Contrary to popular belief tires are probably the most important part on your vehicle because without them the car couldn’t go anywhere. But how do you know if you are really getting the most life out of your tires? Three important key factors are actually very simple, but often neglected. Hey, we all forget at some point.
- Performing a 4 wheel alignment
It’s always a good idea to have your vehicle’s suspension geometry within factory specification whenever you get new tires to ensure they all wear evenly throughout the life of the tire.
2. Balance and rotation
The rule of thumb is to have this done every 6-8,000 miles. Rotating distributes the work load per tire evenly, and balancing ensures your tire doesn’t have excessive static or dynamic imbalances which also cause a large number of road noise and driveability concerns. Most tire stores offer lifetime balance and rotations free if you buy the tires from them.
3. Keep your tires inflated
Everyone know what a flat tire feels like. But more often than not your tire pressures are too low or too high causing you tire wear problems and you probably won’t even notice it. Check your tire pressures once a week when you fuel up or before a major road trip. It’s easy and free. You just have to make sure to follow the factory specs in your driver door jam. Remember these numbers are always when the tires are cold which is driven for less than 3 miles or cooled for 30 minutes.
Now if your vehicle isn’t driving straight or smoothly you may have a suspension problem and are better off taking it to a professional than trying to figure it out yourself. If that’s the case feel free to give us a call and book an appointment to have it checked out. (858) 455-8222
