Since we're now saving so much money on gas, is this a good time to check out our tires, and maybe decide to do something about them?

Buying tires is kinda like buying toilet papersomething you've gotta have, but hate to have to spend money on. Well, if your car pulls to the side without any effort to steer it that way, it's either alignment, or air pressure, so check it out immediately. And if you happen to see tiny glints of metal when you bent down there skip to the end of this article, and run screaming to your nearest tire storeif not, then read merrily on.

Tread, Inflation, Rotation, and Expense get it? TIRE!

TREAD: This is the important thing to have a LOT of like money and oxygen, tread is really important when there isn't any. The easiest way to check this is to take a penny, and insert it with Lincoln facing you if you can see the top of his bouffant-haired head, you are going to hydroplane like a surfer champion in the next rainfall you HAVE to get new tires!

INFLATION: Pressure we're all under it, but think about your poor tires do they have enough to hold up to the daily punishment? The best way to check is to go to an auto-parts store, and get a gauge I got a slick, high-tech red digital gauge for around $12, and don't I look cool checking my pressure at the gas station? Inside your door jamb on the driver's side are the magic numbers for the right amount of air. There are two numbers, high and low, one is for hauling stuff around use the higher number to be safe. This also evens out the wear and tear on your TREADand, even though it's a pain, do this every 2 weeks time it around your bi/weekly paycheck, then smirk to yourself about how much of your money you get to keep because you're so smart! Now, a note about equality even if you get tired from all of the "Huffing and Puffing" to blow those tires up be sure to inflate them equally (slick little gauge). When your rubber finally hits the road, size really does matter, and if one front tire is at 32lbs., and the other front tire is at 35lbs. of pressure, the 35lb'er is BIGGER. That means that the "little" guy has to work harder to keep up, and that kills the tread unevenly, I might add, so that brings us to

ROTATION: If your car has the "shakes", and it wasn't even out late last nightyou need to check this. If you feel the "vibration" in your hands from the steering wheel, (not from the 7 cups of coffee trying to wake you up this morning) the problem is in the front.

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