Being a car owner, you’re responsible for keeping it in its best shape for as long as possible. Not only could it help keep your car well and avoid expensive repairs, but it also allows the road to be a safer place as you won’t be causing traffic or accidents due to improper maintenance.
When it comes to maintaining your car, you shouldn’t just focus on the oil and engine, but give your tires special attention as well. That being said, below are some rules of vehicle tire maintenance you should follow.
1- Check For Tire Wears
Using your car on a daily basis will surely wear out your tires over time. Thus, it’s essential to take the time to check your tires since worn out ones can be dangerous as these can cause you to lose grip when driving.
There are many reasons why your tires wear out too quickly. It can be caused by misalignment of the wheels, tire rotation, and even your driving habits.
Along with this, it’ll be great to check the condition of your wheel bearing and see if replacing a defective wheel bearing would be your next best step.
You can easily spot it along with the tires as they’re responsible for the turning of your vehicle. Over time, the wheel bearing can deteriorate as well.
2- Maintain Proper Inflation
You should always check and make sure your tires are properly inflated. If your tires are underinflated or overinflated, this can cause your vehicle not to accelerate, or you may experience issues with the brakes or the steering. Proper inflation, on the one hand, allows the tires to perform well, which ensures safety. It also saves you fuel
You should check the inflation of your tires at least once a month and remember to inspect them when they’re cold for accurate pressure readings since warmer tires tend to give inaccurate readings.
According to experts at Mersey Street Garage, taking care of your MOT Stockport is another crucial area that should not be missed. If your tires are not properly inflated, you can suffer from serious grip issues which may result in dangerous accidents when you are out on public roads.
3- Check Tire Pressure
Making sure that your tire is inflated correctly is one thing, but keep in mind to check if the tire pressure is at the recommended level.
The chances are that if your tire doesn’t have the right amount of pressure in them, it’s more likely to wear them out. Incorrect tire pressure could also lead to accidents and crashes.
To be sure, it’s better to check the recommended level of tire pressure on your vehicle’s manual. With the correct tire pressure, they’ll have better durability, making them last long.
4- Inspect Tire Condition
Aside from checking for tire wear, you should also be able to check whether your tires have any damage or if they’re safe for driving. You may look for cuts, scrapes, and even punctures.
If you find anything suspicious about the condition of your tires, you could go to a professional service provider to help you out with your problem.
It’s better to know early and have it fixed as soon as possible than to find it out once you’re already out on the road.
5- Be Aware Of Tire Age
Although there are tires that may take you up to 15,000 miles a year, you should keep track of the age of your tires for safety purposes. A good-quality tire will last up to five years, but it depends on how you use and maintain your vehicle.
You can gauge the age of your tire based on your mileage, and this can also determine the lifespan of your tires. This is important since knowing your tires’ age also allows you to know when’s the best and right time to change them.
6- Regularly Rotate Your Tires
Most of the time, tires can wear out unevenly. That’s why rotating your tires can be helpful since it can even out your tires’ deterioration, as well as extend their lifespan.
In addition to that, the uniformity of tire wear helps provide traction and better handling across all tires.
Ideally, you need to rotate your tires every 3000 to 5000 miles. Or, better yet, you could rotate their positions every time you come in for an oil change.
7- Balance Your Tires
Although they might sound the same, balancing your tires isn’t the same as rotating your tires. Rotating your tires means that you’re changing their positions.
Balancing, on the one hand, means making sure the weight distribution of the tires is balanced around the vehicle. Tire balancing can provide smooth drives and extend your tires’ lifespan.
8- Avoid Overloading
If you tend to overload your vehicle when you’re out for a drive, you’re actually shortening the lifespan of your tires. Overloading can cause your tires to warm up faster, which tends to overheat and wear out your tires more quickly.
Once this situation occurs, your tires become more prone to damage and even blowouts. Your control will also be lessened when you try to drive an overloaded vehicle. Also, try not to overload your car as much as possible to avoid accidents.
9- Don’t Use Mismatched Tires
It’s not advisable to replace one tire only. This can lead to quicker and uneven wear on all of your tires. This scenario can be dangerous; the worst part is that it can lead to accidents. Sometimes, mismatched tires can also cause mechanical issues.
Although it’s budget-friendly when you replace only a single tire, think about your safety as to how your tires would work in the long run. It’s better to spend now than spend more because of an irreparable issue once you’re already out on the road.
Takeaway
Proper tire maintenance is highly essential in any type of vehicle you own. While they might look like a minor thing, the tires can affect your own and your loved ones’ safety.
To name one of its dangers, faulty tires could cause a car to lose control of its turns, leading to an accident.
For everyone’s safety and to reduce the costs you need to pay for repairs and replacements, you should never fail to check your car’s tires, fix issues as soon as possible, and have your vehicle serviced by professionals on a regular basis to ensure that your car is in great working condition at all times.
