TIRE SAFETY TIPS TIRE TIPS & ADVICE FOR CAR, SUV & VAN

Store tires indoors in a clean, cool, dark place away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and anything that generates ozone such as electric motors, generators, and furnaces. Clean each tire before storing and note which position it came from. In Canada this matters twice a year for most drivers, and getting it wrong can cost you a set of winter tires that looked fine when you put them away.

In Canada the seasonal tire decision is not just about comfort, it is about law in some provinces and about stopping distance everywhere. All-season tires handle moderate conditions but they are not winter tires, and in Quebec they are not legal between December 1 and March 15. Winter tires should go on when temperatures consistently approach 7°C and come off when they are consistently above it.

Rotating your tires is not a gimmick. Tires wear at different rates depending on position, and moving them on schedule spreads that wear across all four instead of destroying two. Rotate every 10,000 to 12,000 km, or as your owner's manual specifies. The correct pattern depends on your drivetrain and whether your tires are directional, so confirm both before you start.

A tire’s sidewall is pretty much what it sounds like – the outer and inner “walls” on the sides of a tire, if facing a tire on its side. Every sidewall has its own unique information that is divided into four main sections:

Speed ratings are not just about speed. They correlate directly with ride comfort, treadwear, and cornering ability. Typically the higher the speed rating, the better the grip and stopping power, but the shorter the tread life. Ratings run from A at the lowest to Y at the highest, and the chart is not strictly alphabetical: H sits between U and V, a holdover from when H stood for high performance.