Here at Benefield Auto, we sell a variety of different brands and types of tires. Because we sell so many tires, we often see tires being replaced that would have lasted much longer if the owner of the car would have had routine tire maintenance done.
REGULARLY ROTATE YOUR TIRES
The simplest way to make sure you get the most out of your tires is to regularly rotate them. Most experts agree that tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles or at the very least every 6 months. If you spend a lot of time on dirt roads, or if you have an old car that needs an alignment, you may need to rotate them more often than the above recommendation.
WHEEL ALIGNMENTS ARE A MUST
We offer alignments and it is recommended that a car should have an alignment annually. Many car owners ignore having an alignment done annually and as a result, often spend far more money than they need to regularly replacing tires. If a car isn’t properly aligned, there is a good chance that the car won’t drive perfectly down the road and the tires will wear unevenly. Having a tire alignment done annually beats having tires replaced annually.
Hitting a pothole, a curb or running something over in the road is all it takes to make the wheel alignment off. If you think the wheel alignment in your car is off, stop by Benefield Automotive so we can inspect it for you.
CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE REGULARLY
Another thing that can reduce the life of a tire is low air pressure in a tire. Many car owners believe that if they have fairly new tires, the tires will never lose any air pressure. That is not the case. Depending on the rim of the tire and a variety of other factors, a tire can slowly over time be low on air. When a tire is low on air, the tread can wear down faster. Tires will likely last longer if the proper air pressure is kept in all four tires.
LUG NUT INSPECTION
It is also important to have the lug nuts on your tires regularly checked to make sure they are tight and not worn. A loose lug nut can eventually come off, causing tires to shake and come off, resulting in an accident.
CHECK THE TIRE TREAD
Last but not least, regularly checking the tire tread is a must. As the tire tread wears out, a car doesn’t handle as well in the snow and rain. Tire tread depth should be above 4/32. Less than that and the tires should be replaced.
Tires should be replaced two at a time or four at a time. Replacing one tire on a car can cause the car to not ride smoothly down the road.
Most drivers rarely think about their the tires on their car until they have a flat tire or get into an accident because of a tire issue. Most accidents caused by tires can be avoided simply by regularly inspecting your tires or by having them inspected by a professional mechanic.
If you find yourself in need of a new set of tires or have a question about your tires, feel free to call us and schedule an appointment.