The Tireman
Roy Kitka's Tire Sales & Service
Bring Your Car Or Truck To See Our Well-Trained Team Of Auto Care Specialists.
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The Tireman
For over 45 years “The Tireman”, Roy Kitka’s Tire Sales & Service has been serving the automotive needs for customers in northeastern Connecticut and surrounding areas. We are a family owned business and are proud to say that we still have customers come in and tell us that they purchased their first set of tires from us and have continued to do so for every vehicle that they have owned, and their own children are starting to do the same.
The business was started in 1974 by Roy D. Kitka. Prior to this, he operated Roy’s Auto Sales for a number of years at another location in Thompson until moving the shop to the current location at 258 Wilsonville Road in North Grosvenordale, CT. At that time the business began to focus primarily on tire sales. As the business continued to grow, in 1983 alignments, suspension, and steering repairs were added to the available services.
The family business continued to expand with Dan Kitka joining his dad full time in 1989. Today the business is owned and operated by Dan and specializes in a variety of tire, wheel, and undercar services including alignment, suspension, steering, and brakes. We also service TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), perform oil changes, and provide other preventative maintenance.
Contact us today for help with your tire and automotive needs.
Our Promise To You
The Tireman carries a full line of tire brands including Cooper, Michelin, BF Goodrich, Firestone, Bridgestone, Hankook, Uniroyal, and many many more. We have tires for passenger cars, light to medium trucks, lawn and garden, agricultural, and trailer tires. Call our experts today with any questions about your tire needs..
Our Services
Tire Service & Repair
Top-Quality Tire Maintenance And Repair By Our Experienced Team
ALIGNMENTS
Many people ask the question: Do I really need an alignment? Is your vehicle pulling to one side when you are driving? Vibrating? Does the handling feel loose? Can you see uneven tire wear? If you are experiencing any of these symptoms then you need an alignment. When our trained technicians perform and alignment with our latest state of the art equipment, we restore angles, such as camber, caster, and toe to the manufacturer’s specifications ensuring proper handling, tire wear, and ride characteristics.
SUSPENSION AND STEERING
Suspension and steering components are critical to controlling your vehicle. The shocks and struts are designed not only for ride comfort, but also to keep your tires connected to the road. Steering components such as tie rods, ball joints, and control arms are used to steer and maintain control of your vehicle. All of these parts wear over time and can also be damaged by road hazards like potholes and construction areas. When this wear or damage occurs, it will affect tire life, alignment, and the safe handling of your vehicle. Contact our experts today to have your vehicle’s suspension and steering inspected or replaced to keep your vehicle running safe and smooth on the road.
BRAKES
The brakes on your vehicle do a very important job of slowing, stopping, and maintaining control. The brake system consists of mechanical, hydraulic, and electronic components. These parts wear over time and need to be replaced to ensure proper safety. If your brakes are squeaking, pulsating, shaking or grinding then they need to be replaced. Let our experts evaluate your car’s brake system to keep your car’s occupants and people around you safe and in control.
TIRE BALANCE
Tire balance is crucial for ride comfort and even tire wear. A tire that is out of balance will cause shaking or vibrations which will be felt in your steering wheel, seat, or drivetrain. Left uncorrected this can also cause premature tire wear. Tires need to be balanced at the time of installation, anytime the tire is removed from the wheel, and also as part of regular vehicle maintenance. Our expert technicians along with our high tech tire changing and wheel-balancing systems will keep you on the road comfortably and safely for many miles to come.
TIRE ROTATION
Tires today can be very expensive so proper maintenance is crucial to achieve the maximum tire life. Rotation is a very important step along with tire air pressure in tire maintenance. Rotating tires is a simple process of moving the front tires to the rear and the rear to the front, sometimes crossing sides also. This procedure will help to maintain even tire wear, smoother ride, and extend tire life. This service should be performed as a regular maintenance between 5,000 to 10,000 miles depending on tire type, vehicle, and driving conditions. Please contact us and our experts can make recommendations specific to your tire and vehicle type.
TPMS
(Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
Air pressure is one of the most important parts of tire maintenance, safety, and handling. An underinflated tire will generate too much heat and possibly blow out. It will also cause poor and unsafe handling as well as premature tire wear. Over inflation will cause the center of the tire to wear more than the rest of the tire and also cause improper handling. As another safety system, all of today’s newer cars are equipped with TPMS. These systems monitor the amount of pressure in each individual tire. When tires are changed, rotated, or repaired the TPMS needs to be reset. Air pressure should be checked and adjusted weekly or monthly depending on use and conditions. Our expert technicians can perform this procedure any time we service your tires as part of your regular tire maintenance.
OIL CHANGES
Oil changes should be performed as regular maintenance according to manufacturer’s recommendations, usually between 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Over time oil breaks down and loses it’s ability to properly lubricate moving parts. Regular oil changes are an inexpensive way to keep your car running smoothly.
BASIC TIRE MAINTENANCE
This will help tire life, ride quality, and handling. Regular tire maintenance can be as simple as checking air pressure, rotating tires, and visually inspecting tires for wear, cuts or cracks, and proper alignment. At this time our experts inspect other vehicle systems like brakes, shocks and struts, steering equipment, and other safety equipment.
WINTER TIRES
Snow tires are the best way to improve winter traction, braking, and handling. All season tires do a good job in spring, summer, and fall but a dedicated snow tire is going to be best for winter. If you want the optimum winter traction, braking, and handling you need to consider purchasing snow tires. Though getting your vehicle moving and driving in snow is important steering and stopping are equally important. Some of these can be increased greatly with snow tires over all season tires not only because of different tread patterns and siping but also the different compounds used to build the snow tire. There are some things to think about when considering using snow tires; they do wear quicker in warmer months so they shouldn’t be installed until the middle of November and removed by the middle of May. Many customers choose to purchase winter wheels for their snow tires which makes spring and fall change overs easier and also helps preserve the expensive alloy wheels found on most cars and trucks today. Though there is an up front investment you will have two sets of tires and will not have to purchase tires as frequently. If you decide to purchase winter tires you have the best option for winter travel and won’t regret the decision that you made for you and your passengers.
Schedule A Service Appointment
Because
It’s
Our Customers That Matter Most.
James R.
They have always kept my cars rolling on fresh rubber with full alignments for long lasting tires.
Rachel W.
Very friendly & helpful! I was very impressed with how quickly we got our new tires.
Diane C.
Great place, great people
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