Ultimate Maintenance Guide: 5 Simple Tips for Longer Lasting Tires

Tires are a vital component of your vehicle — considering they’re the only thing between you and the road. And much like any other part of your vehicle, your tires need proper care to perform to the best of their ability. The great news is that tire care is fairly simple, and can even be done from the comfort of your driveway! 

Well maintained tires will last longer, increase your fuel economy, improve your vehicle’s driving performance, and most of all, contribute to your overall safety on the road. Continue reading to learn how to take care of your tires like a mechanic. 

5 Tips for Taking Care of Your Tires 

Tire care is of utmost importance when it comes to regular car maintenance. Thankfully, we’ve curated a guide of five tips to teach you how to take care of your tires. 

1. Check the Air Pressure Monthly

Tires that are under or over inflated may be subjected to excessive wear and tear, as well as interfere with your ability to accelerate, brake, or steer properly. This is why it’s so important to make sure that they’re inflated to the appropriate psi at all times. Thankfully, checking your tire pressure is made easy with the help of a tire pressure gauge. All you’ll have to do is follow these seven steps: 

• Remove the cap from the air valve on your tire
• Press the tire gauge against the open valve for a couple seconds
• Read the air pressure gauge 
• Compare that number to your vehicle’s recommended tire pressure 
• Inflate or deflate your tires if necessary
• Replace the tires air valve cap 
• Repeat this process for each tire

2. Physically Inspect Your Tires

Your tires may sustain significant damage or wear and tear without you even noticing. Sometimes, a visual inspection is all it takes to identify that there is a problem, and allows you to fix the issue before it worsens. When checking your tires, it’s important to look for cracks, bulges, and punctures, as well as inspect the tread. If your tread is beginning to wear down, your tires will lose traction and not grip the road as well when driving through inclement weather. 

Gauging how worn down your tread is can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking at. A great, and easy, way to know when it’s time to replace your tires is by administering the quarter test — which can be done in just three easy steps:

• Take a quarter and place it with Washington’s head upside down between two ribs of your tire
• If part of the head is covered, your tires are still in good shape
• If you can see his entire head, your tread is worn and it’s time for a new set of tires 

3. Rotate When Needed

Rotating your tires is a preventative measure that reduces the likelihood of uneven wear. Your tires should be rotated about every 7,500 miles, and yes, they rotate while you drive, but that’s not what we mean. A tire rotation is when your tires get moved to another position on your vehicle. For example, moving the front tires to the back of your car, or even switching their placement diagonally. 

4. Reduce The Weight In Your Vehicle

When you overload your vehicle, it puts tons of strain on your tires — which can cause them to wear out quickly as well as overheat. This type of damage can lead to an expensive repair, or even worse, a dangerous blowout on the road. Extra weight also requires the engine to work much harder in order to make the vehicle move. So, try to steer clear of overloading your vehicle with unnecessary cargo. 

Related: 5 Simple Ways to Spring Clean Your Car

5. Get a Wheel Alignment

An alignment ensures that your tires meet the road at the proper angle and your wheels are pointing straight. Typically, an alignment is recommended after you get new tires — as it will help you get the most life out of your new set. However, it’s also important to have your tires checked by a professional at least once a year, because alignment issues may not be obvious to the everyday driver. 

Need Tire Maintenance? Look No Further Than Lexington M&L

We hope this blog served as a helpful resource as you begin to research how to take care of your tires. Much like any other part of your vehicle, your tires need regular maintenance in order to keep you safe on the road. Luckily, our experienced technicians here at Lexington M&L are here to get the job done right! 

If you’re in need of tire service, or any other type of car maintenance, don’t hesitate to contact the experts! Use the button below or visit our website to get in touch with us and schedule a service appointment!