Keep Your Tires Safe (5 Easy Tips)

One of the most important factors in terms of vehicle safety and maintenance is the health of your tires. Tires are the foundation of a safe driving experience.

That’s why we’ve put together our five easy ways to keep your tires safe all year long.

One of the most common tire warning signs is rough vibration while driving. Serious vibration can be an indicator of poor tires. This sometimes occurs if regular tire maintenance hasn’t been performed.

However, there are other causes such as improper wheel and tire balance, uneven tire tread, out of round tires, loose lug nuts, and damaged wheels.

If your vehicle vibrates, take it for servicing right away.

One of the best ways to maintain the health of your tires is simply to inspect them regularly, including air pressure.

Tires lose pressure naturally so it’s important to check them monthly. If you have a car that was made on or after 2008, your dashboard should have a low tire warning icon on the dashboard.

Besides air pressure, do a quick visual inspection of your tires regularly. Look for bulges, scratches, punctures, scrapes, or cracks. Anything that would compromise air pressure.

This simple step will go a long way to keeping your car and you safe on the road.

Regular rotation of your tires helps you save money by increasing the life span of your tires. It also helps ensure that you have a much smoother ride.

Tires wear at different rates even though all four make the same contact with the road. Regular tire rotation helps to make sure the tire surfaces stay relatively even. This, in turn, helps you maintain good car handling and traction.

Consider having your tires rotated every 5,000 miles to get the most life out of them.

On the door frame of your car, you’ll find a label with the maximum weight capacity for carrying large loads. This limit should never be ignored! An overloaded vehicle—especially one with old or flat tires—can cause tire failure.

While tires may not “pop,” the excessive weight can severely impact your safety, your car’s body, and the gas mileage. Don’t risk it!

One of the easiest ways to tell if you need new tires is to measure the tread. You can easily do this by placing a penny upside down into the tread.

If the tread is good, you should not see the top of Lincoln’s head. If you can see it, it’s time to buy new tires.

Don’t drive your car much? You may be surprised at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recommendation: tire replacement every six years, regardless of the number of miles driven.

That’s why it’s so important to know the age of your tires. If they are 10 years or older, they are a safety hazard.

Let the Chevy certified service pros at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza handle all your car care needs including tires. They are trained to keep your car in topnotch working order all year round.