Maintaining your car tires will not only increase the safety of yourself and the passengers, but also help in driving vehicle for long time and someday selling it for better price. Learn about how to extend the life of the tires. Here are few simple tips.
- Check the tire pressure regularly – This should be done weekly or at least once in a month. See to it that you use the manufacturer’s recommended pressure indicated on the tires. Unscrew the cap on the tire’s air intake and hold the tire pressure gauge against it. Allow the air to flow in to the gauge and out of the tire. All the tires of your vehicle should be evenly inflated.
- Check frequently for any cuts or holes in the tires – Roads are full of debris and small particles, some of which can be glass pieces, nails etc which are sharp that damages the tires immediately or could slowly leak off tire pressure. In order to avoid changing the car tire in the middle of the road, repair any minor or small cuts and holes if you find any of these on your tires. If the holes are large or deep or any kind of abrasion on the tires, replace the tires.
- Rotate tires whenever changing oil – Generally, front tires can wear out more quickly than the rears as the front tires have to turn the car and also accelerate it. Also 60 – 80% of braking is done by front tires. It will be convenient and best time to change your tires every time whenever you get an oil change. You can rotate your car tires yourself or get it done by the mechanic. If you are rotating tires yourself, use a car jack as it would be safe. Trade the wheels between the axles. Switching the tires on the same axle should be avoided and also avoid moving the tires in criss-cross pattern.
Rotating your tires regularly is very important to avoid sudden stopping of your car in middle of the road.
- Keep your tires properly aligned – Have your vehicle’s wheel alignment checked regularly and get adjusted if needed. Poor alignment is the most common cause of tire wear. Regular alignment check should be done preferably at every other oil change. An equipment is used by the mechanic to balance and align the tires in order to ensure that your car tires remain parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. Check your wheel alignment especially when you hit a major pot hole.
- Watch your driving style – An effective way to extend the life of your car tires is to use a less aggressive driving style. Avoid sudden brakes because this can burn the rubber of your tires. If your car has got traction/stability control, turn on to their highest settings. This is the car feature that help maintains control by limiting tire slippage when accelerating.