Why tires are important

While all-season tires are useful during the spring, summer and fall months, they are simply not safe to be used during the winter. They do not grip the road well, and can be the main source of an accident, especially if the road is icy. Nothing is more important than your well-being, so make sure to always make the switch to winter tires near the end of the fall.

Once the ice has melted, you can switch back to your all-seasons. Previous Post Next Post. High-quality caps are recommended. Ageing and damages Valves are usually made of rubber and therefore age with time. They can be damaged by high speeds causing air to leak from your tires.

When should I change the valves? Whenever you buy new tires. How to check if you have enough tread left General In order to effectively grip the road, evacuate water and maintain control, your tires need to have a safe amount of remaining tread.

You should check the wear of your tires regularly. If your tires are approaching minimum tread depth of 1. Or see below how to check it yourself. Two methods 1- Check the tread wear with a tread-depth gauge Make sure that the hand brake is on and the car is in first gear for manual gearboxes or park for automatics.

Check the depth of the main tread grooves in several places across and around the tire, using the gauge as instructed by its manufacturer. The legal minimum tread depth is 1. When the tread surface is worn to the same level as these indicators, the tire is at the legal limit and should be replaced. Tire rotation: what should I know? What is it?

When should I do it? Tire alignment: what should I know? When should I have my tire wheel alignment checked? You see a wear pattern developing on the shoulders outer edges of the tires. When you replace suspension or steering components. At least every 10, kilometers. A few things to watch for: Your vehicle pulls or drifts to one side, when you are travelling on a straight, flat road.

Your steering wheel does not return easily after a turn. Your steering wheel remains at an angle when driving in a straight line. Why is important?

To minimise wear and tear on your vehicle and to maximise driver and passenger comfort. To reduce wear on your tires, help to increase their life and performance, and improve fuel economy. To improve handling and driving safety by reducing steering and stability problems. How are wheels aligned? Tire balancing: what should I know? A wheel is out of balance when one area is heavier or lighter than the rest. The result is bouncing or wobbling, which can decrease tread life, increase vibration and cause stress on your vehicle.

Tire balancing compensates for the weight differences to make sure that the tire weight is balanced. Tire professionals will add weights where necessary to counterbalance the tires. When should I balance my tires? When a tire is replaced When a balance weight is moved or removed When you purchase new tires How are wheels balanced?

To balance a wheel, your mechanic uses a balancing machine to determine where the heavy spots are. Weights are then attached to the exterior or interior of the wheel to counteract the centrifugal forces acting on the heavy areas when the wheel is turning.

Any advice? If you ever feel bouncing, wobbling or vibrations, consult a tire professional quickly. Safe driving. Safe driving on the motorway Always observe motorway speed limits. Activate your indicators well in advance before overtaking or changing lanes. Don't turn suddenly or you may lose control of your car and roll over. Take regular breaks. Don't drive while tired. Oil Change and Car Maintenance Articles.

Print Email. Published in Blog. Retro Lube Goldsboro. Wear and tear of your vehicle's tires is a normal result of driving. However, you may notice that certain areas of your tires, or even one or two of your tires, may be showing more wear than others. Uneven tire wear can be a result of a variety of causes including under or overinflated tires, inner or outer edge wear due to improper wheel alignment, cupping resulting from faulty suspension components, and feathering due to an improper toe setting.

The toe setting is the direction the tires point in relation to the centerline of the vehicle. Uneven tire wear can significantly reduce the life of your tires, which may end up costing you a lot of money. Your tires have an air pressure specification. If they are over or underinflated your tires will suffer, as will your gas mileage and driving maneuverability. A quality tire air pressure gauge is all you need to inspect your tire air pressure.

The pressure gauge will allow you to measure the pounds per square inch PSI of each of your tires and make sure they are inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure. Most passenger car tires should have between 32 and 35 psi pressure when they are cold.

By maintaining the correct tire pressure, you will ensure better fuel economy, and your vehicle will be a much safer and more comfortable driving machine. You should never try to visually estimate the inflation pressure of your tires.

Always use a tire pressure gauge. Weather temperatures affect your tire pressure. Cold weather will cause tire air pressure to drop, while warm weather will cause tire pressure to increase.

You should check your tire pressure periodically as part of good vehicle maintenance. It is especially important to check it when the seasons change.