The change of seasons is always a good reminder to think about some tire maintenance, and today, as many in the country dig out from another major snowstorm, perhaps we should take a few minutes to discuss things you can do at home to make sure your tires will serve you for many miles to come.
Tire maintenance is not difficult. The average car owner with little mechanical aptitude can still do maintenance on tires, so no excuses will be accepted. To get the maximum mileage, safety and wear from your tires, here are a few things to consider.
Read your tire sidewall to find out important information like tire size and tire inflation. Under-inflated or over-inflated tires are the main cause of tires wearing out too soon.
Checking tire pressure….there is no reason why you shouldn’t be doing this at least once each month. Go to any auto parts store and buy a tire pressure gauge for around ten bucks. Then schedule a time each month for you to go outside and make sure your tires are properly inflated. Especially during major changes in outside temperature, your tires will lose or gain air pressure. Be aware of that and be proactive, and be aware of wheel specifications as well.
Inspect your tire for tread wear. If one side of your tire is wearing down faster than the other side, that means, most likely, that your tires need balancing and/or rotation. It can also mean you need new ball joints. There are also tire treat measurement gauges you can pick up to keep track of your tread which is of course what keeps the vehicle attached to the roadway.
Rotate your tires on a regular basis. We suggest every six months but at the latest, once per year. This will insure that your tires are receiving wear evenly. And if you know how to do it, at the same time it would be wise to align and balance your tires so there is no unnecessary vibrations when you are driving.
Do you need to spend money to have a mechanic look at your tires? Only you can answer that question. Is it worth it for you to spend upwards of $75 per hours in labor fees? Maybe you might consider doing the maintenance work yourself and saving those labor fees? Maybe you should consider buying quality used tires and used auto parts at your local salvage yard instead of paying $600 for a set of new tires at your local auto parts store.
The economy has not recovered yet, and dollars are still tight for many citizens. Shopping for quality car parts at your local salvage yard just makes good cents.