Category: Resource

Here at Chapel Hill Tire, our experts work hard to extend our industry-leading, customer-centered services to drivers in and around the Triangle. In alignment with this mission, we are proud to announce plans for our newest location: Chapel Hill Tire of Apex. We will share more insight soon about the grand opening of our Apex location. Until then, here is a look at the services and specialties you can expect from Chapel Hill Tire of Apex.

Mechanic Services in Apex

Our first-ever Apex location is geared up to provide the same full-service mechanic offerings as our other Chapel Hill Tire locations. Here you can experience our world-class car services, including:

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Chapel Hill Tire offers transparent pricing for our customers—and you can browse our coupons page to lower our everyday low prices. Our pricing and the full list of our offerings are available on our services page. For all of your vehicle’s needs, the trusted mechanics at Chapel Hill Tire’s newest Apex location are sure to be your new go-to. 

New Tires in Apex | Chapel Hill Tire 

As our name suggests, Chapel Hill Tire offers next-level expertise in all things tires. We are a customer-centered local tire shop with the selection of tire seasons, brands, sizes you would expect to find at a nationwide tire distributor. Unlike other tire specialty shops, we are not partnered with any single brand, which keeps our inventory from being biased or restricted.  

Our tire experts also offer the lowest prices on new tires—guaranteed. If you find a competitor’s price lower than our own, we will beat it by 10% under the famous Chapel Hill Tire Price Beat Guarantee. You can shop tires online with our Tire Finder tool or visit our soon-to-open Apex location for an exceptional tire buying experience. 

Visit Chapel Hill Tire

Our experts will continue to keep you updated on our new Apex location. Until then, you can still find exceptional service at our 8 other Triangle-area locations. The professionals here at Chapel Hill Tire are looking forward to serving communities in and around Apex!

Finding and Repairing Vehicle Shaking

“Why is my car shaking?” —This common vehicle issue is often assumed to be the telltale sign of a tire alignment problem. It is true that alignment troubles cause road unsteadiness, shaking, vibrations, and uneven tire wear; however, warped brake rotors and tire imbalance can have similar symptoms. Here is a look at these 3 common sources of car shaking and how they can be repaired. 

Problem 1: Warped Brake Rotors

The process of slowing and stopping your vehicle relies on brake pads pressing against the flat metal of your brake rotors. This braking causes friction, which generates heat and makes the metal of your brake rotors more malleable. Then, the contact of your brake pads can warp the structure of your rotors. 

When your brake pads are pressing against a warped rotor, this will cause shaking or vibrations to run through your vehicle. Beyond just the inconvenience of shaking, this can raise safety concerns and create trouble for your brakes. 

How Can You Tell If You Have Warped Rotors?

Unlike other vehicle problems, warped rotors will only cause your vehicle to shake when you are braking. If you are experiencing shaking during acceleration, you likely have a different vehicle issue, such as an alignment or balancing concern (more on these below).

Can You Fix Warped Brake Rotors?

Depending on how warped your rotors are, a mechanic may be able to straighten them. The process of “fixing” brake rotors is called turning or resurfacing. Brake rotor resurfacing involves scraping down the warped metal to achieve a smooth surface. However, it is becoming increasingly common for rotors to be replaced rather than fixed for three main reasons:

• Cost efficiency: Competitive manufacturing has led rotors to become much less expensive than they used to be, often making the rotor repair roughly the same price as rotor replacement. With similarly-priced services, the new rotors are often the better choice for drivers. 
• Rotor thickness: Many manufacturers require that the rotors maintain a certain thickness level, which can restrict mechanics from performing rotor resurfacing services, as they wear away rotor material.
• Brand considerations: A wide variety of different factors come into account when considering rotor straightening vs. replacement. This includes your vehicle brand, your brake pad material, and your rotors’ metal composition, among others. Your vehicle simply may not allow for rotor turning. 

Thankfully, rotor replacement services are also accessible solutions that will eliminate vehicle shaking and restore your braking safety. 

