8 Basic Tire Maintenance Tips

By Dejan B.. Published on May 17, 2017

Tires are an important part of your vehicle and in order to stay safe on the road, it is recommended to check on them regularly and see if something needs to be fixed. To make sure your tires are properly maintained, hop right in and check out our list of 8 basic tire maintenance tips.

Rotate Your Tires

If you want to extend the life of your tires and improve their performance make sure to rotate them every 6 months or in every 10,000 to 12,000 km. In front wheel vehicles it is important to rotate the tires often because front axle tires are in charge of all the driving and braking, while the rear axle tires handle only braking. You can rotate your tires in every auto shop and it's usually done when the oil in the vehicle needs to be changed.

Replace Tires Regularly

If you notice that your tires are starting to show their age make sure to replace them straight away. I know that new tires can be on the expensive side, but remember that safety in traffic comes first. Once the tread on the tire is worn down the tires stop having proper traction and driving a car is not safe as it should be. If you are unsure if your tires need to be changed, simply go to a car shop where a professional mechanic will check them out and tell you if they need to be changed.

Maintain Tire Pressure

Everyone loves a smooth ride and wants to increase the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. In order to do this, your tires need to be properly inflated. Correct tire pressure protects tires from damage, reduces the risk of losing control of the vehicle, and can improve gas mileage. You should check the pressure in your tires preferably every month and especially before going on a long trip.

Important check the pressure of your tires

Having a wrong tire pressure may influence your driving skills, which can be quite frustrating for many drivers. Of course, when you check the pressure of your tires don't forget to include the spare ones.

Make Your Tires Balanced

It is important that your tires are balanced at all times. It decreases the risk of premature wearing of your tires and it also protects the steering system and the suspension. Having your tires balanced has plenty of advantages such as more comfort while driving and increased fuel efficiency.

The good news is that you can easily feel when tires are unbalanced. You will probably feel a lot of vibrating on your steering wheel, especially if you are driving at a high speed. If this happens, you know it's time to make your tires balanced.

Store Spare Tires the Right Way

It is extremely important to store tires properly and make sure they are clean without having traces of gasoline and other dangerous substances. Tires should also be kept away from direct sunlight and you should watch out that they are not stored under heavy objects. The best place to store spare tires is in a ventilated dry area, away from objects that can damage the rubber, and far from any kind of chemicals. When you are moving the tires to a storage space make sure to have a pair of protective gloves on.

Check Tire Tread Regularly

It is wise to check the tire tread once in a month and make sure that your vehicle doesn't experience problems on wet or snowy surfaces. Maintaining the right tire wear depth is important for safe driving and it can also increase the fuel efficiency. The tire tread is there to prevent your car from sliding on the road, therefore, it is recommended to keep an eye on any sign of damage in the tire tread.

Keep Your Tires Aligned

When a mechanic adjusts front and rear suspension parts of your car that means he is doing a wheel alignment or a tire alignment of the vehicle. This needs to be done once a year in order to prevent uneven tread wear. Sometimes it is difficult to notice if your axles and wheels are properly aligned, but if you start to feel the vehicle pulling to one side and having less control of your car; it is time to get a wheel alignment. It is usually caused by bumps on the road and happens if you are often driving on roads that are poorly maintained.

Call a Professional to Change Your Tire

I know you probably think that changing a tire is not that big of a deal and you've done it dozens of times already, but in order to inspect the tire from the wheel from both the inside and the outside, you should definitely consider calling a professional. The specialist for tires will detect any sign of damage on the surface, make sure that the new tire is optimized and refitted in the right way, and ensure that the structure and size of the tire is correct.