Make Your Tires Last Longer with These Tips
Tires are a costly investment that you have to make multiple times thanks to wear and tear. However, there are ways to extend the life of your tires as well as to improve your ride and be safer on the road. When it comes to tire maintenance, there are four key things to keep in mind.
Wheel Alignment
When a vehicle leaves the factory, the front wheels are aligned at the proper angles for stability, steering response and optimum handling. Over time, however, these angles drift as a result of wear and tear, causing misalignment. When wheels are out of alignment, either the inside or outside tread wear unevenly and this can shorten the life of your tires significantly.
Tire Rotation
It’s impossible for a vehicle to have a 50/50 weight distribution between the front and rear tires due to the weight of the engine as well as the forces of braking. These factors put added stress on the front tires, so it’s important to switch out the positions of your tires either from front to rear or in an ‘X’ pattern, depending on the vehicle. Getting your tires rotated every 5,000 to 10,00 miles will ensure optimum drivability, even wear, and longer tire life.
Tire Inflation
Regularly checking to see if your tires are properly inflated is the simplest way to add life to your tires. When air pressure is too low, there will be more rolling resistance which can cause extra wear. Additionally, this added friction will make your tires run hotter and overheated tires will wear at the edges and cause steel belts to flex more.
Tire Inspections
It’s important to inspect the overall tread condition of your tires regularly for wear, including bulges or cracks and debris or foreign objects in the tread. Notably, your tires will have an average service life of 6 years even if you put very few miles on them. This is due to the sun’s UV rays degrading the rubber.
At Car Care Connection, we understand the importance of extending the life of your tires, both for your safety and your pocketbook. That’s why we inspect your tires any time we perform a routine maintenance task on your vehicle! Call us at 941-924-6199 or visit us at 6503 Gateway Avenue in Sarasota for more information!
Amy Saunders
Hey there! How’s it going? Phew, thank God you talked about the importance of regular check on our tire pressure. My nephew just bought a preloved car to help him with his delivery work. I’ll ask him to check out this article before he sends it for a maintenance later.