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Problem 2: Wheel Alignment Issues

Your tires are designed to coordinate their direction with the movement of your steering wheel. However, over time, the turbulence of the road can cause one or more of your wheels to rest at a deviated angle. Naturally, this creates issues for your vehicle, your tires, and your control on the road. Alignment issues are closely related to car shaking symptoms. 

What Are The Signs of Tire Alignment Issues?

While a shaking steering wheel is a common sign of alignment troubles, these vehicle issues carry other revealing signs:

• Consistent Shaking: Alignment issues will cause constant vehicle vibration, no matter whether you are braking, accelerating, or maintaining a consistent speed.
• Steering Wheel Pulling: You may also notice that your vehicle is “pulling” towards one side of the road or another rather than seamlessly steering straight. 
• Noisy Tires: Whirling sounds and other tire noises may emerge as a sign of alignment issues 
• Uneven Tire Wear: You might begin to notice uneven tire tread, as the alignment issues can cause disproportionate road friction. For example, you may find only one of your tires worn down while the rest still look healthy. In other cases, the inner or outer half of a tire may become worn while the other half still has thick tread.

The more frequently you drive, the more likely it is that your tires will fall out of alignment—especially in areas with rough, uneven roads. As such, drivers with long commutes, delivery drivers, Uber drivers, and Lyft drivers find themselves needing regular alignment checks and services.

Can You Fix Tire Alignment Issues?

Wheel alignment is a quick service that will fix these vehicle troubles. If the disproportionate wear of tires becomes severe, you may find yourself needing new tires in addition to a tire alignment. Annual tire alignments can help prevent these issues and help your tires last longer. If you are unsure of whether or not you need an alignment, the experts at Chapel Hill Tire will provide a free consultation. 

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Problem 3: Tire Balancing Issues

A third issue that often creates vehicle shaking is unbalanced tires. When tires are out of balance, they will revolve at different rotation rates. The rotational intervals are heightened at certain speeds, which will cause your vehicle to shake.

What are the Signs of Unbalanced Tires?

Similar to alignment issues, unbalanced tires cause shaking along with uneven tire wear—however, this car problem is set apart by its correlation with certain speeds. If you experience severe vibrations at one speed and none at a different speed, these may be signs of tire imbalance.

With unbalanced tires, the shaking is often heightened around one area of your vehicle. For example, if the front left tire is unbalanced, the shaking may be centered around your driver’s seat and steering wheel, while unbalanced back tires will cause shaking to be most concentrated in the rear seats.

Can Unbalanced Tires Be Fixed?

Tire balancing is a common vehicle service that can fix or prevent tire imbalance. Ideally, tires should be balanced every 10,000-12,000 miles for proper vehicle care. Much like tire alignment services, if the issue has spread to create other problems, such as worn tires, you will need to have those addressed as well before you can safely hit the road again. 

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Chapel Hill Tire Local Vehicle Service

If your vehicle is shaking, visit the experts at your nearest Chapel Hill Tire location. We proudly serve the greater Triangle area with 10 mechanic locations across Apex, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary, Carrboro, and Durham. Our car technicians also serve nearby communities, including Knightdale, Pittsboro, Wake Forest, Hillsborough, and Morrisville.

We can help you identify your vehicle issue and get it fixed in no time. Chapel Hill Tire is distinguished by our customer-centered values, industry-leading experience, and care you can only find at a local tire shop.  We will have you in, out, and on your way in no time. Make your appointment today to get started!

A Guide to the Tire Finder Tool

Too often, the process of buying tires turns into an expensive guessing game, as many mechanics and tire distributors lack transparency. Chapel Hill Tire works to provide our customers with an improved experience through our online Tire Finder. This tool matches tires to your vehicle and shares their costs, features, and other details—helping you make the right choice for your needs. When it comes to finding the right tires for you, online shopping offers convenience, selection, and clarity. Here is a quick guide on how to use our Tire Finder tool. 

Step 1: Visit The Tire Finder Page

First, you need to visit the Tire Finder tool page. Here at Chapel Hill Tire, we offer this tool in addition to a vast selection of tires. Unlike other businesses, we are not affiliated with any single tire brand, meaning that our tool will help you find the right tires for you without any bias or ulterior motives. 

