Importance of Tire Maintenance

A vehicle is kept on the road primarily by its tires. The tires of a vehicle are the vehicle's only points of contact with the roads that the vehicle travels. Therefore, it is crucial that every vehicle is equipped with optimal sets of tires that provide adequate traction. Even after purchasing a great set of tires for their vehicle, a driver needs to make sure that they keep up with the maintenance of their vehicle's tires.

 

Tire Pressure

The air pressure in a vehicle's set of tires is important for the performance of the vehicle and the condition of its tires. Manufacturers design the suspension systems of their vehicles to work in conjunction with tires that are inflated to specific air pressures. Tires also need to be inflated to proper air pressure to avoid excessive wear. Overinflated tires will wear down quicker towards the middle of their surfaces. Tires that are underinflated will experience quicker wear on the edges of their surfaces.
 

To find out which air pressures are recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer for the vehicle's tires, you can open the vehicle's driver's-side door and look at the side of the doorjamb. Unless your vehicle has been repainted or wrapped, you will see a sticker that lists the air pressures that need to be in each tire of your vehicle. Alternatively, you can look in your vehicle's owner's manual to find what your vehicle's manufacturer recommends for the model.

 

Tread Depth

The tread depths of your vehicle's tires will help you to determine when the vehicle's tires need to be replaced. Your vehicle's tires need adequate tread to be able to fully grip road surfaces. When the treads of your vehicle's tires are too low, the tires will not be able to provide optimal traction for your vehicle and can allow you to lose control of the vehicle more easily.

 

There is a simple method that you can use to check the tread depths of each of your vehicle's tires. Alternative to the common "penny trick", you can use a quarter to measure the tread depths of your vehicle's tires. You will need to place the quarter into one of the treads of your vehicle's tires headfirst. If the tread of the tire is above the top of George Washington's head, not allowing you to see his hair, then the tire has enough tread. In contrast, you should purchase a new tire if the tread is below George Washington's hair on the quarter. You will need to do this for each of your vehicle's tires, as tires do not always wear evenly.

 

Tire Rotations

Tire rotations are a great service that will allow you to extend the lifespan of your vehicle's tires for many additional miles. When a tire rotation service is done for a vehicle, a technician removes the wheels of the vehicle and determines which ways the tires are experiencing tire wear. Through the use of tire rotation patterns, the technician will allow the vehicle to evenly distribute its tire wear as the driver drives the vehicle. By adjusting the tires of a vehicle accordingly, tire rotations spread out tire wear evenly across the tire surfaces of a set of tires. It is recommended that drivers have their vehicles' tires rotated between every 5,000 and 7,000 miles of travel.

 

Wheel Alignments

Wheel alignments are essential for every vehicle to have done routinely for a multitude of reasons. Wheel alignments allow the suspension systems of vehicles to perform as they are designed to by properly adjusting the systems' components. There are many different types of wheel alignments, with each being used for different types of vehicles and suspension systems.

 

A wheel alignment will help you to preserve the conditions of your vehicle's tires by aligning the vehicle's wheels properly. In turn, this will also reduce the stresses on your vehicle's suspension components, potentially extending their lifespans as well. After a wheel alignment is done on your vehicle, the suspension system of the vehicle will perform as it was designed to.

Wheel alignment service schedules can vary between drivers, also depending on their vehicles and style of driving. It is generally recommended that drivers have their wheels aligned every 12,000 miles. However, you can determine when your vehicle needs a wheel alignment by monitoring how the vehicle drives and handles.

 

Tire Maintenance Schedule

The amount of miles that the tires on your vehicle will last depends on many factors, such as how you drive your vehicle, where you drive your vehicle, the tires that your vehicle is equipped with, and your vehicle itself. Due to the fact that the lifespan of a set of tires on a driver's vehicle is so unique to each individual driver, it is recommended that drivers routinely monitor the conditions of their tires. Routinely checking the tread depths of your vehicle's tires, the air pressures that are in the tires, and the overall conditions of the tires will allow you to determine what your vehicle needs. If you notice that one of the tires on your vehicle has an issue or that your vehicle's tires have low tread depths, for example, have your vehicle immediately serviced and its tires repaired or replaced.

 

Let Glockner of Ashland Help You

Tires are some of the most essential parts of your vehicle. Therefore, it is important to make sure that your vehicle's tires remain in great condition. Developing a dependable tire maintenance schedule will ensure that your vehicle's tires are in optimal condition when you need them the most. We offer a variety of dependable products and services at Glockner CDJR of Ashland. If you need help with your tire maintenance routine or would like us to complete a tire service on your vehicle, visit us so that we can assist you.