how-to-care-for-your-tires-in-the-summer-heat

Tires, tire pressure, tread wear, spare tire,

How to Care for Your Tires in the Summer Heat

Posted at 14:40h in Uncategorized by Eby's Garage

Tires, tire pressure, tread wear, spare tire,

Your tires are what connects your car to the road. Keeping your tires in good condition is a good practice. It is also more cost effective, because replacing tires before their time is expensive. Practice routine tire maintenance by frequently checking your tire pressure and tread wear (including the spare tire) to benefit the safety of yourself and all motorists. By following a few simple tips, you can protect your car tires from the summer heat, be safer on the road, and save yourself money in the long run.

Tires Maintenance & Safety

Tires Pressure

Proper tire pressure is the #1 most important element of maintaining your tires. Having tires with the correct PSI gets you better gas mileage, tires last longer, and your car will handle better. Properly inflated tires also help reduce your risk of getting into a tire related accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that there are nearly 11,000 tire-related motor vehicle crashes each year and more than 600 people will die in those crashes. Remember, maintaining correct tire pressure could potentially save lives.

What is PSI

Also known as Tire Pressure, PSI (Per Square Inch) is the standard method in the US for measuring the air pressure in your tires. The PSI number found on your tires is the MAXIMUM level of air that is considered safe, not the level to fill your tires to when cold. Check your owner’s manual or the sticker on your driver’s side door for the correct PSI for your tires.

Tread Wear

Tires are designed to grip the road unilaterally across the entire surface of the tread. If proper air pressure, alignment and balancing is maintained, the tread will wear evenly, and you will get the full life expectancy out of your tires. But this doesn’t happen by magic, it requires a bit of effort on your part, in the form of routine tire maintenance.

Uneven Tread Wear

What is uneven tread wear? If the tire tread is worn more on one side, or more down the center of tread tire, then you have uneven tread wear. This is usually caused by incorrect air pressure – either too much, or too little. More reasons can be found below.

Wheel Alignment

If you see uneven wear on the inside or outside of your tire tread, then you may need a tire alignment. This issue is usually combined with a noticeable pulling or drifting to one side when traveling at higher speeds.

Balancing

If you feel road vibration when accelerating or decelerating on smooth roads, it may be an indication that your tires need to be rebalanced. Other common signs are steering issues and bald spots on your tires.

Tire Rotation

Most auto manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every 6,000 miles. Check your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s specific suggestion. Keep in mind that driving style, road conditions and excessive summer heat may require an earlier service, especially if irregular or uneven tread wear develops.

Tires Age

Every tire starts to age from the day it was manufactured and is expected to maintain its safety and integrity for about six years from that manufacture date. The manufacture date is usually stamped in code on the outside of the tire. There’s often more information there as well, like where it was made, the maximum PSI, the size, and the speed rating. The age of the tire applies whether the tire is on the shelf unused, in your trunk as a spare, or being used daily on your car.

Expiration Date

Most automobile manufacturers encourage drivers to replace their tires every six years. Using tires after that six year mark greatly increases the chance of experiencing a tire related accident, especially in places that routinely have high temperature summers.

Spare Tire

Don’t forget your spare tire. Even though it may just sit in your trunk, unused, it is equally important to maintain it’s tire pressure and monitor its expiration date. A smart practice is to replace your spare at the same time as you replace the rest of your tires, even if it was never used.

Tire Tips

While the daily temperature is beyond your control, there are a few things you can do to mitigate the impact the heat has on your tires.

Run errands in the mornings to avoid driving on the baking hot roadways.
Park in the shade as much as possible.
Keep your tires clean and protected from road grime, oil, caked mud, etc.

Tire Service in Boonsboro, MD

Eby’s Garage is proud to be a family owned and operated, full service auto repair shop for over 30 years! Let us know if you are experiencing any tire issues or concerns and we will be happy to perform a complete Tire Service on your vehicle.

Boonsboro Auto Repair