have, how many miles you've driven, wear and tear, vehicle drivetrain, and the type of driving you intend to do with your vehicle.

As a general rule of thumb, it is always the best practice when replacing your tires to "match" them. "Matching" your four tires means that you are using the same brand, style, and tread depth throughout your vehicle. If you've got an all-weather Michelin, a snow Cooper, a sport Pirelli, and an oversized Bridgestone, you're likely going to overwhelm your car and cause massive problems down the line.

The principle of matching brand, style, and tread depth is to allow for the least stress possible on the drivetrain system. This is especially true if your vehicle comes with all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Since all four tires in those systems run together, having matched tires will keep the system from overheating and causing undue wear and tear to the tires, brakes, and drivetrain.

This practice is best applied to front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars as well. The main point about these two drivetrains is that since the power is going to either the front or rear wheels, it's highly likely that those tires will wear out faster while the other set remains relatively intact. You could get away with simply replacing the worn tires, but you run the risk of then losing track of the ones that haven't been changed, which could lead to problems down the line.

The best practice is to always replace all four of your tires and match them. This will provide maximum longevity for your vehicle and maximum safety on the road for you.

How Often Should I Replace My Tires?

In terms of how often you should change your tires, you can take into consideration the general rule suggested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of replacing your tires every six years. This is a good general rule. The average American put 14,263 miles on their car in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Most of this was on paved roads, commuting to and from work. This type of driving, coupled with the average, means that your tires should last you the allotted six years. Most tires, however, do come with a recommended mileage at which to change them. This can range anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 miles.

Thinking about how long tires will last is more a matter of driving style and roadway conditions than anything else. In the days before paved roads, tires were changed with enormous frequency, owing to hazards brought on by the elements. Cars and tires needed to be tough in order to stay feasible. With the advent of pavement, tires and their cars received less stress daily, but road hazards still exist. However, more important than the condition of the road is how you treat your vehicle. If you constantly break hard from aggressive acceleration, that is going to put a lot more wear on your tires than if you were to drive with a more relaxed style.

So, you should think about preventative measures if you want to get the most out of that suggested six-year tire lifespan. Firstly, you should perform regular routine tire maintenance to ensure you're getting the most out of your tires. Maintaining proper tire pressure, the PSI recommended in the owner's manual or indicated on a sticker inside the driver's door frame, is a key feature to tire life. Most modern vehicles have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that will tell you when your tire pressure is low. Some even tell you which one it is to eliminate the guesswork. Rotating your tires every 12 months or 10,000 miles also helps ensure that your tires wear evenly, as different wheels will often exert different pressure on the tires.

All that is to say that if you keep up with your maintenance, drive reasonably, and avoid hazardous roads when possible, you'll likely go that full six years before needing to change out your tires.

How Do I Know What Tires I Need?

This is a question that many have apprehension about answering without the help of a certified technician, as getting into the wide world of tire selection can be overwhelming. Not all tires are created equal, the same as cars. The type of car you have will determine the type of tire you need, as will the weather in your area.

Generally speaking, tires are broken into three categories: all-season, summer, and winter. These categories are then broken up into subcategories, like high performance, ultra high performance, snow and ice, all-terrain truck, etc.

Now, common sense dictates that the tires for a RAV4 with AWD will not be the same as a GR86 with RWD. That's mainly to do with tire size. Now, you can easily find out what size tire your Toyota takes by either consulting the owner's manual or examining the driver's door placard. The placard will indicate tire size with a label that looks something like this: P225/60R17. That's the size measurement, but the door jamb placard will also tell you how much PSI the tires need to handle, the weight that they can handle, and the speed at which they perform best.

Taking into account the weather is also an important decision factor in determining what tires you need. Driving your Supra through Southern California is a lot different than driving your Tacoma through an Illinois winter. All-season tires have become very popular due to their practicality and economy. The practicality derives from the fact that they are designed with the elements in mind; you'll want snow-rated tires if you live in a state that has harsh winters. The economy? Well, why buy two sets of tires for summer and winter when you could buy one set that doesn't need to be changed out with the seasons? There's a place for proper winter tires and high-performance summer tires, absolutely. Still, it's very common to see customers choosing all-season tires simply for convenience.

Failing to determine the right tires for your vehicle could spell the difference between comfortable ownership and disaster. The wrong tires can do a lot of damage to a vehicle, affecting performance and overall driveability. However, there is an easy way to make sure that you get the exact tires that you need––simply swing by the Romeoville Toyota tire shop and let our certified technicians help you out.

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