Tire care and safety: how to care for your tires

Tires need maintenance just like any other part of your car.

Your tires are one of the biggest investments in your car - your safety literally depends on them, but it's easy to take them for granted until a problem arises. The fact is that tires need maintenance just like other systems in your car. Here are some ways to make sure your money pays off.

General Tire Maintenance

Tire maintenance doesn't have to be anything special, but it should be done at regular intervals, just like oil changes or other maintenance items. In addition, it will save you money on both fuel and prevent premature wear, as well as increase your safety and improve your driving experience.

Some aspects to consider:

- Tire pressure - Tread depth and general tire wear - Make sure your spare is in good condition - Alignment - Tire and sidewall cleaning - Tire rotation, which we will discuss in more detail below.

Tire pressure

Tire pressure is really important for several reasons and should be checked monthly as rubber is porous and air can migrate through the valve stem and tire sidewalls. Have you ever ridden a low tire bike? That's what increased rolling resistance looks like, and that's what you do with your car and tires when they're under-inflated.

Insufficient tire pressure will cause heat build-up which is extremely detrimental to the tire's internal structure, affect braking and handling, and cost you in terms of fuel economy. Don't rely on maximum tire sidewall pressure; instead, refer to the tire pressure label on the door frame for the correct PSI, and be sure to check the pressure when the tires are hot as air expands as it heats up.

Tread depth and overall tire wear

Tires with excessively worn tread will ride harder and handle less well. Even worse, they are especially dangerous in wet weather, as they can't channel water back past the tire's contact patch and expose your car to hydroplaning hazards.

State laws dictate a minimum tread depth to pass the test, so here's a really easy way to measure your tire tread. Take a coin and stick it into the groove of the tread with the Lincoln's head down. If the rubber reaches Abe's head, your tires are at 2/32 of an inch (the minimum allowed by state law). Try again with a penny; if the tread reaches the Lincoln Memorial, your tires are 4/32" deep.

Make sure your spare part is in good condition

It's very easy to forget a spare tire, but it won't do you much good if you need it and it's flat. Tires have a certain expiration date - a brand new tire that has never been driven on the ground is considered unusable after five to seven years.

Spare parts have been known to spontaneously explode in hot weather. Inspect your replacement part from time to time, make sure it is properly inflated and shows no signs of cracking or dry rot.

Wheel alignment

Wheel alignment is another important factor that affects the life expectancy of a tire. If you notice constant pull to one side while driving or the steering wheel does not center easily after cornering, the steering wheel angles may be off.

When a tire is skewed to one side, either in or out, it tries to steer the car in that direction and is pulled along by the other tires as you drive in a straight line. This will wear the tire tread on the inside or outside and worsen fuel economy. Consider this: if you have a wheel with a ⅛ inch out of toe and you have to drive a mile on the highway without taking your hands off the wheel, at the end of that mile you will be about 30 feet off the road. .

Tire and sidewall cleaning

Finally, cleaning tires is a good idea for more than just beauty. When you're cleaning them, it's time to look for cracked sidewalls, scuffs, bulges, and other damage. Grab your hand and run it over the tire's tread surface, feeling for rocks, glass, nails, and other debris, as well as "sawtooth" or "feathery" tread wear.

Tire rotation is really important

No car has a 50/50 front to rear weight distribution, and when you brake or turn, the car's weight shifts forward. It's just physics and momentum; This is why the front brakes always wear out long before the rears wear out. It also means excessive front tire wear over many miles. Tire rotation is necessary to ensure that all four tires wear evenly.

Tires should be changed at 5000-7000 mile intervals. Since the oil should be changed at approximately this interval, this is also a good time to perform a rotation. Some tires are designed to rotate back and forth on the same side, while others should be rotated in an X pattern.

To do this, you can visit quick grease shops, tire shops, or even better in this modern age, you can order a tire change online and have a mechanic come straight to you! Some people do the spin themselves, but that requires getting all four wheels off the ground and supporting the car on jacks at all four corners, so it's not exactly a fun chore for a driveway mechanic.

Generally, you will notice an improvement in your car's handling and on-road behavior after a tire swap, and it's important to note that tire wear due to improper alignment or failure to swap tires will void your tire warranty.

When is it time to change tires?

Tires have a certain lifespan, and as mentioned above, worn tires are a hazard. And sometimes not wear; it could be damage or failure that causes the tire to end up at the end of the conveyor.

– Tires have wear bars at the base of the tread grooves.

– Be aware of the tread warranty and how long you have driven the same set of tires.

- Worn tires will be noisier and ride harder

- Worn tires may vibrate or wobble, which may be an indication of an internal problem.

The wear spikes in the tread grooves are 2/32" and are perpendicular to the grooves; if you see these stripes, it will be time for new tires soon. If the wear strips are at the same level as the tread rubber surface, head to the tire store because it's definitely time.

Also remember how long ago you bought a set of tires and what kind of warranty they have. If your tread warranty is 60,000 miles and you have 55,000 miles, be sure to check these tires regularly because you are nearing the end of their life cycle.

Worn tires are louder due to not having much rubber to isolate you from road noise; the same with a stiffer ride as most of the rubber cushion is gone. The wobble or vibration can either be caused by a balancing issue that cannot be corrected by balancing (since most of the rubber mass is gone) or can indicate cords, steel belts, or layers that are starting to delaminate internally. In the latter case, this can lead to tire blowout at highway speeds.

All of this, along with the loss of traction, braking performance and safety in wet weather, comes down to one thing: when it's time to change your tires, don't put it off. It's dangerous, perhaps more so than you think.

Conclusion

Proper inflation, alignment, tire rotation and regular checks - keeping tires in good condition is not that difficult, and it does not even cost a lot of money. However, it's worth it, both for your own safety and for the amount of money it can save you in the long run. You wouldn't put off an oil change, drive a car with a low coolant level, or drive with a broken glass—why put off tire maintenance?