National Tire Safety Week this year is May 20-27. This week serves as a friendly reminder to check up on the health of your tires. If left unattended, small damages to your tires can result in costly vehicle repairs later on. Tire care only requires a few simple steps: perform an inspection, check your pressure, and rotate your tires if you haven't in the last six months.
Perform a visual tire inspection
The simplest way to check your tires is with a visual inspection. Look for any obvious signs of damage, including puncture holes, worn tread, or warped edges. Rips, tears, or holes should be patched or replaced as soon as possible. Warping, bulging, or strange wear and tear patterns may indicate a more serious issue.
Check the tread on your tires with a penny. Place the penny within the grooves of your tire with Lincoln's head facing downward. If the tread covers any part of his face, your tread is thick enough to drive safely.
If your tread is worn or you notice visual damage, it's definitely time to repair or replace your tires.
Check your tire pressure
All tires slowly lose pressure over time. If your tire deflates too much, you risk damage to the tires or wheels. It's best to check your tire pressure using a tire pressure gauge either before you drive or after your tires have cooled down. Your tires are considered "cold" if you haven't driven on them for at least three hours.
Check your owner's manual to find the recommended tire pressure (PSI) for your vehicle. There may be different pressures recommended for front and rear tires. After you've found the pressures, inflate each tire to the recommended amount.
Nation Tire Safety Week is a great time to check your tire pressure, but you should also check them on a monthly basis to help your tires last significantly longer.
Rotate your tires
To preserve the lifespan of your tires, front and back tires should be rotated once every six months. This helps ensure that the tread wears evenly across all four tires. Driving puts uneven pressure on different tires. Front tires typically carry more weight than rears, and due to the way drivers tend to turn, right tires often wear out faster than left ones.
When you rotate tires, double check to see if they are directional or non-directional. Directional tires need to stay on the same side of the vehicle; front left tires will be moved to back left, and front right tires will be moved to the back right. Non-directional tires are often rotated diagonally, with the front left tire becoming the new back right tire. Double check the owner's manual for both your car and tires before performing a rotation. If you aren't sure which way your tires should be rotated, don't be afraid to ask us.
National Tire Safety Week is about preserving the integrity and safety of your tires. After you've performed a visual checkup, schedule an appointment with Zohr for any necessary repairs or replacements. We can rotate tires, reset your tire pressure monitoring sensors, balance your wheels, and get your vehicle back to excellent condition.
Your tires cushion your car and protect it from the damages of the road. You might not think about them very often, but tires are integral to the safety of your vehicle.
Whether you need to purchase a replacement or would like us to perform a tire safety checkup, check to see if Zohr services your area. We'll come to you and have you back on the road in no time.
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