Tire Maintenance
We often don’t give a second thought to our car’s tires. We top up the air when we notice they’re a little flat (or when the tire pressure monitoring system notifies us), patch punctures, and replace them when they’re worn out. Tires are a necessary investment for any car, but did you know if you aren’t regularly rotating your tires, you aren’t getting the full lifespan of your tires?
Another commonly overlooked issues with tires (particularly with Sports cars and Sport oriented SUV’s) are the uneven wear on the inner edge of the tire when compared with the outer edge. Vehicle manufactures use “aggressive” alignment angels to achieve the optimal handling characteristics desired for spirited driving. However, these alignment angles can cause wear on the inner edge of the tire that will not appear on the more noticeable outer edge of the tire. This will commonly deceive vehicle owners into over-estimating the remaining life of their tires.
Furthermore, worn suspension components can cause more deflection in the vehicle alignment angles and exacerbate the issue stated above. All in all, a regular inspection and performing the necessary actions by your repair facility can greatly increase the life of your tires, ultimately saving you money in the long run.
Understanding Tire Wear
When we say rotation, we don’t mean spinning. We are referring to the removal of the tire from the car and then placing it on the opposite side of the car or from front to back. There are a lot of different factors that contribute to tire wear, driving style, the way the vehicle is used and even its design contributes to tire wear.
While the engineers who designed your car did their best to ensure all four tires carry the same weight and apply the same force to the road, it’s just not realistic to have this happen all the time.
For example, let’s look at two identical pickup trucks:
Truck A rarely gets used for hauling anything and is mainly used for commuting. The heavy engine and light empty bed mean more weight is over the front wheels, which leads to more pressure being applied to the front wheels causing them to wear faster.
Truck B is a work truck and is constantly loaded with tools and materials. Since the bed is full of heavy materials in comparison to the weight of the engine, truck B may experience increased wear on its rear tires rather than its front.
The same can happen from the left side of a car to the right side. If you often travel alone, you may find the tires on the driver’s side of your car wear faster than those on the passenger side.
Risks Of Unevenly Worn Tires
Having unevenly worn tires carry a number of risks, such as:
- Tire blowouts
- Increased tire noise
- Increased vibrations
- Decreased traction and braking distances
How Often Should I Rotate My Tires?
We recommend you rotate your vehicle tires every 5,000 miles. However, this isn’t a strict rule to live by, as you can extend this period if you do a lot of highway driving, and decrease the period if you are a more spirited driver. If your car is raked with larger tires in the rear than in the front, it is still good practice to rotate the tires from left to right.
Trusted Auto Maintenance And Service Center In Pompano Beach
Foreign Affairs Motorwerks has been South Florida’s number one Auto Service and Maintenance center since 1978.
With our team of ASE Certified technicians, we guarantee we can meet all your tire needs. From puncture patches to rotation, alignment, and tire replacements we do it all.
Can’t remember when your car’s tires were last rotated? Do yourself a favor and book your car in with us today! Simply contact us at (954) 746-0488.