Step 2: Enter In Your Vehicle Information

Next, you will need to enter basic information about your vehicle and your tires, including the make, model, year, tire size, and the tire season you are shopping for.

Some of these answers are common knowledge, while others you can find in your owner’s manual. It is also helpful to check your tire information sticker, which is often located on the driver’s side door frame, right next to the driver’s seat. This sticker contains information about your tire size, in addition to other insights, such as tire pressure recommendations.

If you do not feel like entering this information manually, you can search by entering your license plate number or the tire size you are looking for.

Finally, the Tire Finder will ask you which tire season you prefer. Click here for our quick breakdown of tire seasons.

Step 3: View Your Tire Selection

The Tire Finder Tool will ask you for your preferred location, and then pull all of the available tires that match your search. You can explore the options, add filters, and compare similar tires, or adjust your search for new results. You will not just view names and appearances—this result page also provides you with a wealth of information. You can easily find the answers to your tire questions, including:

• How Much Do New Tires Cost? The free Tire Finder tool will tell you the cost per tire. This information is written transparently, making selecting tires based on your budget easy. For further pricing details, you can also view the “out the door price.” This includes information about standard and available add-ons, giving you the full tire price without any surprises or hidden fees.  
• Are my tires protected? You can review the manufacturer’s mileage warranty, as well as available Chapel Hill Tire warranties. 
• What are my tire features? The Tire Finder lists the features, specs, and any available reviews with each tire.

FAQ About The Tire Finder Tool

Do I need to give my contact information to use the Tire Finder? The short answer is no. We will not ask you for your email address or any contact information during any point of your tire exploration process. You will only be asked for information if you find the tires you are looking for and are ready to check out. 

Have you ever been asked to answer laborious questions about your product needs, only for a business to withhold your results until you enter in your contact information? These types of information “gimmicks” are an easy way to lose customer trust and create unnecessary frustration. The Tire Finder Tool is different. It is created to help our customers, provide transparent information, and make tire buying easy. It is not a ploy to gain contact information—that is simply not in our Chapel Hill Tire Values. 

Is the Tire Finder tool free to use? YES! We offer this tool and information about our tires for free. You will not be asked for any payment or information unless you decide to buy tires. 

What if I do not know the answer to a Tire Finder question? If you need help, the experts at Chapel Hill Tire are here for you. Give us a call or visit your nearest Chapel Hill Tire location for support. We will answer all of your questions and guide you to the right tires for you. 

What about the Price Beat Guarantee? Chapel Hill Tire’s famous Price Beat Guarantee gives you 10% off of the difference when you find a lower competitor tire quote. If you are using the Price Beat Guarantee, you can still find your tires using the Tire Finder. Once you have your tires picked out, give our experts a call for price adjustments. 

Chapel Hill Tire Online Tire Buying

Are you ready to start shopping for your next set of tires? You can get started right away with the Tire Finder. This resource connects you to the inventory at all nine of our Triangle-area locations, including those in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro. Our local mechanics look forward to helping you get the new tires you need today!

Tire Seasons Explained

When it comes to buying new tires, much of the terminology can be hard to navigate. One particular source of confusion is tire seasons. This term refers to various tire compositions, each of which is best suited for a different road condition and climate. There are four popular tire seasons: summer (performance) tires, winter tires, all-season tires, and all-weather (all-terrain) tires. Here is a quick guide to tire seasons from the local experts at Chapel Hill Tire. 

A Guide to Summer (Performance) Tires

Often created with asymmetrical tread patterns, maximum road-holding capabilities, and agility features, summer tires help boost road performance and handling—which is why they are often referred to as “performance tires.” They also feature siping (a tread term for grooves that help tires manage heat and water). As such, performance tires are well-equipped to handle the summer’s wet road conditions and hot asphalt. 

Summer Tires: Benefits and Considerations

Before deciding on summer tires, there are a few benefits and considerations that you may need to balance. The soft rubber mixture in summer tires is well suited to manage high road temperatures and friction. Once the temperatures drop below roughly 45 degrees, this rubber hardens—decreasing traction and performance to an unsafe level. This is why summer tires should only be driven in ~45-degree weather or warmer. 

