Protecting Your Tires: What You Can Do Before There's a Problem

Of all the things you have to think about as a motorist on the road, tires might seem like easy items to care for. However, think about the following things if you want to protect and prolong the life of each of your tires.

Don't Put Too Much Air in the Tires

Keeping your tires full of clean air is important, but it's just as vital to ensure that you're respecting the maximum pressure that is etched on the tires themselves. Filling them more than the maximum recommended PSI can be bad for your tires; not only might you have to deal with a blowout, but too much air can cause tiny cracks in the tire surfaces due to too much pressure.

Be Easy with Your Brakes

Another way to extend tire life is to be easy with your brakes. When you slam on the brakes after going very fast, that can wear on the tires more than coming to a gradual stop. Try to be aware of sharp turns or places where you'll need to brake frequently during your daily commute so that you can gently apply the brakes and give your tires a bit of a break.

Take Swift Action When You Notice Something Unusual

To really protect your tires, you need to monitor how your car handles and take action as soon as possible if you notice something strange. For example, if you let go of your steering wheel for a moment on a neighborhood street and observe the car slowly drifting to the left or right, there is a chance that you need to have the car tires re-aligned. If you fail to take action, the tires will wear unevenly, and you are likely to need to replace all of them sooner than you would have liked to.

If you feel vibration in the steering wheel when you're on the street driving, it could be that a front tire is unbalanced and needs to be looked at by a professional so that the tire isn't wearing unevenly. Your passengers in the back seat may feel shaking if there's a rear tire that must be re-balanced.

Having these issues addressed as soon as you are aware of them can help save all of your tires; riding around on a tire that needs professional attention will not only worsen the problem but also cause problems for the other tires.

Using the information above to protect your tires will help you prolong their usefulness and life. Visit a tire company such as Discount Tire Centers for more tire-care suggestions. 

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