For Those Who've Been Wondering...

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No, we do not offer towing services. However, we can recommend a trusted local towing company if you need assistance.

Rotors and pads should be replaced together to optimize the contact the pad has with the surface of the rotor.  If there is any rust, grooving or hot spots on the old rotor your new pads won't have 100% of the braking power - something you always want!  Your pads and rotors should wear as a set to provide the best service.

We can do a "pad slap" (we understand the budget can be tight) but it's not the best option.

Tires come with a date of manufacture on them - it's in that mess of embossed numbers and letters on the sidewall.  Once they get to be 5 years old, no matter how much tread they have on them, they should be replaced.  After 5 years the rubber compounds start to break down.  This leads to cracks, bulging and separation. as well as dry rot.  The aging might not be visible right away - but it's there and it'll show up sooner rather than later.

There are a couple of common reasons we can't fix your tire.

One is when it's a puncture in the sidewall, or too close to the sidewall.  Tires are built so that the strength is all in the tread area - the sidewall provides flexibility.   If we try to stick a patch to the sidewall area the constant flexing, and the heat generated from that, will prevent the patch from sticking.  With luck the repair attempt will let the air out gently, most times it pops off and you risk a blowout.

The second reason we can't fix your tire is when it's "run flat".  Not the same as a Run Flat tire, this is when a tire has been driven with low air in it - the sidewall has folded and ground against the rim.  Usually there's a pile of black "dust" inside the tire from the abraded interior.  Once again- the sidewall has been damaged and the tire is toast.

When you call to order tires, one of the first questions is "what size".

On the side of the tire is a set of digits that'll look something like this:

P215/60R18 (your digits may be different)

P, or LT if you've got a truck, stands for Passenger Vehicle rated.  LT represents Light Truck rated (yes you have a Super Duty truck...doesn't matter, it's still LT).  It refers to the load rating, number of plies and overall strength of the tire.

215 is the distance across the tread in mm.

60 is the sidewall - it's a percentage of the tread.  60 indicates 60% of the tread width.

R18 is the diameter of the rim.

Some off road or truck tires may be listed using different notation ie., 35x12.50R18.  These are known as "flotation" tires where the common measurement is "metric".   They're just a different way to measure larger tires and offer a bit more flexibility in sizing for aftermarket rims.