How to Take Care of Your Tires 

Tires are an important part of your car. They need to be checked and maintained regularly, or else you could end up with a flat tire and no spare on the side of the road! In this blog post we will go over how to take care of your tires so that they last as long as possible.

Common Problems with Tires

There are a number of problems that tires can develop. Naturally, tires wear out over time and need to be replaced. However, tires can also develop slow leaks, punctures, bubbles in the tread, and sidewall damage. There’s really nothing you can do about tires wearing out eventually but by practicing good driving habits (such as not speeding) you can maximize the tires’ lifetime.

Inspection

One of the most important things to check for when you are inspecting your tires is for cracks in the sidewall or bubbles in the tread, which could indicate damage. Checking your air pressure regularly will help make sure that your tires stay inflated within a reasonable range of psi, which will also maximize your tires’ lifetime. You should also make sure that you are not driving on tires with very low tread or uneven wear, both of which can lead to problems.

Maintaining Life of Tires

You should check tires for wear and damage at least once a month, and you should get your tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. This will help maximize the life of your tires by ensuring even wear or else even problems with any one tire or wheel bearing. AAA lists some things you can do to properly maintain the life of your tires to include:

• Having your tires rotated between 5,000-7,000 miles.
• Balance your tires to minimize uneven wear.
• Have your wheel alignment checked and adjusted to prevent uneven wear.

What to Do if You Experience a Flat

Ideally, you will never have to deal with a flat tire. However, since tires do wear out and can get punctured, it is important that you know how to handle a flat tire. First of all, don’t panic. Many people are afraid of changing tires because they think it is difficult. In reality, changing tires takes very little time and isn’t too complicated. If you do get a flat tire, check to see if it’s just the tire that is flat or the entire wheel (rim).

How to Fix a Flat

In the event you get a flat tire, follow these tips from Goodyear:

1. Park the Vehicle. It’s important to make sure that your vehicle is parked both away from traffic and on a flat surface. TIP: You will want to use your hazard lights, or flares if there is heavy traffic.
2. Brace the Tires. Place bracing material (such as pieces of wood or bricks) behind and in front of a tire that will not be lifted by the jack in order to prevent rolling and increase stability.
3. Identify Spare Tire and Jack. Next, you can use your vehicle’s owner manual to locate your spare tire and jack.
4. Position the Jack. Now use your owner’s manual to make sure that the jack is in the necessary position on your car in order to prevent damage.
5. Jack Up the Car. Begin to jack the car up while keeping pressure on the ground (without lifting the car up entirely).
6. Remove Hubcaps. Remove any hubcaps or center covers so that you can access the lug nuts.
7. Loosen Lug Nuts. Using the lug wrench, turn the lug nuts counterclockwise to loosen them.
8. Remove the Tire. Next, after making sure that the jack is stable, jack up the car enough so that you are able to slip the tire off with ease.
9. Attach the Spare Tire. Put the spare tire on the wheel and place the lug nuts in the correct positions.
10. Tighten the Lug Nuts. Tighten the lug nuts with your tire wrench, this time turning clockwise. TIP: Make sure the lug nuts are tight, but don’t use too much force. This may knock your car off of the jack.
11. Check the Lug Nuts After Driving. After driving a few miles it’s a good idea to stop and make sure that the lug nuts are still tight.

Stop by Scott’s Auto

If you are experiencing problems with your tires, don’t hesitate to stop by a Scott’s Auto location nearest you. Our team of professionals will help you with a tire inspection, rotation, or even new tires if that’s what you need. Stop on by today!