An often overlooked but important part of car maintenance is the tires. When properly taken care of, they can improve your mileage, prevent uneven tread wear, and make sure you have the best control over your vehicle. Keep these two important things in mind when maintaining your tires: tread and air pressure.
How do you check the tread of your tires?
The best way is the penny test. Place a penny heads down in the grooves of your tire in multiple areas. Sometimes, the tread will wear unevenly if they haven’t been properly inflated or the wheel alignment is off. After placing the penny, if you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, then your tread is too low. You will most likely struggle to get traction on slippery roads, and your mileage will worsen.
How do you check your tire pressure?
Use a tire pressure gauge to check on the state of your tires. If you look in your driver’s side door, there should be a sticker that will tell you the ideal PSI. Your owner’s manual should also have it. When it’s cold, the air inside the tires will condense and cause it to lose PSI—the general rule is 1-2 PSI for every 10 degrees. This is why it’s important to regularly check your tires in the winter—but try to do it after they’ve been sitting for a while since driving on pavement heats them up again. A lot of gas stations will have an air pump that can be used for free or a small fee if they need more air.
When you are ready for a new set of tires, or you want to know your options for winter tires, Superior Service Center can help. Give us a call or schedule your appointment online.