Tires are one of the most important items on your car. How do you choose the right one while on a budget? Are Chinese tires ok?

Before you hit the trail looking for tires, watch this cool tire buying guide from Consumer Reports.

Contact us with any of your tire and auto needs.

1. Set the tire pressure in your trailer tires to the maximum shown on the sidewall. Check the condition of the tread and sidewall, looking for cracking of the rubber and foreign objects like nails, screws etc..  Do you have valve caps to stop the core rusting? At Kenwood Tire, most trailer tires we see, have seen better days.  Long periods of not being used, break down the rubber and the pounding heat of the asphalt can be too much for a tire after 3-5 years. How old are your tires?
2. There are RADIAL and BIAS PLY trailer tires. Radial tires use steel and bias ply use fabric to reinforce the tread.  Radials will have the letter “R” in the size (ST205/75R15), they are much better and worth the extra. NEVER mix these two types of trailer tires.
3. Trailer tires are specially designed for trailers.  Always make sure that they are designated Special Trailer tires and have “ST” in the size (ST205/75R15). Trailer tires can carry bigger loads and have a load rating  Never  use regular tires on a trailer, or trailer tires on your car.
4. Do you have a spare, the wrenches and jack? Is AAA up to date? Cell phone charged? Trailer tires can let go at the worst times.

Trailer tires are specially designed

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At Kenwood Tire, we carry a complete line of  Carlisle Trailer/Lawn & Garden Tires, Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll find the right tire.

The warning shows up as a yellow tire, with an exclamation point inside. It’s in your face and won’t reset itself until you put air in the tires  to the right pressure. Maybe you have a flat tire?

In our shop, we see so many situations where the TPMS  warning has helped drivers avoid a dangerous tire blow out, or “saves” the $200 tire because it can be fixed before it blows out.

Sure it can be a pain in the ass to get your tires checked, but it’s got to be done. If your tire warning light is on, best get it seen to right away.

My favorite light truck tires and the classic “you get what you pay for in a tire”,  these are worth it and I’ve driven on them in Baja. Made in the USA, they’re good quality and if you’re keeping your truck, van or SUV, will last you a long time.

BFGoodrich Long Trail Touring

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Smooth quiet ride

These are the tires in our warehoude. We have them in stock at a great price and take advantage of the $50 mail-in rebate until May 7

That’s the yellow tire with an exclamation point that comes on when your car starts. The indicator should go off…..Unless you get a flat or low tire that needs to be repaired that is. Cold weather can also trigger the tire light and maybe you just need air.

Why TPMS?

Remember the Firestone tire problems on the Ford Explorers…. Tires that were under-inflated for the load they were carrying were blowing out. As a result, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), via the  TREAD Act, now requires that all cars, vans and SUV’s have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, or TPMS.

So here’s a few tips on TPMS:

These sensors broke while trying to remove the metal valve caps. Only use special plastic valve caps designed tor TPMS.

• If the light comes on and stays on, you probably have a flat tire,
• If the light comes on and goes out as you drive, you probably just need to check the air pressure.
• If the light on your dash is flashing, you probably have a bad sensor.
• Never use metal valve caps, they’ll ruin your expensive sensors.

For service on your TPMS, contact me or make an appointment

For more about Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, I recommend going to www.tpmsmadesimple.com

• Wheel Alignment – Save $20 – Expires: 6/30/12
• Oil Change – Save $5 on Your Next Oil Change – Expires 6/30/2011

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And if you’re in the market for some tires too, take a look at these current manufacturer rebated to help sweeten the deal

$50 Off 4 BFGoodrich Tires – Ends May 7, 2012

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Free Nook with 4 Continental Tires – Ends May 6, 2012

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$70 or a Kindle Touch with 4 eco-friendly Bridgestone tires – Ends 4/29

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Stop by Kenwood Tire in West Bridgewater  and take a look.

ing! Nice tire we got our first set in today., the latest in rubber meets the road…at about $160 each installed for a minivan they’re not cheap, but when Michelin says 90,000 miles, they usually mean it!

Pennies On The Mile: Michelin Defender Tires Aim to Save Fuel, Last 90,000 Miles – WOT on Motor Trend.

Check out this great video from Michelin’s You Tube Channel that shows the special slits in the tread, called sipes, that are designed as 3D zigzags. These zigzags are important in improving tire grip and flexibility. The varying spaces between the 3D-Sipes optimize the locking and unlocking of tread-blocks, helping them open flexibly yet lock firmly when pressure is applied. Great stuff!

A tire sipe is the little slit or squiggly cut in a tire’s tread block.  They were invented by John F. Sipe in 1923, who legend has it, worked in a slaughterhouse and got tires of slipping on the concrete floor, so he cut slits in the soles of his shoes gave better traction.

Tread blocks, grooves, tread compounds are the backbone of a tire., but the sipes define it’s all-season characteristics. Acting as little reservoirs, they absorb, hold and evacuate water on a wet road and provide biting edges for grip in snow.

It’s a delicate balancing act for a tire manufacturer, as there’s always a compromise: Too many and the tire will be noisy and  have bad handling as the tread blocks squirm in cornering. Too few and you’re going sideways on a slushie!

So next time you’re in the market for tires, look at it’s sipes. Most manufacturers will only go halfway with the sipes, like these mid-grade Uniroyal or Continental tires, to give it a good mix of all-season handling. But when the tire is half worn, it becomes much less effective as the sipes disappear and the all-season capabilities drop off suddenly….

The best tires like this Michelin Harmony,  use technology that allows them to full-depth sipes that will give you value throughout the tire’s life.

Let me know next time you’re looking for tires.and  and define it’s giving it it’s grip,