Many drivers who opt for summer tires need to have a second set of all-season tires, winter tires, or all-weather tires to swap out once the temperatures are getting colder.

Performance Tire Costs 

Additionally, summer tires include performance-boosting features that can take manufacturers more to produce. If you are buying on a tight budget, performance tires can come with a higher price tag when compared to more standard tires, such as all-season variants.

A Guide to Winter Tires

Characterized by their deep tread marks, winter tires are designed to promote safe, controlled driving in inclement weather. They use deep tread to overpower slush and collect snow. While collecting snow may sound like a road hazard, this can help connect the tread to the asphalt surface. In deep snow conditions, this process creates snow-on-snow traction, allowing safer and more controlled handling in severe weather. If your area frequently endures icy climates, you can also find winter tires with studs on them for ice traction.

Winter Tires: Benefits and Considerations

Much like summer tires, winter tires contain some unique considerations. The rubber mixture of winter tires is designed to stay flexible and improve traction during inclement weather. However, this rubber mixture does not manage heat well. While you *technically* can drive winter tires in the summer (that is to say, it does not pose the same level of safety risks as summer tires in the winter), this will quickly wear out your tire set. Extended exposure to warm weather will tear away at your winter tires and begin to slow your reaction time and handling. Winter tires are ideally only driven in conditions of ~45 degrees or below. 

Winter Tire Costs

Much like summer tires, this specialty rubber and thick tread can cost manufacturers more to produce. As such, winter tires can also cost a little more than standard all-season tires.

Winter Tires: Buy While You Can

It is also helpful to note that winter tires can abruptly become high-demand entities. If you are thinking about buying winter tires, you should consider doing so before the weather becomes severe. Once the snow starts falling, winter tires may become harder to find.

A Guide to All-Season Tires

Perhaps the most popular tire options, all-season tires were likely what you found on your car when you bought it. As the name suggests, all-season tires prepare you for mild climates associated with all seasons. The rubber composition and design makes these tires suitable for a variety of road conditions—including wet or dry asphalt and a comprehensive temperature spectrum. 

All-Season Tires Benefits and Considerations

It is important to note that while these tires are versatile and designed for safety, they are not specifically intended to encounter any severe weather. For example, they will not counteract hydroplaning like all-weather tires or manage snowy roads like winter tires. However, unless you live in an area with frequent severe weather, these tires should suit your general driving needs. 

All-Season Tires Costs: Affordable, Low Tire Prices & High Fuel Efficiency

All-season tires are ultimately known for their cost-efficiency for two reasons: first, all-season tires can feature an improved fuel economy. This is because all-season tires have a low-rolling resistance. Fuel economy can be influenced by a wide variety of factors, including tire inflation, tire age, tread levels, tire size, and more. 

The high-engagement tread of winter, summer, and all-weather tires can help improve performance and handling, but it also creates some resistance against the road. A certain degree of resistance is always necessary for tire safety and efficiency. However, all-season tires have a balanced mixture of safety and grip without the same level of resistance, leading to less fuel usage. Second, because they do not contain any of the same unique features, all-season tires are also often associated with lower upfront prices than specialty tires. 

A Guide to All-Weather (All-Terrain) Tires

While the name may sound similar, all-weather tires are somewhat of the opposite of all-season tires. Rather than managing all mild climates, these tires help prepare you for all weather extremes, including both heavy rains and snowfall. They have thick tread and a rubber mixture that can help manage everything from hydroplaning to improved ice traction. 

All-weather tires are also often called “all-terrain” tires (and vice versa). If you are going off-roading or adventure-seeking, these tires are for you. These tires are highly versatile and safe year-round. As you might have figured out by now, these features can cost a little extra, including a lower fuel economy and a higher price tag. 

