Taking care of your tires is essential. They connect your vehicle to the road and undergo constant wear and tear. As such, it’s important to be consistently mindful of them.
To get to grips with looking after your tires, here are a few tips to help you avoid costly repairs and keep your vehicle safe.
Say No to Mismatched Tires
If your vehicle experiences a flat tire, it might be tempting to replace that tire alone.
However, if you’re replacing a tire with one that is different from the others, it could create an uneven ride, which could later negatively affect the structure of the car. It’s advised to change at least two tires at once to avoid this issue. For a choice of premium tires, research durable Atturo Tires, for guidance and tire options.
Check the Tyre Pressure Regularly
Depending on how much you use your vehicle and what terrain you mostly drive on, this will determine how often you should check to see if your tire pressure is at the recommended level for your car.
The recommended tire pressure for your vehicle will be available to view in the vehicle’s manual or sometimes on a sticker on the inside of the driver’s door. But, if those options aren’t available, you can ask Google for help.
Checking the tire pressure is simple and easy to do. You can either visit a garage to ask if they will check it for you. Visit a gas station to check the gauge yourself using one of the designated tire pressure machines. Or purchase a tire pressure pump and keep it in your vehicle.
Inspect the Tire Tread Depth
U.S. law informs vehicle owners’ wheels must have a tread depth of at least 2/32 of an inch. There are some states that don’t regulate the tread depth, however, for safety reasons, it helps if vehicle owners follow this rule regardless.
Ultimately, for the safest drive, it’s recommended you aim for 4/32 inches of tread to ensure tires have sufficient grip on the road, particularly in rainy and icy weather conditions.
Two ways to check the tread are to purchase a tread gauge or attend an auto shop for a tire inspection.
If the tread is below the recommended limit, it’s time to look at purchasing new tires.
Inspect Tires for Cuts and Bulges
Assess the tire’s general condition too, to ensure there aren’t any unusual lumps, bumps, bulges, or deformities projecting from the rubber.
If there is, take your car to a trusted vehicle repair shop, so they can assess if there’s damage, and help you determine whether the tires need changing.
Rotate Your Vehicle’s Tires
Tires wear down at different rates and in different places. This is due to uneven weight distribution in the vehicle when driving, turning corners, making regular manoeuvres, and so forth.
To ensure a smoother, safer drive, alternate the tires. In doing so, you can ensure there’s consistent wear across all wheels.
Rotating your tires for even wear is recommended every 6000 to 8000 miles. This is achievable by changing the tires yourself with a hydraulic tire jack or visiting a service centre.
Check the Vehicle’s Load Weight
Not all drivers require transporting heavy goods, or lots of passengers regularly in their vehicle. It still helps to be mindful of those occasions when the weight in the car exceeds the recommended weight presented in the vehicle’s manual or sticker on the sticker on the driver’s side of the car.
In a nutshell, aim to keep the load light in your vehicle and you’ll avoid extra, uneven, ongoing pressure on your tires as just loading your car unevenly will affect the drive drastically and the longevity of your tires.
These tire tips will help keep your vehicle’s wheels road-worthy. A well-maintained vehicle gives drivers the confidence to journey without worry. As such, keeping on top of all essential components of the vehicle regularly is vital.