How to maintain and protect your tires

Maintaining, protecting and keeping your tyres, especially new tyres, in good condition helps to extend their life cycle in most cases. Proper tire care saves you money in the long run because you don't have to replace them as often.

There are several steps you can take to keep your tires in top shape and last longer, including installing new tires when your old ones wear out, caring for installed tires, and preventing them from cracking.

Method 1 of 3: Install New Tires

The best way to make sure you always have good tires on your car is to install new ones after the old tires wear out. You can try to keep your tires in top shape, but eventually they wear out and need to be replaced.

Step 1: Buy Quality Tires. In addition to buying quality tires from a trusted brand, make sure the tires you buy are season-appropriate. If you experience inclement weather during the winter season, you should consider purchasing winter or all-season tires.

Inspect all tires prior to purchase for defects, including nicks, cuts or holes. When purchasing retreaded or used tires, carefully inspect the tires for wear and damage.

Step 2: Pay attention to tire mileage. Keep in mind the expected mileage of your tires.

When buying new tires, pay attention to the mileage for which they are designed. Better quality and therefore more expensive tires tend to last longer than cheaper versions.

Step 3: Replace any worn tires. When you need to change tires, make sure you change all four tires at the same time.

With the tires properly flipped, you should see even wear across all four tires on your vehicle.

• Functions: Sometimes you can get away with replacing only two rear tires. In this case, it is better to put new tires on the rear axle. The rear tires play a big role in wet grip and can provide better overall handling. In any case, if your tires are worn to the point where traction is a problem, you should replace them.

Method 2 of 3: Protect Your Tires

Required material

• 303 Defender

Protecting your tires is a great way to make sure they last a long time. Tires deteriorate for a number of reasons, including exposure to the sun, the elements, and harsh chemicals. Reckless driving can also affect the condition of your tires, as bad driving style can lead to sidewall and tread cracking and damage.

Step 1: Drive Carefully. Driving too fast or braking hard can cause the tires to overheat, causing the sidewalls to weaken and possibly fail. Driving like a maniac and slamming on the brakes can also exacerbate small cracks in a tire and even cause new ones.

Practice safe driving and try to keep the tires from rubbing against the curb.

Step 2: Avoid dry rot. Dry rot occurs when a vehicle sits idle for too long, especially in winter.

One way to avoid dry rot is to drive your car at least once a month or more. This heats up the tires and prevents the rubber from drying out too much.

If you anticipate the car will be sitting for an extended period of time, consider investing in a car cover or wheel covers to keep harmful UV rays from damaging your car's tires.

Step 3: Clean the tires. Keeping your tires clean and free of dirt and debris will prolong their life.

Start by washing your wheels with mild soap and water. You can also brush your tires with a soft-bristled brush to remove stubborn dirt and grime. Finally, rinse the tires with water.

Step 4: Apply Protectant. Another way to protect your car's tires, whether you plan to drive or leave your car alone, is to apply tire protectant.

A protectant such as 303 Protectant is a water-based chemical used to provide UV protection to rubber, plastic and vinyl. In addition, this protective agent protects the tire from cracking and dry rot.

Method 3 of 3: Maintain your tires

Required material

• Tire pressure gauge

In addition to replacing worn tires and applying tire protectant, you also need to perform other types of tire maintenance to keep them in top condition. Proper tire maintenance includes making sure your tires are inflated to the proper level, checking the alignment periodically, and changing tires after the manufacturer's recommended mileage.

Step 1: Check air pressure. At least once a month, check or have someone check the air pressure in your tires.

To check tire pressure, remove the valve stem cap and place the end of a pressure gauge over the valve stem. Tire pressure pushes the PSI indicator out of the bottom of the gauge, showing tire pressure.

Make sure all tires are inflated to the recommended air pressure. You can find this information in your vehicle's owner's manual, on the inside of the door frame, or on the manufacturer's website.

• Functions: You may also find a maximum tire inflation level that is different from the manufacturer's recommended level.

Step 2: Check tire wear. Over time, a tire's tread tends to wear out, resulting in reduced grip and traction.

Check tire tread wear monthly, usually when you check to see if they are properly inflated. Look for tread wear indicator strips at regular intervals around the tire. When these bars are flush with the tread surface, consider changing tires.

If you notice uneven tread wear, have your tires checked by an experienced mechanic, such as AvtoTachki, as this may indicate a wheel alignment problem.

Step 3: Check wheel alignment. Check the alignment annually if you don't suspect a problem.

An improperly adjusted vehicle may have uneven tire tread wear. This, in turn, can cause the vehicle to pull to the side while driving and even tire failure.

Step 4: Rearrange the wheels. To ensure even tire tread wear over time, change your tires regularly.

You can find the recommended tire change interval in your vehicle owner's manual. Most car manufacturers recommend changing tires every 7,500 miles or every six months.

When changing tires, you must follow a specific pattern depending on whether your vehicle is rear wheel drive or front wheel drive. Standard templates include:

• Rear lateral: A typical tire rotation pattern used in rear and front wheel drive vehicles. In this scheme, the front wheels move back and shift from left to right and right to left, while the rear wheels move forward but remain on the same side.

• X-pattern: X-pattern is used for rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and front-wheel drive vehicles. In this scheme, the front wheels move backwards and shift from one side to the other. The rear wheels also move forward and their side changes.

• Front Cross: This scheme is exclusively used with front wheel drive vehicles. In this scheme, the front wheels move backwards and stay on the same side. The rear wheels move forward and switch from one side to the other.

• A warning: Be aware that if your vehicle is equipped with directional tires, the standard rotation does not apply and may even cause the tires to malfunction when driving on the road. Be sure to let the person doing the swapping know that you have directional tires so they can implement the correct swapping pattern.

Tire care and protection is the best way to extend the life of your tires. When they wear out, look for quality, durable tires to replace them with. One of the best and easiest ways to extend the life of your tires is to turn them over regularly.

If you need help swapping tires, call one of AvtoTachki's experienced mechanics to do the job for you.