I JUST GOT FOUR NEW ALL-WEATHER Firestone tires on my 2020 Equinox. After the unexpected purchase, I thought, “Holy cow, they’re expensive.”
I rationalized that my M-22 road trips would be safer with a full set of new tires this year. The plugs in two of my older tires were failing, and I was advised to get four new tires because my car was AWD. I accepted the service manager's suggestion and explanation and replaced all four tires. I also Googled it and got an AI blip as to why one is advised to purchase 4 tires rather than other options when you have an AWD vehicle.
For AWD vehicles, it's recommended to replace all four tires at once because uneven tread depth between tires can put unnecessary strain on the drivetrain, potentially causing damage due to the different rotational speeds of each wheel, impacting traction control and overall handling; essentially, all wheels need to be matched for optimal performance and to avoid stressing the AWD system.
In the old days, I would have purchased yellow cans of Fix-a-Flat and tried that as my remedial action.
With many lawyers and AI creeping into everyday life, many newer realities challenge one’s experiential thoughts. I suspected this might happen and it is more food for thought in examining reliable sources of truthful information.
I accept that I’m not fully in charge of all things nowadays and shall choose my battles wisely.
***
As we are in the middle of the MLB baseball playoffs, I reminisced about the iconic baseball announcer Harry Caray and his famous catchphrase, “Holy Cow.” In his autobiography (by the same name) he explains that he began using the expression to avoid profanity, which was strictly prohibited over the airwaves.
This also applies to me as I write about my new tires. Holy Cow seems to work just fine, and I don’t feel censored and have concluded that I feel safer having invested in four new tires.
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