Understanding Tire Maintenance & Why It Is Necessary

Your tires are the only contact between your vehicle and the road. As such, they play a very important role. They ensure that your car can move from one place to the other safely and therefore need to be maintained. Tire maintenance involves various activities that ensure your tires are at their optimum working conditions.

Tire maintenance ranges from simple pressure checks to frequent wheel balancing and rotating. Repairing punctures and replacing worn-out tires are all part of proper tire maintenance. Why should you care about tire maintenance?

 

It is the law

 

In some countries and states, the law requires all vehicle owners to maintain their tires in good condition. If you live in these areas, adhering to the law will help you avoid problems with traffic police and other enforcers of traffic laws. They look at the inflation and tread levels of tires and only if yours meet the set standards will you pass an inspection. If you have faulty tires you will not be allowed to legally drive on the roads and acting, on the contrary, will land you in trouble.

 

Safety

 

The wheels carry the whole car from one place to another and therefore well-maintained wheels are important for ensuring safe driving. Cars with worn-out tires lack the grip needed to create enough friction to hold the ground, especially in slippery areas. Such a car is likely to skid and slide as you move. Cars that have improper wheel alignment tend to be unstable and are more likely to be affected by potholes.

 

Tires that have punctures tend to lose pressure as the car moves and one eventually ends up with a flat tire. A flat tire makes it difficult for the car to move properly. This improper movement may make the car wobble on the road and risk the lives of its occupants as well as those nearby. With proper maintenance, punctures can be avoided and repaired before they advance.

 

Effective fuel consumption

 

It has been reported that proper tire maintenance affects fuel consumption. A recent study reported that under-inflated car tires reduce gas mileage by 0.2% for every 1 psi drop in pressure in all the tires of a car. If you want to save on fuel then you need to have properly maintained tires. Actually, you can save up to 3% in gas mileage by maintaining correct tire pressure.

 

Long tire life

 

A nicely maintained car will last a long time and so will well-maintained tires. Under-inflated tires are prone to stress which leads to faster wearing. Wheels that are properly balanced will work efficiently and wear off at the same rate. This prevents issues like having one tire wearing off too fast and affecting the other. Wheel alignment and tire rotation are important parts of tire maintenance that will ensure your tires serve you for a long.

 

Proper Braking

 

When you step on your brakes, they send a message to the wheels that cause the car to halt. When the tires are worn out, brakes send the message but the expected response is not obtained. Tires with little treads will have problems braking because they do not create enough friction with the road’s surface. Without proper braking, your car is not able to come to a stop when you want it to. You may end up in a serious accident. This resistance from the wheels may also damage the brake pads necessitating frequent changes.

 

Save on Repair Costs

 

The first step in proper tire maintenance is choosing the right tires. This is very important because it will determine how effectively your tires serve you and how long they do serve you. Choose the right tires and the need to repair and replace them will not be frequent. Before you buy tires online, ensure you select the right one for your car model. 

 

Thereafter, take care of the wheels and you will save in repairs and replacement costs. For instance, repairing a small puncture is cheaper than replacing the whole tire which may be necessitated by the puncture not being repaired. Always take your time to inspect your vehicle’s tires every now and then.

 

Only Replace when Necessary

 

Wheel rotation is part of car tire maintenance that involves changing the car tire arrangement in a specified pattern. For instance, after 6000 miles your mechanic may change the tires of your front-wheel-drive vehicle in an x pattern. By doing this tire rotation you ensure that the wear on your tires is spread evenly among the four wheels. Also, each tire serves you longer than having them maintain permanent positions that cause some to wear out faster than others. 

 

Tires with small damages can be easily repaired during maintenance and the need to replace them with new ones is reduced to only when necessary. Remember that car tires are not cheap. In fact, tire care constitutes the second most expensive car maintenance costs after fuel.

 

The importance of tire maintenance can never be overstated. It is very important that these important parts of your car remain at their optimum conditions. You will save money and avoid accidents that may be caused by faulty tires. Check your tires’ pressure every now and then and see a mechanic when you notice any issue.

 

For all your car needs, head over to  Pearson Hyundai where they treat you like family.

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