Look after those Tires
Tires are one of the most important parts of a vehicle. Their condition affects ride and comfort, grip when cornering, and of course, braking distance. What’s more, if a tire is damaged or defective there’s a risk of high speed failure and a serious accident. This is why prudent vehicle owners make proper tire maintenance a habit. As a side benefit, looking after tires helps them last longer, postponing the day when expensive replacement is needed.
A lot of information about tire maintenance can be found online. Here’s a summary of the key points.
Check the pressures
This should be done every week, when the tires are cold, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that the Tire Pressure monitoring System (TPS) on your late model car does this for you. It doesn’t! The TPS triggers a warning light on the vehicle’s dashboard when the pressure drops by 25%. At that point the tire is already seriously underinflated and will be experiencing premature wear, and that’s without considering the negative effects on ride, handling and safety.
The other weakness of TPS is that pressures can increase. This happens on a hot day, and even if the vehicle has just been sitting in the sun. Tire manufacturerDunlopnotes, “… inflation pressure can change by 1 psi for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature change.”
When checking pressures, be sure to heed the advice of the Rubber Manufacturers Association: “Remember to check the spare." Few things in life are more frustrating than having to change a tire, only to find that the spare is flat!
Inspect the sidewalls
While down on your knees with the pressure gauge, don’t forget to cast an eye over the sidewalls. Look for any splits or bumps that can indicate the tire has been damaged. If you see anything unusual take the vehicle to a tire specialist and have it checked out.
Inspect the treads
The first thing to check is the depth of tread remaining. In the US the rule of thumb is the “penny test.” This means inserting a 1 cent coin into the groove and looking to see how much of Lincoln’s head is visible. If the answer is, “all of it,” it’s time for new tires because there’s less than 2/32 of an inch left. However, at this point the ability of a tire to grip, especially in the wet, is already seriously reduced, so experts likeTire Rackwebsite.)
Uneven wear can tell you a lot about both the state of inflation and the condition of the vehicle. A center region wearing faster or slower than the outside edges means over or under inflation while “cupping” (dips in the tread surface,) in the front tires suggests wear in shock absorbers or suspension joints. Pictures of uneven tread wear can be found on theGoodyear website.
Rotation
Tire manufacturers suggest that tires be moved from wheel to wheel every 8,000 miles or so. This evens out the wear that results from unequal weight distribution, and so postpones replacement. If you can do this yourself, there’s some guidance on theCooper Tireswebsite. Alternatively, a tire dealer or mechanic will do it for a small charge.
However, there is a school of thought that says, on a front drive vehicle, (which the majority of modern cars are,) don’t rotate. The argument is that the front tires wear much faster than those at the back, so just replace pairs rather than all four at once.
Lastly, when it comes to rotation, be aware that some newer tires are “uni-directional”. This means they are designed to roll one way rather than the other, and they must be mounted on the vehicle correctly. As noted on theprocarcare.comwebsite, “These tires are marked on the sidewall as to the direction of rotation; observe the marks when reinstalling …”
Wheel alignment
Alignment is an oft-neglected part of tire maintenance yet it has a big impact on tire life. Alignment involves checking that the wheels are all angled as specified by the manufacturer (or asGoodyearsay, ensuring that “your wheels will point in the same direction as the vehicle.”) and adjusting as necessary. Wheels can be knocked out of alignment by hitting a curb or pothole, so if this happens have the vehicle checked out by a garage or tire installer.
Tires are a very important part of your vehicle, and just like the engine and brakes, need to be maintained to keep them operating at their best. Following these tips will help ensure maximum life and performance, keeping you safe on the roads.
