Tires are the most exploited parts of a car. While you are comfortable in the car interiors, thanks to the shock absorbers and smoothness of the mechanical elements.The tires go through the bumps, hit stones and debris and are mercilessly chafed when you step on the brake pedal. It is important to remember that tires crucial to the safety and stability of a car. Keeping them in good condition also helps increase the fuel efficiency of the car. So, it is important to maintain them well. However, no matter how well you care for your car, there comes a time when you have to replace your old tires with new ones. How do you decide on the goodbye time? If you listen to the tire, it always lets you know when changing time arrives. You only have to keep your eyes and ears open. Read on to know more.
Tread
Tread is the most important part of the tire since it offers better grip and flushes water away from the car. With use, the tread pattern wears on and the markings are almost gone. When the thickness of the tread reduces to 1.6mm, the tire is no longer fit to perform its functions and needs to be changed. Abraham Lincoln can help you out. Insert a one penny coin between the threads with Lincoln’s head up. If only his hair is visible, your tire can sustain for some more time. If the whole face is visible, you need to change the tire.
Misalignment
Worn out tires do not adhere to alignment. Even after aligning the tires, if the car does not follow a straight path, it could indicate a time for change. Another reason why the car fails to move in a straight line is faulty axle. So, you need to check the axle before changing your tires.
Use your sense of touch
Move your hands over the tire and notice how it feels. Does it feel smooth? If it does, you need to change it. Tires are meant to be rough because they need to grip the road and provide sufficient traction to stop the car at the earliest when brakes are applied. This is especially important if you car is not equipped with automatic traction control.
Driving experience
The kind of drive which you experience largely depends on the quality of tires. If your ride is not smooth or you feel the tire skid when you apply brakes, it is time for change. You need to be observant when you drive on wet roads. If you feel the car slipping incessantly, it is time for change.
Check tire bar indicators
Modern day tires come with inbuilt bar indicators. These are bars which are included in the tire and are not visible when they are new. As the car wears, these indicators become visible. When you can see most of the indicator, you need to do away with the old tire and bring in new ones.
Tire appearance
Check out the appearance of the tire. As tires age, they develop cracks on the surface. If the cracks are deep or too many, the tire is not safe for use. Bulges or rips on the tire are also very unsafe.
It is recommended that you change all four tires at a time so that your car runs more smoothly and there is better traction distribution between the tires. This is very important at times when the car skids on the road. If one or two tires are more worn out than the others, the skidding becomes more uncontrollable. To increase the longevity of the tire, check the tire pressure regularly and maintain it at the optimum. Also, clean the tires and remove small stones which might be stuck
Mike Fischer is an automotive blogger with UnoCarDealers – a site for buying and selling cars, find car dealers, and car related info. He can be contacted at mike.fischer [at] unocardealers [dot] com with requests for content – for blogs, websites, and newsletters.