Tires are often the most neglected part of your car. Visit a gas station today and give your tires a little love by checking you tire pressure! Many gas stations offer free or low-cost air compressors to top up the air in your tires.
To add air, use the air compressor hose to fill the tire.To release air, use the point on the back of the air pressure gauge to depress the valve pin. Repeat step 3 to make sure you have not over or under-inflated the tire.
Replace the cap on the air valve and you're on your way!
If you find your nitrogen-filled tire flat, don't worry. In a pinch, you can temporarily use compressed air until you can reach your normal nitrogen supplier.
Tire Tread-Depth is the thickness of the rubber remaining on your tire tread. Tire tread is measured in 32nds of an inch and most tires start out with 10/32nds or 5/16th of an inch of rubber to grip the road.
As you drive, the rubber wears down and becomes less effective at controlling your vehicle. Once your tire tread is below 1/8th of an inch of rubber, most industry experts suggest preparing to replace.
If you're down to 1/16th of an inch, your tires are considered worn out, and most states require immediate replacement. Driving in inclement weather like this could put you in a bad situation without much warning.
Wheel Alignment & Balancing is the process of making sure tires are properly installed on your vehicle - somewhat parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. The goal is to make sure alignment is maintained, and tire wear is distributed evenly.
There is no clear-cut interval when alignment should be checked, but it's a good idea to do it twice a year whether you see any damage or not. Unfortunately, there are only two options when it comes to wheel alignment: (1) wait to see the irreversible damage on your tires or (2) be proactive.
Many service centers offer free alignment checks, so if you hit a pothole too fast or knock into a curb, you probably should consider checking it during your next vehicle maintenance visit.
Tires. Most people rarely think about them until something goes wrong.
Sumitomo does, going to great lengths to ensure a precision-engineered product designed for real world performance.
Your tires constantly adjust to real world issues on the road. Maintain them - and keep your passengers safe - by attending to these important benchmarks.
Tire Pressure refers to the amount of air inside a tire and is subject to change based on temperature and weather. The illustration (below) shows the dramatic differences in a tire contact patch, which connects with the road surface, based on inflation pressure.
Because of how important proper inflation is, vehicles made since 2008 come equipped with Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems or TPMS, which illuminates a horseshoe-shaped icon when the pressure in your tires falls significantly below a preset optimum value.
If you have air pressure readings on your dashboard display, you can generally rely on your TPMS to give you accurate pressure readings. However, if you only have a low-pressure light on your dash, be sure to manually check your air pressure at least once a month. Low-pressure lights won't come on until the air pressure is really low.
Tire Rotation is the physical relocation of tires to different positions in an effort to maximize the tread life on a set of tires. Front wheels generally wear out more quickly than rear wheels, so rotating tires from the front to the back (and vice versa) allows tires - regardless of position - to wear at a similar rate.
Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicles have different rotation recommendations, so consult a tire professional for guidance.
Experts suggest that tires are rotated every 5,000 - 8000 miles for the life of the tires. Check with your tire professional to see what works best for your situation.