Although most car parts are crucial for optimal functioning, the most important one to keep track of is the tires. Your vehicle’s tires can significantly impact handling, safety, and the overall driving quality of your car—meaning you need to treat your tires with the utmost care.
So, before driving to get car window tinting, make sure that your tires are in top condition by following the tips below.
Inspect Your Tires Regularly
It’s necessary to inspect your tires before going on a long ride or at least once a month. When checking your tires, look for cracks on the tread, uneven tread wear, and marks of screws, nails, stones, and glass that may get embedded in your tires. If you found any of these, replace your tires immediately.
Rotate Your Car’s Tires Regularly
Rotation of tire positions is essential to achieve equal tread wear and prolong your wheels’ life. For instance, cars with front-wheel drive have more worn front tires because the front wheels bear the steering, driving, and braking forces. So, to extend each wheel’s life span, rotate your wheels, a technique that many call the ‘cross-rotation pattern.’
You can do this by moving the left-front wheel to its right counterpart and the right-front wheel to the left-rear wheel, and so on. This way, the tread wear can be balanced at each tire and allow your tires to give you a smoother ride.
Check Tire Pressure and Adjust It Monthly
Checking and adjusting your tire pressure before going on a long ride and at least checking it once a month is crucial. The pressure on tires can be slowly dropped. Remember that it’s normal for the pressure to drop just about one psi per month and one psi when there’s a drop in temperature.
The under-inflation will have instant effects on your vehicle care or handling. However, there might be a significant impact on tire life and its general safety. Due to under-inflation, your tread wear at the outer sides can get uneven and premature. So, make sure to check tire pressures often and adjust them accordingly.
Always Keep Tires in Proper Balance
If your tires are out-of-balance, your tread wear can become uneven, and you will experience an uncomfortable ride. You can tell if you have unbalanced tires if you feel an ‘extreme thud’ when driving. If you experience this, balance your tires immediately. When balancing tires, this includes placing the weights in proper places on the bead of the wheel. Remember that your tires must always be balanced when installed and whenever you mount them.
Ensure Proper Alignment of Steering and Suspension
Observe the proper alignment of the front and rear of your car’s suspension and steering wheel regularly. Misalignment of these can badly affect the stability and driving feel of your vehicle. It can also rapidly wear your tires unevenly, which can ruin your car’s tire in a short time. So, once you notice an uneven steering feeling when you’re driving on a smooth and straight road, have your steering and suspension alignment checked and rectified quickly.
Prevent Dry Rotting
Dry rotting is the condition where the rubber part of the tire begins to disintegrate. This can occur over time because of the tire’s constant exposure to terrible environmental conditions. It can cause discoloration and cracks on the tires’ sidewalls. That’s why it’s best to replace your tire when this happens.
To prevent dry rotting, remember to park your car out of direct sunlight, observe proper tire pressure, avoid using harsh chemicals for tire cleaning, and observe maximum capacity limits.
Your car’s tires are the ones responsible for making your vehicle functional, taking you to most destinations with ease. But to ensure a smooth and safe ride, make sure to practice proper tire maintenance regularly. The tips mentioned can streamline the process for you—giving you a safer and smoother driving experience.
