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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Seven Things to Know about Your Automobile Tires

I learned all about tires at an early morning BNI meeting today. We have a member named Frank and he runs a fantastic car maintenance and repair shop. Plus he talks in a language I understand, or at least, I think I do! Here is what I learned about tires today:

1) Tires have numbers printed on them, similar to a woman's measurements do (you know, 36-24-36?); they have letters that define the tire, too. The "D" part is not at all like the woman's breast measurement; it's telling you they are Digital Tires;

2) There are some other letters in the beginning of the order, but I cannot remember what Frank said, so maybe they are not all that important (?);

3) You can have tires that are fatter on the sides than the top and bottom. This point was hard for me to understand. I think this type of tire looks like this drawing in the tire store:




4) There is one number that will be 15, 16, 17 and I think it goes to 21 and this number represents the rim-to-rim radius measurement. I think when my boys were in high school, they wanted the higher numbered tires, for some reason.

5) If you like driving your car around on race tracks, you probably like a softer (rubber) tire as it will handle the curves better, but of course they won't last as long. If the tires are very hard, the ride is crappy but I think you get better gas mileage;

6) To save money and for safety reasons, you need to get your tires rotated on a regular basis. I don't remember what length of time "regular" is but I think it depends on where you live and how much you drive. If you like to do wheelies in the parking lot (like Frank) your tires aren't going to last as long.

7) Very Important Tip: Always check the pressure of your tires (again to save gas and to keep your family safe). Here is a picture of a tire gage (it looks like a pen without ink):


I know, I'm like the best female tire expert on the Internet. And, I was clearly listening and understanding every word at this 7 am meeting. You can ask me anything you would like. If I somehow don't know the answer, I can always can my favorite, friendly neighborhood mechanic, Frank, to get you a proper answer!

If you are lucky enough to live in the Phoenix area, you can go visit Frank at:

Feeney Automotive Service and Repair

602-971-1640

2630 East Bell Road, #4

Phoenix, Arizona 85032


(Really freak him out by telling him the 'Emtnester Tire Expert' sent you!)


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12 Comments:

Blogger Heather said...

LOL!!! Just got a flat tire this weekend....what did he say about that??? Stupid nails!!!

January 22, 2009 at 12:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am still trying to get an image of Frank doing Cherrios in his parking lot with his van. I wonder if he has a fold out bed in that thing!!

January 22, 2009 at 1:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are you SURE you were awake at that 7 a.m. meeting???? I don't remember anything about a cup size and radial tires. AND, what the heck are digital tires? I Googled them and the only thing that came up digital with the word tires was a digital tire gauge. Beyond that, there was one tire gauge that even talked -- you might want to check that one out!! Even though you are now a foremost tire authority you might want to stop by Frank's place periodically so he can do your tire checks . . .

January 22, 2009 at 5:55 PM  
Blogger Christine said...

Just reading this, made me miss those lovely 7:00 am meetings. And to think I am sitting in meetings all day for the next 3 days! See you next Wednesday at 7:00!!

January 23, 2009 at 10:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Always remember 1 thing. The tire always should have air in it. Frank

January 23, 2009 at 11:16 AM  
Blogger Casey said...

Wow, you are an expert. I can change a tire but I had no idea about any of the numbers inprinted on them.

January 23, 2009 at 11:28 AM  
Blogger gettingraphic design said...

BETH, on #6 don't your tires rotate themselves when you drive? why do i need to rotate them??

January 24, 2009 at 10:10 AM  
Blogger beth said...

Gettingraphic: Good point, tires rotate themselves! Wonder what Frank would say?

January 24, 2009 at 2:13 PM  
Blogger Warner said...

You acquitted yourself well on #5, Beth . . . those 'soft' tires do indeed stick like glue on the track. No mention, however, of the proverbial 'spin and balance' of rotating tires. Wait . . . do tires 'rotate' as we're driving, or do they 'revolve'?

January 24, 2009 at 5:35 PM  
Blogger Lisa Eshelman said...

I got a flat tire while in Arizona City a couple of days ago. I limped to a gas station that actually had air. Thanks to Frank's tire gauge that I had in the car, I was able to fill the tires with the proper amount of air and back to Phoenix I went. I would not have had the original problem if I had taken Frank's advise, "Check your tire pressure". Keep reminding us Frank.

January 24, 2009 at 6:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Frank dispenses good stuff, whether he is addressing the BNI group or has his staff working on your car. I've overheard his customers talking amongst them selves in his office about the great service they get from him.

January 25, 2009 at 1:22 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I take my car to Frank because he truly is your friendly and honest neighborhood mechanic you can TRUST!! He does all my oil changes, so far, cuz I haven't needed anything else. My car is a 96 Nissan Maxima with 240,482 miles(to be exact, I just ran out and checked) :)and still running great, PRAISE THE LORD!! no car payment, woo hoo!!!!

January 26, 2009 at 2:25 PM  

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