Smoke ’Em If You’ve Got ’Em

by Bob Hoke

By that headline, we are referring to tires and healthy practices, of course. A large tire retailer once had the slogan ‘tires ain’t pretty.’ This clearly doesn’t apply to how most car enthusiasts feel about the tires on their ride. Whether you’re running a large/small combination, have painstakingly located original-style reproduction tires, or cringe if your raised white letters or wide-whitewalls get too close to a curb, your tires matter.

What isn’t pretty is what happens to a tire as it ages. Usually unseen, the compounds holding it together break down, which can lead to separation and blowouts. Most tire manufacturers currently only warrant their products for defects from between five to seven years. Six years seem to be the general consensus.