Tire Maintenance
Your tires need regular maintenance to keep them in shape and working properly. Under normal driving conditions inspect you tires once a month. See a mechanic to keep regular maintenance on Uniroyal tires in Waldroff, MD.
Necessary tire maintenance:
- Visually inspect the tires. Look for large sidewall cracks and bulging spots. Bulges create weak spots on the tire surfaces. This can increase the chance of a blow out or hydroplaning.
- Look for objects that may have punctured the tire, such as nails, screws or glass.
- Rotate your tires. This maintains even tread wear. Rotation makes tires last longer. Tire rotation is a convenient time to get your wheels balanced.
- Maintain proper inflation. Underinflated tires will decrease vehicle handling and can lead to excessive tread wear and a blowout. Ensure that wheels are properly aligned. Even small misalignment can increase tread wear.
- Measure your tires tread depth.
Tire Pressure
All tires will lose air over time. Keeping the tires on your vehicle properly inflated can prolong the life of the tires, give you the best gas mileage and improve handling of the vehicle. Proper air pressure in a tire distributes the weight of a vehicle evenly across the tires tread pattern. An under-inflated or over-inflated tire will lose stability, have a negative effect on handling, cornering, and stopping. You can find the manufacturer's optimum tire pressure listed on a sticker in the door jamb or in your vehicles owner's manual. Some stickers are placed on the trunk lid or on the fuel door. You can purchase a tire pressure gauge at any auto parts store for your Uniroyal tires in Waldroff, MD.
Tire Wear and Tread wear Indicators
The first way to tell if you need new tires is to look for the tread wear indicators. They are located at the base of the main grooves, are smooth strips of rubber that cross the tread and are equally spaced all around the tire. As a tire wears out, the tread wear indicators will be more clearly visible. When the tire indicators reach a remaining tread depth of 2/32" (1.5 mm) it is considered unsafe. you must replace your tires before they have reached this point. Deeper tread tires provide better handling and grip. Your tire’s tread needs to be thick enough to grip the road and properly stop and maneuver.
You may experience slipping and loss of stability on wet roads when your treads are worn down to about 4/32" (3.2 mm) of remaining tread depth. If you will need to drive in snow or icy conditions you should replace your tires even sooner. Specialty tires have varied tread patterns that are made to enhance performance for different road types and weather conditions. Specialty tires, such as all-terrain and winter tires, resist uneven tread wear and provide longer lasting tread life.
Your tires are an investment. Uniroyal tires in Waldroff, MD. will protect and last.
