When it comes to your car, you should never skimp on the items that sit between you and the road. Tires, shocks/struts, and brakes are all important in keeping you and your car safe on the road. While brakes and shocks/struts are generally left to their general maintenance cycles, tires, on the other hand, can use a little bit of extra manual maintenance. Here are several pieces of tire maintenance that you can perform to keep your tires running in top shape.
Checking tire air pressure
The air pressure inside of your tires can affect how long your tires last, your cars gas mileage, and how your car grips the road and handles. Needless to say, tire pressure matters. The bad news is many find out their tire pressure was too low, high or uneven across their tires after something goes wrong. The good news is this does not need to be the case. Checking a tire’s air pressure is easy, and pumping the air is just as easy.
Before starting, you will need to make sure you have a tire pressure gauge. You can get a cheap one that you can place in your glove compartment for easy access. The Milton Tire Pressure Gauge is the one I use. Regardless if you have the same tire pressure gauge or not, the process will be similar.
Here are the simple steps to check the air pressure in your car:
- Set car in park, and turn it off.
- Take the valve cap off of the tire you are about to check.
- Press the open end of the tire pressure gauge against the valve until the hissing stops.
- Check the tire pressure reading.
- Compare PSI (pounds per square inch) against your car’s manufactures recommended PSI rating.
- The recommended rating can oftentimes be found on the inside of the door or in the car’s manual.
- Note that the recommended rating may be different for front and rear tires.
- If the tire pressure is low, use a tire pump to add air to the tire. If the tire has too much air, use the small nub opposite of the tire pressure gauge opening or something similar to let a little air out at a time. Re-check air pressure after every adjustment to confirm correct PSI.
- A simple tire pump is good for small adjustments.
- For tires that are really low, an air compressor may help it go faster.
- Some gas stations have stations to fill your tires with air in exchange for some quarters.
- Repeat steps 2 through 6 for each tire.
You will want to check your tire’s pressure once a month. I would also recommend checking it before long trips, and whenever your tires seem low.
Checking tire tread depth
Another monthly maintenance check you can perform on your tires is checking the tread depth of your tire. A shallow tread depth indicates a worn tire. A worn tire means less traction for you. Less traction means a potentially unsafe driving situation for you. Checking the tread depth of a tire is simple enough and can be done with a quarter.
To check your tread tire, take the quarter and place it between the treads of your tire with the head of George Washington facing upside down. If you can see the top of George’s head, it is time to start looking at new tires. Check both the inside and outside tread to cover for uneven tread. You will also want to check each tire, as some tires may be more worn than others.
Rotating tires
One of the best ways to help preserve the life of your tires and reduce uneven wear on a tire is to simply rotate them. One can do this on their own if you have car jacks, and a little bit of time. By moving the front tires to the back, and the back right tire to the front left, and the back left tire to the front right, you can spread around wear on most front wheel drive cars. However, many mechanic shops will do this for little to no cost when coupled with a service such as an oil change. You can check your car’s manual to see the recommended time between a tire rotation, but generally, they should be done between three and five thousand miles – the length many wait between oil changes.
Check for tire dry rot
Uneven wear or even balding tires are not the only issues you can see on a tire, you can also see tire dry rot. Tire dry rot refers to the decay of the tire which can cause the tire to leak air, cause faster tread deterioration or even – in extreme cases – weaken parts of the tire to the point that the tire starts falling apart altogether.
When looking for tire dry rot, check the walls and treads of a tire for cracking. Discoloration and brittle rubber are also signs of dry rot. If you see any of these signs, it is a good idea to have a professional look at the tires to confirm the existence of tire dry rot. If caught soon enough, there are some tire treatments that you can do to prolong the life of the tire, but you should still look to replace the tires sooner rather than later, as tire dry rot cannot be “cured.”
The best steps you can take to avoid tire dry rot is to keep your car out of the elements as much as possible. High and low temperatures, direct sunlight, underinflated tires, and chemicals can all increase the chance of a tire dry rotting. So, keeping your car out of the elements while making sure you have the right amount of air in your tires will give you the best chance to avoid tire dry rot and increase the longevity of your tires.
Taking care of your car’s tires is not hard. Completing a couple of simple steps and checks once every month can keep you safer on the road, preserve the life of your tires, and save you money.
Quote of the day: A dream without ambition is like a car without gas… you’re not going anywhere. – Sean Hampton
If you would like to use some of the products I have talked about, I have them listed here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Products I have used:
- Milton (S-921) Single Chuck Head Pencil Tire Pressure Gauge – Passenger Car
- Schwinn 5-in-1 Floor Pump
- Tcisa Portable Air Compressor Pump 150 PSI, 12V 140W Auto Digital Car Tire Inflator Gauge
