Tires are often neglected, but easy to maintain. As long as they work, most people don’t really think about them. However, if you take care to properly maintain your vehicle and your tires, they will last much, much longer. At Van Meter Auto Repair in Mantua, NJ, we see all too often the results of poor tire maintenance, and the result is expensive new tires. Here’s what you can do to make sure you don’t become part of that statistic.
Get your tires rotated regularly. Most manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every time you get your oil changed. It only takes a few extra minutes and ensures your tires are wearing evenly. Depending on your car, certain tires will wear faster than other ones, and all of them will wear more quickly in certain spots. By rotating them, you eliminate uneven wear and greatly extend the life of every tire. Plus, it gives us a chance to make sure everything is looking good.
Another way to preserve tires and make your vehicle more enjoyable to drive in general is to make sure you keep the front end in alignment. If your car needs a front-end alignment, your tires will wear out far more quickly; in some cases, a tire on a poorly aligned car will need to be replaced in a matter of weeks. A front-end alignment generally costs considerably less than one new tire, so the math is pretty easy on this one.
A simple action you can take to preserve your tires is maintaining correct air pressure. The recommended PSI will be on the side of the tire and in your owner’s manual; just check it occasionally, especially after a dramatic change in weather, and make sure you have the correct pressure. Tires that are wearing more quickly in the center of the tread are overinflated, and tires that are wearing down too quickly on the sides of the tread are underinflated.
A properly inflated, rotated, and the aligned tire will wear evenly until the whole tire is bald. When a tire wears out correctly, it takes it many tens of thousands of miles to do so. If you want to make sure your tires last as long as possible, or your tires are wearing out too quickly or unevenly, come see us at Van Meter Auto Repair and let us get you on the right track.
