Checklist: How to Prolong Life of Car Tires

Whether you buy a car or a motorcycle, maintenance of that piece of an automobile is extremely crucial.

The quality of maintenance would dictate the proper functioning and the life cycle of your vehicle. There exists an unending debate about cars being better than motorcycles.

From the safety point, you have a higher chance of not sustaining a serious injury, during an accident, if you own a car. In a motorcycle, the element of risk does go a tad bit higher. However, truly it boils down to the individual preference of the user.

The part of the vehicle that dictates how you will move from place to another, are the tires. You need to know your vehicle good enough to choose the right tire for it.

Choosing tires for your motorcycle is even more crucial because it is the only form of contact between the heavy vehicle and the ground. There are several factors, which you need to keep in mind to successfully choose the perfect set of tires for your vehicle, be it, a car or a motorcycle.

Tires are extremely essential for ensuring comfort and safety on the road when you are driving. These are the only parts that contact the road and face all the roughness of the terrain. Tires are made to last for a long time, but you can also take additional initiatives to prolong their lifespan. Taking good care of car tires also enhances your safety and saves a lot of expenses.

A few effective methods to prolong the lifespan of car tires are:

Regular Checking of The Tire Pressure: Improper tire inflation can cause many damages to the tires. The tire wire gets uneven, the structure is damaged, and gas mileage is affected too. On the other hand, correct tire pressure enhances the durability and safety of the tires as well as the car and decreases fuel consumption. It also extends the lifespan of a tire. To keep the tire pressure balanced, you need to –

• Check the pressure of the tires and the spare once in a month. Do not do it immediately after driving the car, wait for the tires to get cold.
• Refer to the vehicle manufacturer’s manual if you do not know the right pressure of your tires.
• Keep in mind that low pressure may improve your driving performance, but a higher pressure will extend the life of your tires. Still, do not over-inflate them as the center of the tire will face extensive tread wear from that.
• Keeping a tire pressure gauge in the car is a great idea. It comes in use if you engage in an accident or a tire faces sudden low pressure.

Slow Down A Bit: Driving at a high speed is not good for your car tires. When you drive fast, it generates excessive heat that damages the tire wear and reduces overall tread mileage. The more you increase the speed, the more mileage will decrease. Moreover, according to the fuel economy tests’ results, the fuel usage also decreases when you slow down. So, if you want to use your tires for a long time, do not speed up too much.

Use the Tires According to The Seasons: Car owners must remove their winter tires as soon as the season is gone, and switch to summer tires. The condition of the road is completely different in summer and winter. Winter tires have pliable rubber and extra slits that greatly handle the snow on the road, whereas, these things make the tires wear down in the summer when the roads are cleared. So, keep different sets of tires for these two seasons and use them accordingly.

Take care of cuts and holes immediately: The roads we drive on are full of dirt and debris. Sharp objects like glass and nails are often scattered everywhere that causes cuts and holes to the tires. However, it may not cause a flat tire immediately, but a slow leaking will start that will eventually lead to a flat tire in the future. To prevent this from happening, you must inspect the tires every day for small cuts and holes and repair them immediately.

Keep your wheels properly aligned: Wheels and tires are related to each other, so, if your wheels are not aligned properly, it will affect your tires too. By wheel alignment, we mean the angle and direction of the wheels. Wheels must be straight and parallel to each other for the safety of the car while driving. If the alignment is not right, the tires become uneven and wear more quickly. So, keep your wheels aligned by assigning a professional, licensed and experienced mechanic.

As every vehicle is different and so are the wheels and tires. The mechanics use special equipment for each vehicle to align and balance the tires so that they remain parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground.

Do not carry heavy loads: It is a misconception that it is okay to have your vehicle carry heavy loads. We often overload our cars with shopping bags, suitcases, sports equipment and more. However, cars are not designed to take a heavy load, so, the extra pressure damages the tires. If you find it unavoidable to carry heavy loads sometime, then adjust your tire pressure. Higher pressure is recommended for full loads.

Try to Park in The Shade: Rain and the heat both are harmful to your tires. Extreme weather conditions like a heavy storm or the ultraviolet ray of the sun damage the rubber of the tires. So, it is best not to leave your tires exposed in the harsh weather, always use a garage or shade at least.

Most importantly, have your tires inspected (especially on a used car) occasionally by the professionals. Regular care and maintenance are all that needs to prolong the life of your car tires.

Purchasing tires is thus a hectic task, which needs to be done while keeping a lot of factors in mind. Correct choices will let you enjoy a smooth ride every time.

Post From: Aigerim Berzinya is the Marketing Director at SEIRIM. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences. Her specialty is GPS tracking systems and transportation. On behalf of Giti Tire Pte Ltd, she writes about car tire manufacturing.