Tires are made to roll free, to roam happily on the open road meanwhile transporting a smiling passenger and his or her friends and family or customer(s) from point A to B and even sometimes C. Here are Uchanics’ top five tips to make your tires last.
1. Check Your Tire Air Pressure Monthly
Air is to tires what blood is to humans, air is absolutely needed but it is also important to have the right amount. Too little or too much air in your car’s tires can reduce the life of your tires, cause your vehicle to drag, increase your car’s stopping distance and the likelihood of a blowout. Checking your tire pressure monthly and adding and removing air as needed based on the recommended PSI (Pound-force per Square Inch) is one of the simplest ways to extended your tire’s life. On a monthly basis, tires may lose or gain approximately a (PSI) of pressure.
- Winter/cold temperatures can reduce the air in your tires.
- Summer/hot temperatures can increase your tires air pressure.
2. Rotate Tires Every 8,000 kms
Most vehicles are either equipped with front wheel or rear wheel drive, this means that the primary driving of the car is usually done by only one or two of the four wheels on the vehicle at any given time. Uneven tire wear can be caused due to this, front wheel drive vehicles wear out the front tires faster and rear wheel drive vehicles wear out the rear tires faster. Even on vehicles with all wheel drive, uneven tire wear can still occur as most all wheel drive vehicles shift the drive responsibility from wheel to wheel as needed. A certified Uchanics’ service technician can rotate your tires by moving them to different wheel positions on your vehicle. By doing this it provides relief for tires that were on the main drive wheels and allows for even tire wear. Try to rotate your tires every 8,000 kms or as needed.
3. Have Your Wheels Balanced.
A scheduled tire rotation is a great time to have your wheels balanced, as well. Every tire and wheel has a heavy spot and a light spot in it:
(A Heavy Spot, occurs when there is a heavy or a light spot in your car’s tire that causes the tire to roll uneven and the tire wheel is forced to undergo an incline decline movement which is bad for your wheel.
No tire is perfect, even brand new tires may not be perfectly balanced. The difference might be as small as half an ounce but this seemingly insignificant difference can cause vibrations when driving or uneven tire wear.
Having your wheels balanced is quick and sample and can fix this issue of heavy and light spots.
4. Check Your Alignment Twice a Year.
Misalignment may make your tires toed-in (“pigeon-toed”) or toed-out (“duck-footed”).
If your car pulls or drifts to the left or right or the steering wheel vibrates or shakes, your car may have an alignment issue. But even if none of these symptoms exist your car may still be misaligned. If you drive aggressively, making sharp turns at high speeds, hitting a parking lot barrier, driving over an island in the road or a pothole, or even brushing against a curb can affect your alignment. The slightest misalignment can reduce fuel efficiency, and increase tire wear and add strain to crucial components like shocks, struts, and balljoints. Take your car in for a check every six months or whenever you think something is wrong.
Preventative maintenance can save you a lot of money and help your tires and car last longer.
5. Buy The Good Stuff.
A tire with thicker treading and wider grooves increases your car’s ability to handle the road even during harsh weather conditions that cause snowy, icy, rainy, sandy and muddy roads. Tires that have a thicker tread and wider grooves tend to cost more money but they are worth the price as they last longer, allow for a more comfortable drive, have less drag and shorter braking distances.