Chapel Hill Tire | Affordable Tires Near Me

When you are due for a new set of tires, Chapel Hill Tire is here for you. Our online Tire Finder tool sorts available tires for your vehicle based on your preferences, including tire season. Chapel Hill Tire ensures that you get the lowest price possible on your tires by offering our Price Beat Guarantee. If you find a lower price elsewhere, we will beat it by 10%. 
We proudly serve drivers from our 8 convenient locations between Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Carrboro. The Chapel Hill Tire customer base extends to nearby cities like Wake Forest, Clayton, Garner, Knightdale, Pittsboro, and beyond. The Chapel Hill Tire experts are here to help you find the right tires for your vehicle, driving style, and budget. Experience industry-leading service and low prices when you buy your tires online or in-store today from Chapel Hill Tire.

Here at Chapel Hill Tire, our local tire business thrives because of our loyal customers and community support. However, our customers return time and time again because they receive a higher standard of service than offered by wholesale tire shops or nationwide chains. Here is a closer look at 8 benefits of buying from a local tire and mechanic business like Chapel Hill Tire.

Support Local and Small Businesses

When you buy from a local tire shop, you are supporting small businesses in your community. This helps support your neighbors, create jobs in your area, and mobilize your local economy. Rather than putting money into the pockets of huge corporations, buying tires from a local shop will help keep your area thriving.

Save Money: Price Beat Guarantee

Small businesses have earned a misleading reputation for high prices, when, in fact, you can often achieve much lower prices when buying tires from a community company. For example, when you find tires from a wholesale distributor or a nationwide tire chain, you may think that they will give you the lowest price possible. However, when you bring your quote to the local tire experts at Chapel Hill Tire, you will be met with our Price Beat Guarantee. Under our Price Beat Guarantee, we will take 10% off the difference in your lowest eligible tire pricing quote. This means that you are getting lower than your lowest price—in addition to all of the other benefits of buying local. 

Personable Service from Local Tire Experts

To large chain tire shops, you may be just another face. However, small businesses like Chapel Hill Tire are known for building lasting relationships with our customers. As a local community business, we treat everyone who walks through our doors like family. 

Tire Deals, Coupons, and Promotions

It seems at times like large-scale tire businesses and mechanic chains try to get the most money possible from their customers. This is why many of them lack transparent pricing or detailed service information. Chapel Hill Tire is different. We make our prices available to customers, so you are never met with last-minute pricing surprises. Additionally—on top of everyday low prices—local tire shops often offer deals, coupons, and promotions to help ensure that you are getting a great price on your tires. 

Service Perks and Other Speciality Offerings

When you partner with a community business that cares deeply about its customers, you will see this reflected in the buying experience. Chapel Hill Tire offers specialty perks to help our customers get the new tires and vehicle care they need. For example, we offer a shuttle service that will bring you to work, school, or home while your car is serviced. Our local experts also offer vehicle pick-up/delivery for even easier high-quality care. Best of all, we offer available comprehensive tire warranties with our Road Hazard Tire Protect Plan—coverage you will not find at a wholesale shop.

Enhanced Tire Selection

Large tire distributors often partner with certain brands to earn their wholesale discounts and return a higher profit. Rather than engaging in tire brand loyalty, local tire shops like Chapel Hill Tire can often offer a wider selection. This helps you find tires that are right for your vehicle, preferences, and budget. Best of all, you can view our tire selection online using our Tire Finder tool. 

Quick Attention and Professional Expertise

Unlike large chain tire stores, small businesses are more likely to put you first, offering quick service and detail-oriented attention. Here at Chapel Hill Tire, we take the time to offer our professional expertise and insight. Rather than trying to sell you on our new tires and services, we will help you understand the needs of your vehicle, so you never feel like you are being taken advantage of. 

Mechanic Expertise for Tire Service

Our tire expertise is written into our name here at Chapel Hill Tire, but each of our tire professionals are also skilled mechanics. We know that your vehicle is a complicated network of internal systems. Sometimes, a tire issue is not a tire issue at all—but rather a problem with your steering system, your rims, or your brakes. Our comprehensive expertise allows our local tire shop to protect your tires and repair your vehicle with our wide range of mechanic services.

Chapel Hill Tire: Your Local Tire Shop

Whether you need new tires, a vehicle service, an annual inspection, or a tire service, the local experts at Chapel Hill Tire are here to help you. We proudly serve customers throughout the Triangle with our 9 locations—including Raleigh, Durham, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill. Make an appointment with our community tire professionals to get the care you deserve at a price you can afford today!

