It is very important that you learn how to properly take care of your vehicle’s tires. They can be a hazard when you drive if they are showing signs of wear. They can also be expensive to replace so you want to make them last as long as possible. Make sure you have the right size of tires on your vehicle. This can be found in the owner’s manual for your vehicle.
The best way to maintain your tires is to make sure the have the right amount of air pressure in them. You can buy a gauge for a low price and check them frequently. Each time has the amount of pressure that is recommended by the manufacturer on the tire itself. You can easily add or remove air to make sure they are right. Keep that tire gauge in your glove box or truck so that it is always handy.
If you don’t have enough air in your tires you will burn more fuel. You will also find that the tires don’t wear evenly and that means they won’t last as long as they should. It is a good idea to have an air compressor at home for inflating them. However, you want to make sure you don’t have any moisture in it. That moisture can get into your tires and cause them to expand. As a result, your tires can end up over inflated and that is a danger.
Tire rotation is just as important as keeping them properly inflated. You should rotate your tires approximately every 5,000 miles. You want to move them from front to rear the first time and then front to rear criss crossing them the second time. The goal is to have each tire used on all four of the corners of the vehicle over time. By doing so, they will all have the same wear pattern on them.
Make sure your vehicle is properly aligned. Otherwise the tires will get damaged as they will wear easily. Let go of the steering wheel for a few seconds as you drive. If the vehicle doesn’t stay going straight it is time to make an appointment to have the vehicle aligned.
Checking the tread on your tires is very important. If the tread is different then you have a problem you need to address. Avoid rubbing the sidewalls of your tires on curbs and other surfaces. Adding a type of rubber treatment that you spray on them will prevent them from cracking due to the sunlight or salt that may be used on icy roads.
Try to keep your vehicle on smooth surfaces. When you drive on dirt roads or rocky surfaces then you are more likely to damage the tires. If you have highway tread tires then you don’t want to be taking it out for an off road excursion.
Keep your garage floor and drive way cleaned up too. You don’t want to accidentally run over tools or nails. They can do severe damage to your tires on your vehicle. If you drive 5 to 10 miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit you will also prevent unnecessary damages to your tires. Don’t take off from stoplights or stop signs excessively so that the tires will last longer.
You also want to check the lug nuts on your tires on a regular basis. They can come loose and you don’t want that. Look for signs of damage on the tires that may need to be looked at. Taking your tire in for a $10 repair is less expensive than waiting until it is so damaged that you have to replace it.