Tire Maintenance

If you think about it your car tires are the most important item on your car. Performing tire maintenance and maintaining your tires can affect the way your car handles, its overall performance, the economy of your vehicle, and the safety of the occupants. One of the most important things you can do is regularly check the tire air pressure in your and the tire wear. Not having the proper air pressure in your tires is the major cause of tire failure and tire related accidents.  You should check tire pressure at least once a month.

While you are checking the tire pressure check the tire tread wear. If the tire is worn beyond the replacement point it will not grip the road as well as a tire that has serviceable thread. The tire grip is critical on wet roads and at high speeds. The average 3,000 pound vehicle only has approximately four square inches of the tire contacting the surface of the road at speeds higher than 60 miles per hour. That is only a total of 16 square inches of tire road contact for a ton and a half of car weight.  

Tire Pressure:

The proper tire pressure for the recommended tire pressure is stated in your owner’s manual, or on the driver’s side door. On some vehicles the manufacturer also places this information on the gas tank lid door. You should not necessarily use the information on the side of the tires as most tires have a variety of vehicle uses for cars and trucks.

Always check your tires air pressure when they are cold so as not to over inflate them. This means before you drive your vehicle. Tire pressure will go up or down one to two pounds per square inch (PSI) for every 10 degrees in temperature change. If the air temperature goes down, the tires pressure will drop, if the air temperature goes up, the air pressure will rise.

Make sure after you have checked your tire pressure, that you replace the valve caps, this will help keep out the dust and dirt that might cause a leak at the valve stem. Missing valve caps should be replaced right away. When checking tire pressure don’t forget the spare tire.  

Tire Tread Wear:

Check the depth of the tread wear or the grooves of the tire with a measuring device. A mechanics steel rule or a tire tread depth gauge can be used to measure the amount of tread on tires. Most people check tire tread with penny (US coin) to measure the tread wear. Place the penny into a groove between treads, with Lincoln's head down, or toward the tire. If the tread is at or beyond the top of Lincoln's head you have at least 3/32-inch of tread left. Most states require replacement if the tread measures less than 3/32 of an inch. I recommend replacing the tires if the thread is any less than 4/32 (1/8) of an inch of tread remaining. The tire tread should wear evenly. Inspect all the tires for unusual tread wear, tire cuts, punctures, nails, damage, scuffs, and weather cracking. Replace excessively worn or damaged tires.

A rounded edge on the inside and outside edges of the tread usually indicate under-inflation. Excessive wear on the center of a tire's tread usually indicate over-inflation. Excessive wear on the inside or the outside of the tread usually indicate the need for wheel alignment. You should rotate the tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles to get the most service out of a set of tires. A set of new tires that are properly maintained should last 40,000 to 50,000 miles if properly maintained.