We all know the dreaded feeling: you notice something feels astray in your vehicle’s performance. You look down and notice a disquieting warning light on your dashboard. Or maybe your vehicle is driving fine when you notice your dashboard light, leaving you anticipating an endless list of possible vehicle issues. 

Sometimes, these service needs are straightforward. Other times, they leave you facing far more questions than answers. Worse than the feeling of seeing a light come on in your dashboard is not knowing what is causing it. Thankfully, the experts at Chapel Hill Tire can help. We offer professional, in-depth diagnostic services designed to find solutions to all of your car troubles. Here is a look at in-depth diagnostic visits and why they are important for accurate vehicle repair. 

Free Vehicle Diagnostics – Are They Really Free?

OBD (On-Board Diagnostic) system is a network of sensors that monitors your vehicle activity and reports any issues through your dashboard. Once a dashboard light comes on, an expert can connect to your OBD system for the report code. For times when the needed service is overtly apparent, this process works well. However, some vehicle issues require a closer look under the hood. When you are facing a more complicated issue, “free” car diagnostic tests can lead you on a wild goose chase—again, leaving you with more questions than answers. You may even find yourself facing multiple potential issues and guessing at which one is causing your car troubles. 

Finding the “Why” Behind Vehicle Issues

“What is causing my car troubles?” This question can consume a driver’s peace of mind. In cases of complex vehicle problems, OBD codes give you (and your mechanics) only a vague idea of your car issues. While your OBD test might point you in the direction of your vehicle problem, this can leave you addressing the symptoms of car troubles rather than the source of car troubles. 

Professional diagnostic services instead focus on getting to the bottom of why that issue is occurring—this helps comprehensively support your vehicle health and get the repairs right the first time. 

What are In-Depth Vehicle Diagnostics?

In-depth diagnostic work is a service designed to support the accurate identification and repair of your car troubles. To get to the bottom of vehicle issues, a mechanic needs to spend time inspecting the vehicle, testing various parts, and exploring all of the potential sources of these problems. Once they have discovered the true source of your car issue, they will work with you to create a repair plan. 

How Can In-Depth Diagnostics Help You Save Money?

As you might have guessed, getting your repair done correctly the first time can help you save money. While it might be cheaper short-term to run with “free” diagnostic leads, expert diagnostics can save you long-term. By investing in this service, you can lower your overall costs on several facets of your repair:

• Saving on Vehicle Parts: A “free” diagnostic test will tell you that a part of your vehicle—such as the transmission—is experiencing issues. However, this may be triggered by old transmission fluid, a sensor issue, or another simple fix. Rather than requiring you to spend $6,000 on a new transmission, in-depth diagnostics may help your mechanic discover a simple and affordable repair. You may also find yourself replacing parts that your OBD test suggests are creating issues, while the source of the problem truly lies elsewhere. 
• Avoiding Recurring Car Issues: If your OBD code diagnostic leads to a poorly-calculated service repair, you could end up experiencing the same problem over and over again. This is not only an inconvenience, but it also will cost you frequent service visits. Depending on the nature of your problem, you may also incur repeated towing fees.
• Preventing the Spread of Vehicle Problems: Your vehicle is a network of systems that each rely on the other for proper functioning. One issue can interrupt the whole system, creating new problems when operating under this stress and dysfunction. By finding and fixing the source of your vehicle issue, you can keep the problem contained and save money on preventable issues.

These cost-saving benefits are in addition to the time, safety, convenience, and peace-of-mind you can enjoy with trusted, well-informed service. 

Chapel Hill Tire In-Depth Diagnostics

Where can you find reliable, in-depth vehicle diagnostics? At all eight Chapel Hill Tire locations—including our mechanics in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro! The experts at Chapel Hill Tire are here to help you when you are experiencing unknown, complicated, or uncertain vehicle issues. With our expansive service offerings, we will help you with your repair once we have diagnosed the true source of your car troubles.  You can get the peace of mind and trusted repair that you deserve when you bring your vehicle to Chapel Hill Tire. Make your diagnostics appointment with our local mechanics to get started today!