Thom's Four Wheel Drive

Shopping for tires in CHICAGO can be bewildering because there are many choices. Let's simplify. There are four main classifications of tires, each designed for different purposes.First off, there are summer tires. Those who buy summer tires in CHICAGO are looking for maximum summertime performance. The rubber is a little softer to help stick to the road on fast corners on Illinois roads. The tread has wide blocks at the shoulder to stiffen the tire in turns. The tread design can handle rain but really isn't set up for snow and ice. Next comes winter tires. CHICAGO people buy winter tires because they still like performance driving when it's cold and slippery on Illinois roads, so they need a tread design that'll really bite into ice and snow. The rubber compound is formulated to stay pliable when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F/7 degrees C so they get great traction even on dry roads. On the other end of the winter tire spectrum are tires d ... read more

Lease? Or buy? These are the options for CHICAGO drivers. It's always a tough question for auto owners, but here is some info that'll help you make an informed decision.If you buy, you'll pay the full cost of the vehicle, maybe an initial down payment, monthly payments on the balance that pays down the loan principal, and the finance charge.CHICAGO drivers who lease finance the portion of the cost of the vehicle that's used up during the term of the lease. You'll pay some money up front: fees, security deposit, first month's payment and maybe a capital reduction. The monthly payments include a depreciation cost and a finance charge. When the lease is up, you return the vehicle to your local CHICAGO area dealership. So how do CHICAGO drivers decide?First, how much do you have for a down payment? A lease usually requires a smaller down payment.How much monthly payment can you afford? Again, lease payments will be much lowe ... read more

Some CHICAGO vehicle owners wonder why Thom's Four Wheel Drive and other CHICAGO auto repair shops charge a fee for vehicle diagnostics. Receiving a diagnostic charge at Thom's Four Wheel Drive for a tricky automotive problem shouldn't be a surprise. In the CHICAGO area, automotive diagnostics can cover quite a range. If you hear a noise in your vehicle brakes when you slow down in rush-hour traffic on a busy Illinois road, you pull off at the next off-ramp and take a quick visual check. That is usually enough to know what needs to be done. If you're having an intermittent problem with your vehicle engine, however, a Thom's Four Wheel Drive diagnosis may be much more involved.Much of the CHICAGO driver's confusion comes when the problem involves the Check Engine light. The Check Engine light comes on when the engine management computer has sensed a problem. There's a common misconception among Illinois drivers that the trouble code tells the Thom's Four Wheel Drive technician exa ... read more

Shopping for tires in CHICAGO can be bewildering because there are many choices. Let's simplify. There are four main classifications of tires, each designed for different purposes.First off, there are summer tires. Those who buy summer tires in CHICAGO are looking for maximum summertime performance. The rubber is a little softer to help stick to the road on fast corners on Illinois roads. The tread has wide blocks at the shoulder to stiffen the tire in turns. The tread design can handle rain but really isn't set up for snow and ice. Next comes winter tires. CHICAGO people buy winter tires because they still like performance driving when it's cold and slippery on Illinois roads, so they need a tread design that'll really bite into ice and snow. The rubber compound is formulated to stay pliable when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F/7 degrees C so they get great traction even on dry roads. On the other end of the winter tire spectrum are tires d ... read more