Most probably, you are among the ride enthusiasts who would go to an auto store, buy trendy and sophisticated accessories without being too anxious about the cost. But that’s not the real thing happening in the market today. What’s really real is that most enthusiasts have become very smart tire and wheels shoppers. That’s true in the last couple of years. Yeah people car owners have become smarter that they would do the tire, themselves and do a research online prior to wheel purchase.

When we shop, we look for the best bang for the bucks. That’s right! Definitely, we don’t mind spending a little more if the tire or wheel is going to last longer. We will get into shopping for custom wheels later but right now let’s concentrate on tires. Let’s loom at an example. If tire A cost’s $50.00, tire B costs $60.00 and tire C costs $100.00 for instance. Tire A has a 40,000 mile treadwear rating however customers do not like it in the reviews. It rides rough and makes our car shake. Tire B rides better has the same mileage rating and has fairly descent reviews. Tire C has a 60,000 mile treadwear warranty and has good reviews.

Now, let’s talk about warranties. Let’s say that 60,000 tire wears out in 50,000 miles. Can I just go an get a new tire free of charge? The answer is NO. Tires are prorated. So just for a rough example the tire cost new $100.00 it now has worn out with 1/5 of its’ life left meaning that you can purchase a new tire to replace it and get a $20.00 rebate so it will cost you $80.00. However you still have to pay for the labor involved which is usually around $15.00. You also need to consider that the the other 3 tires are now almost worn out and if your car has ABS brakes you need to change them all not just one since it will change the circumference and through your ABS system off. So where are you now? You are back at buying 4 new tires at 40,000 miles. You could have saved your self $160.00 buy purchasing the discount tire.

Now let’s talk about reviews a little bit. tire reviews are very important and should be listened to. Sure most of the time the expensive tires will get good reviews. However I have seen many times that the cheap tires actually receive some really good reviews. I myself will buy a cheap tire if the reviews aren’t bad. Hey why not save some money and use it for other things such as gas for my car right?

So my suggestion is to go with what will save you the most money while satisfying your needs. do your research on tires and look into cheap tires as an alternative to the more expensive tires. remember cheap tires can also mean that you just saved money by purchasing your tires at the right time. Many people are shopping online for tires these days. You can really get some cheap tires by shopping online.

Saving money on wheels and rims is another area to look at. You need to ask yourself a few questions. First off am I running the rims in states where they will be exposed to salt? if so then you want to make sure they have a corrosion warranty, or if you live in one of the Northern states then run your custom wheels only in the summer. Many of us here in Vermont have Summer Rims and winter rims that have our snow tires mounted on them.

The next question you want to ask is how long am i keeping the vehicle? remember most rims these days will not fit your new vehicle unless you get the same make and model. Even in this case they may not fit so do your research.

Perhaps the last question should be how much do I want to spend on rims? The price of rims varies extremely. Your not going to get spinners on a steel wheel budget. So my advise is to shop for discount Rims. Many times if you do your rim shopping online you will find some deals. be careful of discontinued styles in case you ruin a rim you will want to be able to replace it. Discount rims are found all over the internet so shop wisely.

Have you read some automotive blogs lately? Today’s most read blogs are those providing necessary info and tips on how to save gas. Well, come to think of it, there’s a great need for regular street drivers to save on gas. One expert advice to do so is to reduce vehicle drag. You see, your vehicle’s accessories that are not necessary, meaning those that when removed will not in any way affect your vehicle from running safely on the road, should be detached from your vehicle. This is because they make your vehicle’s weight heavier which also means higher drag. Another way to save gas is to avoid excessive idling. You can save more gas if you turn off the engine than idling it for a couple of minutes. And for new vehicles, warming up is not that necessary. A couple of seconds should do the trick.

It is also important that you do the tune-ups at manufacturer recommended intervals. You should also change spark plug wires, and coil when necessary. This is simply because the better your engine runs the more power it will produce using less fuel. Another thing you should avoid is tailgating and using the brakes to continually correct your following distance. Don’t be among the drivers who often ride their brakes for no serious reason. Doing this slows forward motion. Thus, converting it into heat energy and greatly reduces the service life of your brakes. As a result, you waste fuel regaining the lost speed. It is however predicted that in the near future, cars may be equipped with systems in which braking power will be converted into reusable energy. Unless your car is hybrid, your present car definitely doesn’t have the system.

When it comes to your wheels, one way to save gas is to keep the tires inflated to the proper pressure. To do this, keep a tire gauge handy and be sure to monitor your tire pressure regularly especially when the outside temperature changes greatly. Well-inflated tires increase your traveling distance on a tank of gas. On the other hand, under-inflated tires or greatly over-sized tire have more rolling resistance and this will reduce your miles per gallon (mpg).

Using nitrogen also promotes fuel efficiency. Nitrogen is a dry, inert gas used to inflate tires, off road truck tires, military vehicle tires, and race car tires for improved performance, more tire mileage, better fuel economy, and increased safety. Here is a rundown of the benefits using nitrogen.

• Reduce wheel corrosion
• Tire runs cooler
• More steady tire pressure
• Prevents inner-liner rubber deterioration due to oxidation
• Increase fuel mileage
• Prevents uneven wear

Unlike ordinary air for tires, nitrogen can maximize the vehicle’s handling, fuel efficiency and tire life through better tire pressure retention, improved fuel economy and cooler running tire temperatures. Nitrogen also guarantees immediate benefits such better maintenance of tire pressure. Because of the nitrogen’s bigger molecular size, it migrates through a tire 3 to 4 times slower than oxygen. With better tire air pressures, you can definitely expect improved rolling resistance and reduction of the risk of running tires under-inflated.

Using nitrogen is definitely not hazardous. First and foremost, nitrogen is an inert gas; meaning-it does not support combustion. Additionally, using it in fact guarantees positive long term effects. If your tires maintain better pressure, its life can be significantly stretched. Oxidation can be prevented, too. With nitrogen, expect zero oxidation of inner liners, belt packages, valve stem hardware or air pressure monitoring devices. Moreover, nitrogen will not cause rubber breakage due to eliminated oxidation. In fact, nitrogen-filled truck tires have approximately 4 or more retread lives.