Simple Tips To Help Your Tires Last Longer

Have you ever gotten a flat tire and suddenly felt your wallet get lighter? Because that’s how it feels when the average driver needs to replace a tire on their car. Tires can take a beating, but they’re not made to last forever.

Eventually, all tires will become uneven and wear down their tread. It just happens with time, and depending on the drivetrain of the vehicle, some tires will wear out faster. Basically, if the car has front-wheel drive, then the front tires will wear out faster. If it has rear-wheel drive, that’s the rear tires. And if it’s all-wheel drive (here’s how it works), ooh boy, that’s a lot of tires to worry about. 

Like the rest of the car, tires require regular maintenance. Overtime, they wear down, some faster than others, and that’s why things like tire pressure and rotation matter. There are also a few more things you can do to get the most out of your tires.

Tire pressure accounts for a lot of the essentials that keep a car driving safely, how efficient they are, and how long they will last. Over time, tires lose pressure. It may seem like a mystery, but there are several factors that cause it. Changes in temperature can condense or expand the air in a tire, and tire rubber is not a perfect solid. Air will escape the tires eventually, and both overinflation and underinflation can be a problem for them. Not only will that have an adverse effect on a car’s handling, but also its fuel economy. Drivers will get less bang for their buck with poor tire pressure.

To remedy this, the air pressure in your tires should be checked at least once a month. If you’re planning a long trip, be sure to check your tire pressure. It doesn’t cost much to make sure your tires have the right amount of air pressure to operate effectively, but also safely.

We cannot stress enough the importance of rotating tires. As we said above, drivetrain has an impact on a tire’s lifespan. Depending on a tire’s position in the car, it will have more or less focus and pressure placed on it throughout its life. That’s why as the tires wear out, they don’t do so evenly. To rectify that, tire rotation can greatly benefit drivers with any drivetrain, whether it’s two-wheel or four-wheel. It shifts the weight and pressure to other wheels This not only gives your tires a break, but you also get more miles out of each tire. 

If you ever need a method of checking on your tire tread, try the ol’ penny trick. Stick a penny into one of the treads with Lincoln’s head pointing down. The less of his head you can see, the better; and if you see the top of his head, it’s time to replace the tire. We recommend getting a tire rotation twice a year or every 5,000 miles, but you can be sure by checking your car owner’s manual for recommended rotation frequency.

Have you ever felt like your car preferred one side of the road to the other? Or it just felt slanted, like you could never keep it straight? Advanced safety systems like Lane Keeping have helped diminish this possibility, but just like the wheels wear out unevenly, they can also get out of alignment and cause the car to drive a little slanted. If it’s not the road, that’s also a sign to check your vehicle’s alignment.

Misaligned tires come in usually two forms: they either point too inward or too outward. This can happen to any car with wear and tear, but the simplest thing can also affect a vehicle’s alignment. How often do we hit a curb when backing out, or drive over uneven road? All of that has an effect on vehicle alignment and will put more tax on your tires. Your local mechanic can fix this for you, recommended every six months, or if you notice your car drifting.

A car’s suspension system not only increases driving comfort but also helps to keep the vehicle stable. Made up of many components, the suspension system’s main ones are springs, shock absorbers, struts, sway bars, control arms, and ball joints. Linked together like the ligaments between muscle and bone, these components help absorb and minimize the shock of cars bouncing on the road. This not only affects how it feels to drive the car, but also how safe it is.

Like the rest of the tire maintenance tips on here, ignoring an uneven suspension will cause the tires to wear out unevenly. Vehicle suspension issues can also cause uneven wear patterns. To avoid tires wearing out too quickly, keep your suspension in mind for your next scheduled car maintenance. If you feel the car bounce too much, that’s also a good indicator that you should check your car suspension. The springs or shock absorbers are the most likely culprit and could be damaged.

Not all tires are created equal. Tire rubber is never perfect. Somewhere in the tire, it will be a little heavier than the rest of the rubber around it. As odd as that sounds, dealing with it is actually a part of regular tire maintenance. Even though the difference between wheels can be as little as one-quarter to one-half ounce, that’s all it takes to cause more uneven tear on your tires. As the tread is worn out, drivers will also feel a bit more of a vibration from the wheels, or a decrease in driving comfort.

Car repair shops have a tool for measuring wheels and rebalancing them. Because tires also wear out differently, making sure your wheels are balanced is another safe practice to maximize the miles you get from your tires. Wheel balance and tire rotation go hand-in-hand, and it’s a good rule to get the wheel balance checked whenever getting your tires rotated to ensure an even, safe driving experience.