Get the Most Life Out of Your Tires

Extend The Life of Your Tires

If your vehicle is a critical part of what you do during your day, then your vehicle’s tires may be more important than you think. Often overlooked, they are a vital component in getting you where you need to be. Taking good care of them will ensure that you get the most mileage out of them. Listed below are some of the easiest and simplest ways to prolong your tire life.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated

Tires are designed to operate optimally at a specific pressure. If the air pressure inside is too low, you can put excess pressure on the side wall of the tire. If the pressure is too high, you can cause the tire to not sit flat on the road. Either way your tires will wear prematurely and you will have to replace them more often. Tires that are overinflated also run a higher risk of having a blowout.

Rotate Regularly

The weight of your vehicle is not evenly distributed between all four wheels. The engine and the transmission carry most of the extra weight, and so your front onrd (on a front engine model) are prone to wearing down faster. Rotating them is critical for extending the life of your rubber because you are able to spread out the wear more evenly. The alternative is that you tend to wear down two of them faster than the others and end up replacing those tires more often.

Keep Wheels Aligned

Your wheels become unaligned simply by driving them. Speed bumps, hard stops, bumping a curb, and a large number of other situations can throw off one or more wheels. It is the alignment of the wheels that determines how the tire will sit on the surface of the road. A misalignment can cause several types of premature wear, and only a proper alignment can guarantee the tire is going to contact the road as it is designed to.

Protect the Rubber

Rubber that makes up tires will eventually get sunburned, dry out, and start to crack. You can prevent this by applying specialized conditioner to the side walls of the tires. Protecting them is even more important if your vehicle is going to be stored for a period of time. Car covers, wheel covers, and other methods of keeping the moisture and sun off of your tires while stored are also appropriate options for prolonging tire life.
Life of Tires, Get the Most Life Out of Your Tires

Make It A Habit

Get into a routine and stick with it. The easiest and most important step in maintaining your tires is keeping them properly inflated. Check your tire pressure monthly at the least. Rotate your tires based on your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended schedule, which can be found in your owner’s manual among other places. Have vehicle’s wheel alignment checked after the tire rotation. If you want to go as far as to protect the rubber itself, you will want to apply a tire coating and protectant every time you wash the vehicle.

The vehicle service experts at Gary’s Automotive are here to help you with everything from the tires up. Gary’s Automotive carries top tire brands such as Bridgestone, Firestone, General, Pirelli, and Continental. Contact your local technicians today to schedule an appointment or learn more about services or customizations that are on your mind.