8 Steps to Keeping Your Tires in Good Shape

A good set of tires can last for up to 80,000 miles, and it's only natural for drivers to want to maximize the life of their tires and their return on investment. However, there are various best practices that any driver should follow to ensure you're properly caring for them. From your driving style to routine tire maintenance to simply checking the pressure and inflating when necessary, read on to learn how to keep tires in good shape:

8 Steps to Keeping Your Tires in Good Shape

Keeping your tires in good shape is about more than just maximizing the return on investment from any set of tires, it's also about ensuring that your vehicle is driving as safely as possible on the road. Here's a look at eight steps to keep your tires in good shape:

1. Check Your Tire Pressure Regularly

If your tires are under-inflated, they're going to wear down faster and you're going to have to replace them sooner. It underscores the importance of checking your tire pressure regularly and filling your tires to the appropriate level when needed.

This is especially true in the cold weather when your tires are more susceptible to losing air. In fact, it's estimated that for every 10-degree drop in temperature (Fahrenheit), your tire pressure can decrease up to 2 PSI. Consider checking your tire pressure weekly during the winter and at least monthly at other times of the year.

2. Inspect Tread Depth for Safety

If your tire tread depth wears too much, it's going to impact your vehicle's ability to stop, thereby posing a significant safety hazard. If your tires get to under 2/32", then it's time to change them for a new set.

There are a few ways you can check to ensure your tire tread depth is adequate. One is visual - just look for signs of tread bars showing through on your tires, which indicate the need to replace them. Another way is to use the "penny test." Simply take a penny and put it Abe Lincoln face-down into the tread of your tire. If the top of Lincoln's head is visible, the tread is too low and your tires should be replaced.

3. Rotate Your Tires for Even Wear

One of the best ways to ensure that your tires don't prematurely wear is to make sure they're being rotated. Generally, your tires should be rotated once every 6,000 to 8,000 miles - or about every other oil change. Rotating your tires ensures even tire tread wear across all four wheels.

4. Align Your Wheels to Prevent Uneven Wear

Wheel alignment is another important tire maintenance task that shouldn't be ignored. However, don't confuse wheel alignments with tire rotations. While tire rotations remove tires and place them in other positions of the vehicle every 6,000 to 8,000 miles, wheel alignments involve adjusting the vehicle's suspension to ensure proper wheel positioning. Albeit different, both wheel alignments and tire rotations are important to preserving the life of your tires.

5. Balance Your Tires for a Smooth Ride

Tire balancing involves ensuring weight is evenly distributed between all of your vehicle's wheels. It involves using a special machine to determine where there's an imbalance and then adding metal weights to areas around the wheel rim to appropriately balance your tires. If your tires aren't properly balanced, certain tires are likely going to wear faster than others because your vehicle is carrying more weight at certain parts of your vehicle.

6. Avoid Overloading Your Vehicle

All vehicles have maximum weight limits based on their type and size. When these weight limits are exceeded, it's going to put extra stain on important vehicle components, like the suspension, shocks, springs, and tires. To avoid putting excessive pressure and potentially damaging your tires, adhere to your vehicle's maximum weight limits and refrain from overloading your vehicle.

7. Drive Smart to Reduce Tire Stress

How you drive can also help preserve the condition and life of your tires. If you tend to be an aggressive driver and accelerate quickly and brake abruptly, it's going to put more strain on your tires and cause the tread to wear faster. Conversely, if your driving habits are good and you accelerate and brake gradually, it's going to make things much easier on your tires.

8. Store Seasonal Tires Properly

Many drivers purchase multiple sets of tires that they swap out according to the season and which tires perform better in certain conditions. However, one often overlooked aspect of having multiple sets of tires is the importance of storing them properly. If you have a set of tires that aren't currently in use, the right conditions are crucial to tire life and longevity. Here's a look at some tips for properly storing tires:

• Store them in a cool, dry, and dark space. An ideal location is a basement. Avoiding direct sunlight is important because UV rays can accelerate rubber deterioration and cause tires to crack and dry out more easily.
• Wash and dry your tires before storing them. This helps remove any dirt or grime.
• Consider storing your tires in airtight bags. This helps add an extra layer of protection while your tires are being stored.

Contact Your Local GreatWater-Affiliated Shop Today

For more information on how to care for your tires to maximize their life, contact your local shop in the GreatWater network today. As a group of full-service auto centers, there's no job too big or too small for our professional technicians. We'll help empower you with the information to properly care for your tires, and we're always happy to perform services related to tire care, like tire rotations, wheel alignment, and tire balancing. And when you need a new set of tires, we can help with that too.

Contact us today for more information and to schedule an appointment.