The summer season is the best time
for long distance drives and road trips. But before you head on out this
summer, it's important to make sure that your vehicle is ready for the long,
warm drive ahead. It's especially vital to ensure that your tires are prepared.
The road isn't always kind to your tires, especially after a long, cold winter.
To help prepare your tires for summer, follow these important tips:
1. Perform a Visual
Inspection
Start by giving your tires a
visual inspection, as this can help you find punctures, cracks, knots and other
visible signs of damage. If you see any of these signs, then your tires may
need to be replaced.
2. Check the inflation
pressure
Maintaining proper tire pressure
is important for a couple of reasons: it reduces the risk of a flat tire or
blowout, and improves your vehicle's handling. In addition, a 10-degree drop in
temperature can really affect your pressure, so the fluctuating weather of
spring makes pre-summer pressure check all the more important.
3. Ensure Proper Wheel
Balance and Alignment
Wheel balance and proper vehicle
alignment are vital for the longevity of your tires, as well as vehicle performance.
If your tires are imbalanced, it can cause road vibration and result in
premature wear.
4. Check the Tread
You should check your tires for
wear every few months, and especially after long driving trips. Heavily worn
tread will prevent your tires from performing as they should, and can result in
unsafe driving conditions. You can check if your tire tread is worn by
performing a penny
test or checking the tread wear indicator.
5. Rotate Your Tires
In addition to checking the tire
pressure and tread, make sure to rotate your tires as indicated in the driver's
manual. This means moving them from one wheel to another and from left to right
and front to back. Rotating your tires prevents them from wearing unevenly, as
they will serve in both front and rear positions. For instance, your front
tires wear out on the outside because they are constantly turning corners. If
you don't rotate your tires, the front tires will wear out much faster than the
rest, and you will have to replace them sooner than you might otherwise have
to.
6. Don't Mix Tires of
Different Sizes and Types
Generally speaking, you shouldn't
mix tires of different sizes and types. All your tires should match, be the
same size, and be made by the same brand or company, as this allows for optimum
handling and control of your vehicle.
7. Avoid Overloading
Your Vehicle
Remember that your vehicle does
have a capacity limit. Overloading it places stress on your tires as well as
other vehicle components, and can cause poor handling and lowered tire
pressure. Check your owner's manual to determine your vehicle's capacity.
8. Don't Forget to
Check Your Spare
In addition to the tires on your
vehicle, be sure to check your spare and ensure that it is in good condition to
be used, if need be. It's one thing to get a flat; it's another to not have a
reliable spare available.
Follow these tips and you and your
tires can stay cool throughout summer. If you need new tires, check out our
great selection at Tires By Web today!
Labels: summer tire care, Vredestein Tires USA