These Tire Maintenance Tips Will Save You Money and Keep You Safe
Jane Lu
· 4 min read
We all know it's important to take care of your car's mechanical components, but don't forget your
tires
! The winter months are coming up, so you may want to invest in all-season tires or snow socks. Even during the warm months, you should always check the condition of your tires on a weekly basis.If your tires go out, you won’t be able to stop your car safely. Oftentimes, failing tires are easy to ignore or miss. Here are a few warning signs that you might have a tire problem, according to
Consumer Reports
(CR).
Are your tires in good condition?
Your tires' sidewalls should be free of cracks, bulges, blisters, and cuts. If you experience vibrations while driving, it could be because your wheels are unbalanced or misaligned. While misaligned tires aren't always dangerous at low speeds, they still need immediate attention. If you ignore the problem, misaligned tires will put a ton of stress on your suspension.
Misaligned tires can also cause the tread on your tires to wear down faster. Uneven tread wear also happens as a result of damaged tires or overinflation. The tread is what gives your wheel traction, so it's important to replace worn tires as needed.
Don't just rely on a visual inspection: buy a tire-tread gauge or use the quarter method. That's when you put the end of a quarter into one of the tire's grooves. If you can see the top of George Washington's head, then you need to buy new tires.
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How to maintain your car tires
MORE: The Rubber Industry Needs More Attention
AAA
gives us three essential car maintenance tasks to help your tires last as long as possible. The first is to take your car to the shop regularly to get your tire balanced checked. Tires should also be rebalanced whenever you need to remove one, such as when you need a wheel repair.You should also get your tires rotated every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Tires naturally wear unequally because the front and rear tires are constantly performing different functions. Rotating them ensures that every tire is sharing the work equally and none of them are wearing down too quickly.
Whenever you get new tires installed, it's essential to check the wheel alignment as well. All vehicles have a unique wheel alignment that contributes to the car's overall performance. When you drive on misaligned wheels, the car will drift without frequent adjustments by the driver.
What is the most common problem for car tires?
MORE: Consumer Reports Rates Best Car Tires of 2021
CR says that underinflation can be a big issue for many drivers. To the untrained eye, it's hard to see that a tire has been losing air until it's almost completely flat. Even the slightest bit of tire pressure loss can decrease the car's gas mileage and impair its handling.
Underinflated tires can potentially cause more accidents, and not just due to the
risk of a flat
. The sidewall flexes more and makes the wheels hard to control. It also makes the sidewalls trap heat, which speeds up tread wear and possibly separation.Every automaker provides the ideal tire pressure number somewhere on your vehicle or inside the owner's manual. It's true that you can sometimes tell when a tire needs air if it has a slight bulge. Just don't be too hasty: overinflating your tires can cause problems too!
You should check each tire at least once a month with a tire-pressure gauge. Always do this before running the car, as the tires can heat up while driving and skew the reading.
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