Understanding Wheel Choices

2 Ways To Make Your Car Last Longer

25 July 2017

Abigail Hayes

When you get new tires on your car, you might end up with some sticker shock, meaning that you want to make sure that your tires stay in good shape for as long as possible. Here are some ways that you can do that. 

Check Your Tire Pressure

One thing you need to do is to make sure that your tire pressure is correct. If it is too high or too low, the wear on the tires will be uneven and the tire may ride on parts of the tire which weren't meant to hit the road. Checking your tire pressure is easy. There are tools that you can use, and they are generally available at gas stations, places where auto parts are sold like T and F Tire Service & Supply INC, and so forth. When you use one of those tools, you need to remove the cap on the stem of your tire and press the tool down onto it, then it will give you the reading on the pressure in your tire. You should do this monthly because your tire pressure can fluctuate. Cold weather makes the tire pressure go down, whereas hot weather makes it go up, so checking it monthly will make sure that you stay in the optimal range. 

Get Your Tires Rotated/Balanced

Rotating your tires means that they are switched to different positions on your car. This means that the tires will wear more evenly, which makes them last longer. There are different ways that the tires can be rotated. One of the most frequent is an X shape. That means the tire on the left rear of your car moves to the front right of your car. That will make sure that the tires wear on both sides. While your tires are getting rotated, you can get them balanced. You may not realize it, but your tires can vary in weight. There isn't a whole lot of variance, maybe just a few ounces, but that difference can affect the way the tire rides and how the car feels while you are driving. The mechanic will use a special machine to find out where the sweet spot on each tire is and how the weight rides on that tire. Then they will add small weights to the tire to make sure that everything is equal. 

If you are trying to keep your tires in good shape and lasting as long as you possibly can, there are things that you can do that will make it easier for you. 

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