Building a tire is like building a house or laying a cement sidewalk; the foundation must be right or the job will not stand up.

The foundation of a tire as every motorist knows consists of alternative layers of rubber, fabric, or cord, covered with a tread and breaker strip of rubber. The tread and breaker strip, however, are not worth the space they occupy if they are placed over a poorly constructed foundation of cheaply made fabric. Therefore, great care should be exercised in choosing a tire of standard make which has been tested, inspected, and guaranteed to be in perfect condition, and gives a mileage guarantee.

The cheaper grades of tires may be very deceiving in looks, but the point remains, that beneath the tread and breaker strip there must be something that is cheaper in quality than the material used in building a standard tire or it could not be sold for less, as tire building material sells at a market price obtainable to all; and the standard tire is usually produced in large quantities at a small profit, which may be seen by comparing the production records and the dividends paid on capitalization.

This point alone shows the wise economy in purchasing tires of standard build and avoiding all so-called low priced tires as they usually cost the motorist considerable more before the average mileage of a good tire is obtained.

Tires given close attention will usually give from one to two thousand more miles of service than those that do not receive prompt attention. Therefore, close inspection should be made frequently for cuts, rents, stone bruises, or a break in the tread which exposes the underlying fabric to wear and dampness.

When a break is discovered in either the tread or breaker strip, it should be slightly enlarged and well cleaned. A coat of raw rubber cement is applied and allowed to dry. Another coat of cement is applied, and when this coat is fairly dry, fill the indenture with raw rubber gum and cook for thirty minutes with a small vulcanizer. The cement, rubber, and vulcanizer may be purchased at any accessory store for a couple of dollars.

Tire Care.—Always keep the garage floor clean and free from oil, grease and gasoline, in order that the tires may not come in contact with it or stand in it. All three are deadly enemies to rubber. This is easily accomplished by spreading a thin layer of sawdust or bran on the floor and dampening it. This not only makes floor cleaning easy but also keeps the air moist and causes the dust to settle quickly.

When a tire comes in contact with either grease, oil, or gasoline, it should immediately be washed with warm water and castile soap.

Mud must not be allowed to dry and bake on the tires as it causes the rubber to loose its springy elastic qualities, and dry-rot or rubber scurvy takes place immediately, and the tread begins to crack and crumble.

Tire Chains.—Use tire chains only when they are absolutely necessary to overcome road conditions, as the use of chains under the most ideal conditions results in a certain amount of damage to the tires, and also causes destruction to improved roads. Chains are easily put on by stretching them out at the rear of the car and rolling the car on them. The clamps should be placed forward in order that the contact with the road may serve to keep them closed.

Adjust the chains to the tire loosely in order that the cross chains may work around and distribute the wear evenly.

Cross Chains.—Inspect the cross chains occasionally for wear and sharp edges.

Do not use springs across the front of the wheel to hold the chains, as they prevent the cross chains from working around on the tire and the opposite side chain is often drawn onto the tread, and as these chains are not continuous, the link connections wear and cut the tread exposing the underlying layers of fabric to dampness and wear.

Tube Care.—When an extra tube is carried with the car shake some tire talc or soap stone on it and wrap with tissue paper. It can then be carried in a small box with the tools without being damaged from vibration.

Tube Repairing.—A tube should always be vulcanized to make the repair permanent; but in case you must make a road repair and have not a vulcanizer with you, an emergency repair can be made by sticking on a patch. The surface of the tube and the patch is cleaned and roughened with a fine file or piece of emery paper. A coat of cement is applied next and allowed to dry. Another coat of cement is applied and allowed to dry until it becomes tacky. The patch is then pressed on the tube and held under pressure fifteen or twenty minutes until the cement is dry. This repair will serve for a short time but should be made permanent at the first opportunity.

Tire Storage.—When the car is to be stored for the winter, the tires should be left on the wheels and deflated to thirty pounds pressure (that is, after they have been relieved of the weight of the car), except in cases where the garage is cold and very damp and subjected to weather changes. In this case remove the tires and hang them up in a cool dry place (store room or cellar).

Always remove the old valve cores from the valve stems and replace them with new ones before putting the tires back into service, as the rubber plungers deteriorate very rapidly when inactive. Valve cores can be purchased at any service station in a small tin container for thirty-five to fifty cents per dozen.