Top 5 Tips to Make Your Tires Last

Since 2010 we have noticed a steady rise in tire prices, and with the Holiday season right around the corner, as well as the ruthless winter seasons that hit the east coast (enjoy your sunshine west coasters, we are just jealous), extending the life of your tires is more important than ever to those who are looking to save money and stay safe.

Taking care of your tires does not have to be difficult. And with simplicity in mind, we bring you our top 5 tire-care tips to make them last longer and perform better:

1. Make sure your tires are properly inflated

Many experts will tell you that often times most instances of damaged or flat tire reports come from lack of air.

Make sure you get into the habit of looking at your tires, whether it’s once a week, every morning, or every time you go get gas at the pump. If you spot bulging sidewalls during a visual inspection, this could indicate low tire pressure. You should also check the tire pressure once a month with a quality digital or pencil type pressure gauge. Luckily for you, many vehicles today are equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which uses a warning light on the dash to notify you when a tire is low.

One word of advice we can offer is to make sure to fill up your tires according to manufacturer-

recommended tire pressure settings, and to always monitor your tire pressure when driving in snow, rain and sleet, since correct pressure is essential to good handling and traction.

Lastly, by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent, so also saves you money at the pump.

2. Rotate and balance tires every other oil change

Many experts today recommend that you rotate and balance your tires during every other oil change. Lucky for you, most tire shops offer this service free-of-charge if the tires were purchased from them. Normally the front tires tend wear faster than the rear, so rotating your tires will help increase their lifespan. Also, keeping the tires balanced reduces vibration, which increases tire and component wear.

3. Keep your tires clean and covered up

You would be surprised how damaging the environment can be for your tires. Purchasing a good tire protectant will help prevent your tires from suffering from ozone damage in the summer and will make sure your tires make it through the harsh weather conditions of the winter time, thus greatly improving your tires lifespan.

Whenever your vehicle is stored for long periods of time (classic car owners pay attention), make sure to cover your tires and remove the vehicle's weight or load to help prevent sidewall cracks from forming.

4. Avoid road hazards and potholes

Driving too fast, not keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you, and driving on rough or damaged roads can lead to tire damage from road hazards. Drive your car like road warrior. Crushing through anything in your path on your way from point A to point B? Well you might be surprised to find out that even hitting a pothole at 20 MPH can cause significant damage to the tire sidewall, which is non-repairable.

Now if you can’t avoid hitting a pothole, it is always safer to go through it than to swerve at the last minute, however if you are able to slow down before driving over a pothole, try to do so, as rolling over a pothole can cause less damage to your tires than driving over it at a higher speed.

Also keep in mind that properly inflated tires are less likely to sustain significant damage from potholes and other road hazards.

5. Routinely check your tires’ tread wear

A tire wearing on the outside edge only can be a sign that the wheels are not properly aligned, which can greatly reduce the life of your tires.

Be sure to routinely inspect your tires for uneven tread wear. Wheel alignment can be checked by simply looking at the wear pattern on tires or by a trained technician with the use of an alignment rack. Always make sure the tires have plenty of tread (4/32” of an inch minimum) so you don’t lose traction.

An easy way to check your tread depth is to do the old penny trick (which you can find here: http://lanceratjerrysmitsubishi.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-driver-top-5-things-to-know-about.html). As silly as it sounds, the penny trick is a very easy way to stay on top of your tires tread wear.

At Jerry’s we offer tires for life on all of our vehicles. This means that Tires that are originally purchased on your Jerry’s New or Manufacturer Certified Pre-Owned vehicle will be replaced once they are worn due to normal wear and tear. On top of that Jerry’s also offers nitrogen air fills for your tires free of cost!

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