Have you wondered what you can do with your old car tires? No tire shop gives you any money for your old tires, so why not come up with few creative ideas to use them and also save the environment in the process.

I have listed few of my own ideas and other I have compiled from various sources on internet.

Feel free to add your own ideas.

1. Furniture and Chair leg pads: You can cut small pieces of tire in appropriate shapes and use them as anti-skid pads for your furniture or chairs. As tires comprises of mainly rubber, they will make very good furniture pads. Take necessary precautions in cutting the tires, as they are very hard and may also produce splinters. Therefore, protect your eyes and hands.
2. Paintball Defense: Stack of tires will make great castle for paintball games. Simply stack few of the old tires and support them appropriately. Now you can hide behind them and have a great paintball game.
3. Swing: This is an old use of the tires. If you have tree in your backyard and have strong branches, you can create a great swing for your kids. They will always thank you for taking care of them. Make sure to punch holes in the tire to prevent the collection of rain water.
4. Garage Wall Protector: How many times have you cursed when your kids leave a skid marks on the garage wall whenever they park their bicycles? Now you can prevent this by putting a strip of tire just over the base board. You can stick this strip with a good adhesive and all your worries will go away!
5. Fishing Uses And Recycling : The fishing fleets use them as bumpers for boats, tied off short and thrown over the port or starbord side they prevent boats from slamming into each other or the dock when tied to them.
6. Great ideas at http://www.tirecrafting.com, for tires.
7. 1. Retaining Walls: You can use whole tires, just like block walls staggering them. Start off with a level surface, dig down if you have to and start your first row, making sure it is level from one end to the other. Pack each tire with soil When you get the first row, done drive a 24 inch piece of 3/8 rebar at the back of each tire. Start your next row, staggering the tires so the lines do not match up and do the same thing all over.
   2. Tire Table : You take 2 or 3 old tires and place them one on top of another with a round of different shaped wooden board and either paint it or cover it with faux diamond plate. Use it as a nightstand or table top stand for a room or guys area.
   3. Sand Box: Get hold of a huge tractor tire, lay it flat on the ground and fill it up with play sand. You can put a tarp over it when not in use to keep it from being the local “kitty box”.
8. Paddling Pool – drape a shower curtain over the centre of a large truck tire and fill with water to make an instant pool for small children.
9. Planter – tomatoes, potatoes, egg plants and peppers can be grown inside tires which have been laid on the ground. The tires give wind protection and the dark rubber helps keep the surrounding soil warm.
10. Got a big dog? Put their dog dish inside a small tire and the dog won’t be able to drag it around the yard.
11. Cut in half and hung on a wall they make a great hose hanger.
12. Put a trash can in the center and you have a no tip container for baseball bats and other long sporting equipment.

I’m sure there are many more possibilities and refinements possible: have at it, folks!

What most people don’t know about tires is that they have a huge impact on fuel economy. Your car tires type and their care, can impact significantly how much gas you can save.

What kind of tires you have, will impact how much resistance your car is creating against the road and thus reducing the car mpg. With new technology, you can now buy lower rolling resistance tires-LRR. LRR tires are designed to improve fuel efficiency by minimizing the energy wasted as heat as the tire rolls down the road Fuel efficient tires are made with materials that heat less during a drive. Heat deforms that shape of a tire making it harder to roll. Heavier tires are less efficient, as are those with deeper treads. If you live in a climate that requires snow tires, take them off as early as feasible.

New car owners are not the only people who can benefit from LRR tires. In fact, Consumer Reports publishes a rolling resistance score when rating new tires. So as a consumer you do not necessarily have to pay more for this benefit. Many LRR tires cost the same as their standard brothers, moreover theses LRR tires have about the same tread wear rating and do not sacrifice grip. Just be sure to do your homework when buying new tires.

Tires with a good LRR rating can save upwards of $100 in gas a year at the very least! That is just the savings that one individual can accrue. The California Energy Commission has been thinking about LRR tires at the state-wide level. “California could save approximately 300 million gallons of gasoline annually by using low-rolling resistant tires.

