How To Care For Your High-end Car Tires (& Prolong Their Life!)
When I think of a luxury car, I think of a smooth ride. A peaceful, quiet metal cocoon where I’m not distracted but road-noise, where I’m not disturbed and thrown about by every bump and dip in the road. A high-end car should make my commute as peaceful and relaxing as possible.
While leather interiors, cutting-edge electronics, and driver’s aids go a long way to making a car feel luxurious, it can all be ruined by a bad set of tires. High-end car tires are designed to complement the build of the car, often offering uniquely designed tread patterns to limit road noise, and the latest advancement to soften ride harshness. These advancements, however, do come with luxury prices, so it only makes sense that you want to get the most out of your high-end car’s tires.
Don’t Skip The Maintenance
While most high-end cars will let you skip having to inspect tire pressures by having an integrated monitoring system, your car still needs some maintenance done. Unfortunately, cars’ tires don’t wear evenly. Depending on your driving style, and how you use your car, it’s very normal for your front tires to wear differently from your rear. Depending on the roads you drive you may even find the tires on the driver’s side of the car wearing at a different rate than those on the passenger side.
To get the full lifespan out of your tires remember to rotate them. A good rule to follow is to rotate your wheels every 5000-10 000 miles, or after every service. It’s important to note if your car has different sized front tires to the rear, they need to be swapped from one side to the other side. If all your tires are the same size, consider swapping them with the wheel from the opposite corner (e.g. left rear to front right and vice versa). While you’re at it, make sure your car’s alignment is correct and the tires are still balanced, to keep your ride as smooth as possible.
Swap Out Air For Nitrogen
Taking a page out of motorsport, consider swapping the air in your tires for nitrogen. Nitrogen particles require a lot more energy (in this case heat) to be excited than air does. This means while driving on our hot Florida roads, tires with nitrogen in them see less fluctuation in pressure, which means the tires remain at an ideal pressure for longer. The benefit for you is that you no longer have to worry about over and under-inflated issues and your tires will last longer.
Repair Punctures Properly
No matter what we do. No matter how hard we try, getting a puncture almost feels inevitable. Luckily for us, if the puncture is small enough and far away enough from the sidewall, it can be repaired. While the $10 puncture repair plug kit from your local auto part store might get the job done, they often aren’t permanent solutions and can introduce unwanted noise and tire harshness.
Michelin, the leader in high-end tires recommends a full patch be done to repair your tire. A full puncture patch can be done by any reputable tire shop and while the process takes longer, it offers a permanent and strong repair. Patches are done by removing the tire from the rim. The debris that caused the puncture is removed and a hard rubber plug is then rubber cemented into the hole, similar to a plug. After that, on the inside of the tire, the area around the puncture is scuffed. I rubber patch is then cemented over the scuffed area and is allowed to cure. The repaired tire is then pressure tested before being fitted back to the vehicle.
Be Prepared For Storage
If you intend to store your car for long periods of time, consider investing in something that will elevate your car off the ground. Jack-stands, quick jacks, and car hoists are some of the most common items used to elevate your car. Store your car without the wheels touching the ground, as this will help prevent the tires from developing flat spots and rotting in one spot. It also saves the tires from the situation where it deflates over time and damages the sidewall rendering the tire unusable.
At the end of the day, no matter what you do, you will need to eventually replace your car’s tires. Choosing replacement tires can be a tiring task. At Foreign Affairs Motorwerks is an authorized dealer for the biggest names in the tire game, such as Michelin, Pirelli, and Dunlop, we have a tire to suit both your car’s needs and your wallet. Looking for something specific, call us at (954) 746-0488 and we’ll do our best to get you what you need.