Simple Things You Can Do To Get The Most Out Of The Tires On Your Vehicle

The tire on your vehicle are going to wear over time, but there are some things you can do to slow that wear and get the maximum life from your tires. Some simple tasks can have a significant effect on the tires, and most of the time, tire maintenance will only require a few minutes to complete.

Check The Pressure

The air pressure in your tires can profoundly impact the tire wear on your car or truck. Checking the air pressure in the tires should be part of the basic tire maintenance for your vehicle, and it takes just a couple of minutes to do. 

You can find the inflation specifications of your car in the owner's manual or on a sticker on the driver's door frame. Once you know the pressure required, you can check it quickly with a tire pressure gauge that you can pick up anywhere auto parts are sold.

Add air if the tires need it so that they all match and meet the manufacturer's suggested pressure, then check them monthly to ensure they are staying correctly inflated. Tires with low air pressure handle poorly and wear unevenly, so this quick check can save you money by increasing the tires' life and making the vehicle safer to drive.

Rotate The Tires

Rotating the tires on your vehicle may not be something you want to do yourself, but it is an essential part of proper tire maintenance. Any tire shop and most general repair shops will do a tire rotation for you.

The tech will remove the tires and change the location of each tire on the car according to the pattern specified by the manufacturer. Moving the tires around like this allows the tires to wear more evenly, and the tires will all wear in the same time frame so that they are ready to be replaced at the same time. 

Tire rotation also allows the tech to check suspension and steering parts while the tires are off the vehicle. These parts can all impact tire wear, so checking them regularly is an excellent way to catch a problem before it becomes too severe. 

The tire rotation interval may be different for some cars, but in general, tire manufactures recommend rotating the tires around six to eight thousand miles. This typically lines up with every other oil change on your vehicle, so when you have the oil changed, you could add the tire rotation and the undercarriage inspection to the work order and not have to worry about it again for a few months. To learn more, contact a tire maintenance service.