Ways To Delay The Need For Tire Replacement | Gretna, LA
Unless you trade in your car every three to five years, you’re going to need to consider new tires at least once during your ownership of the vehicle. It’s simply inevitable, because tires will age with both time and distance driven. Over time, your tires simply won’t be able to grip the road anywhere near as well as they once did.
However, tires don’t necessarily age at the same rate. If you don’t take care of your car’s tires properly, you’re going to find yourself considering tire replacement far more often than you would like. Unless you really want to get to know your tire experts in Gretna, LA, you’re going to want to make vehicle maintenance a priority. If you’re taking care of these things, you’re likely to extend the life of your tires so that you can keep your car in top shape. Learn what you need to do here!
Rotate Your Tires on Schedule
Some drivers don’t realize the need to rotate their tires regularly, which causes them to make tire rotation less of a priority. Unfortunately, tires don’t all wear down at the same rate, because the back tires take on more wear and tear than the front ones. That’s why tire rotation is so important: changing the position of your tires can extend their lives because you’ll ensure that they’re wearing down at an even rate.
Once you’ve undergone tire replacement, a new tire will have a depth of about 10/32″ to 11/32″. This is considered brand new and will last you for several thousand miles, depending on the expected life of your tire. You’ll be able to drive these tires until at least one gets down to around 4/32″, at which point you’ll need to consider tire replacement while it’s still safe to drive on your tires. Once your tire gets down to 2/32″, your tires are at the absolute minimum tread at which you can drive safely. At that point, replacing your tire becomes a must as soon as possible.
The fastest way to get your tires to that point is failing to rotate them properly. When the back tires wear out faster than the front tires, you’ll have to replace all of them faster than you really want to. By keeping up with this basic bit of maintenance, you’ll avoid premature tire disposal.
Keep Your Tires Well Inflated
Another great way to ruin your tire’s tread depth is failing to keep them properly inflated. Your tire depends on being inflated to the proper PSI to ensure that it’s gripping the road properly as you’re driving at high speeds, so it’s critical that you’re following the manufacturer’s instructions.
When you buy your tire, a reputable tire replacement shop can tell you exactly what PSI is recommended for your tire. Keeping your tire properly inflated means that you’re maximizing its efficiency, protecting yourself as best as possible from tire-related problems and keeping your tread in the best possible shape. The best way to keep your tires properly inflated is to test the PSI every so often. Modern cars often have a sensor to tell you when the tires aren’t correctly inflated, but sensors don’t always give accurate readings. The best course of action is to check it yourself and bring your car to a repair shop you trust in Gretna, LA to have them take a look.
Practice Safe Driving Habits
Being safe on the road doesn’t just get your car where it needs to be in one piece. It also keeps your car from premature wear and tear. One of the fastest ways that people wear down vehicles and require premature tire replacement is by asking them to do too much on the road for one reason or another. If you can, you’ll want to accelerate and decelerate smoothly so that you’re not putting too much pressure on either your tires or your brakes.
That also means driving at a safe speed for the road that you’re on. Different roads are made to be traveled at different speeds, and if you’re driving too fast for the road you’re traveling, you could be wearing your tire down too fast because of debris from the road. Remember, the better condition the road is in, the higher the speed limit will be and the higher you can safely traverse it. The speed limit isn’t just there for safety; it’s also meant to protect your car.
Pay Attention to Your Vehicle’s Handling
One of the best ways to avoid premature tire replacement is to listen for any problems while driving. Your vehicle will sometimes give off subtle signs that something’s not right with its wheels in the way that it handles. If your ride is no longer as smooth as it should be, you might be dealing with a tire-related issue.
Often, wheel alignment is a better solution to these issues than tire replacement. That’s because most vehicles with handling problems usually have tires in good condition; they’ve just been knocked off course by a pothole or other hazard. Fixing the issue could keep your tires operating for much longer than they otherwise would.
Bring Your Car to Someone You Trust
When you can bring your car to someone you trust in Gretna, LA, you’ll get an honest opinion about whether you really need to consider replacing the tire. The right vehicle team can take a look at your car and determine whether your tires are near the end of their life or if a wheel balance or alignment can fix the problem. Regardless of what the issue is, coming to a shop you can trust can help you decide if tire replacement is your only solution or if something else might work.
If you’re in need of tire replacement or other automobile related work in Gretna, Mr. Mechanic Auto Care is here to help. Contact our expert team to make full repairs to your vehicle!
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