Another factor which affects the mpg is the tire inflation. Lower pressure causes increased side wall flexing. Under inflated tires can add 6% to your fuel consumption, which could easily translate into burning an extra gallon of gas with every fill up if you’re getting around 20 MPG. Tires tend to lose air pressure more in the winter, 1 pound of pressure for every drop of 10 degrees Fahrenheit so check them more frequently when the air chills.

According to Mark Chung, director of strategic marketing for Yokohama Tire Corporation, which manufactures everything from ultra-high performance tires for passenger cars and SUVs to tires for buses, trucks and airplanes, “Tires that are under-inflated by just four to 12 psi (pounds per square inch) can reduce gas mileage by five percent or more and tire life by as much as 40 percent”.

“When a tire is under-inflated, the car’s weight rests more on the tire’s shoulders than its center, causing poor fuel economy, uneven wear and a less-than-firm ride, which can significantly reduce driver control.”

The tire’s proper inflation level, which is usually between 20 and 36 psi, can be found on a placard in the glove box or on the car door.

Follow following two simple steps to ensure that you always have right inflated tires:

Once a month, when the tires are cold, or at least three to four hours after the vehicle has been driven, check tire pressure with a reliable tire gauge. (Normal driving causes tires to heat, raising air pressure. Releasing air when tires are hot may dangerously under-inflate the tires.) And be sure that the valve stems have a plastic or metal cap to keep out dirt and seal against leakage.

Tires should be rotated at least every 5,000 miles and the Wheel alignment should be checked once a year. Misaligned tires can cause the car to drag, which lowers mileage and causes unnecessary tire wear.

As you can see from the above information, taking good care of yoru tires can save you money.

There is a close working relationship between your tires and other mechanical systems in your vehicle, such as the wheels, brakes, shock absorbers, steering and suspension systems. To ensure you have a safe, comfortable ride and good tire mileage, you need to know about following aspects of a tire.

* Tire Size
* Tire Tread
* Balance & Alignment
* Rotation
* Repair

Tire Size

To maintain tire safety, purchase new tires that are the same size as the vehicle’s original tires or another size recommended by the manufacturer. Look at the tire information placard, the owner’s manual, or the sidewall of the tire you are replacing to find this information. If you have any doubt about the correct size to choose, consult with the tire dealer.

Tire Tread

The tire tread provides the gripping action and traction that prevent your vehicle from slipping or sliding, especially when the road is wet or icy. In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. Tires have built-in treadwear indicators that let you know when it is time to replace your tires. These indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear “even” with the outside of the tread, it is time to replace your tires.

Another method for checking tread depth is to place a penny in the tread with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, you are ready for new tires. The tread on this tire covers the top of Lincoln’s head, so it’s not yet ready for replacement.

Balance & Alignment

To avoid vibration or shaking of the vehicle when a tire rotates, the tire must be properly balanced. This balance is achieved by positioning weights on the wheel to counterbalance heavy spots on the wheel-and-tire assembly.

A wheel alignment adjusts the angles of the wheels so that they are positioned correctly relative to the vehicle’s frame. This adjustment maximizes the life of your tires and prevents your car from veering to the right or left when driving on a straight, level road.

These adjustments require special equipment and should be performed by a qualified technician.

Rotation

Rotating tires from front to back and from side to side can reduce irregular wear (for vehicles that have tires that are all the same size). Look in your owner’s manual for information on how frequently the tires on your vehicle should be rotated and the best pattern for rotation.

Repair

A plug by itself is not an acceptable repair.

The proper repair of a punctured tire requires a plug for the hole and a patch for the area inside the tire that surrounds the puncture hole. The repair material used – for example, a “combination patch and plug” repair – must seal the inner liner and fill the injury to be considered a permanent repair.

Punctures through the tread can be repaired if they are not too large, but punctures to the sidewall should not be repaired.

Tires must be removed from the rim to be properly inspected before being plugged and patched.

Source: safecar.gov

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