Tire Services
How To Maximize Your Tire’s Lifespan
Tires are the critical connection between your vehicle and the road, affecting ride, handling, traction and safety. You must maintain your tires to ensure all of these factors, or you may be unable to drive effectively. To maximize tire life check your tires’ condition and inflation pressure regularly, then contact a tire repair expert if you need tire services. To check your tires air pressure, purchase a tire gauge at an automotive store or use the attached gauge at a gas station’s air compressor. Your car’s owner manual or driver-side door jam will list the best PSI (pounds per square inch) for your vehicle. You can remove or add air as necessary to match the recommended PSI.
Knowing your tires’ air pressure is important, and their condition can affect how your vehicle performs. If you have under-inflated tires, your vehicle needs more fuel to move, which reduces your fuel economy. When you keep your tires inflated properly, you can get over a 3% increase in fuel economy, and you’ll also be driving much safer. An over-inflated tire can affect your vehicle as well, because you can’t handle the vehicle as well due to the tire not making enough contact with the road. If you repeatedly have to inflate your tires or suspect they may be overinflated, visit Granite Reef Service Center to get your tires looked at by an expert.
Why Rotating Your Car’s Tires Is Important
One part of tire maintenance to never neglect is tire rotation. You should have your tires rotated and balanced. Rotating tires keep their sizes equal. A difference between circumference of the front and rear tires can cause expensive damage to the transfer case or center differential. Why? Your tires do a lot of work, and as you put miles on your car, your tires get worn. Tires can wear unevenly, because certain parts of the tire get worn more easily.
Tire rotation helps you extend the life of your tires by moving them from one wheel to another. You’ll also save money on new tires by extending the life of your existing tires. If you have a warranty on your vehicle, check the warranty papers, as some manufacturers actually require tire rotation every six months to keep the warranty valid. Your vehicle’s manual or the tire manufacturer will tell you.
Get Your Tires Rotated If You See The Following:
- The tires have uneven wear
- The tread on the front and rear are different
- You hear more road noise
- You feel vibrations in the steering wheel
If your car exhibits any of these symptoms, you should stop in for a tire rotation. It’s recommended that you have your tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles, though you should check your vehicle’s owner manual for further guidance as well.
How to Check Tire Wear Yourself
Do you need to visit the tire shop for new tires? You can do a simple test to check for tire wear. Take a penny, and set between your tire’s grooves. President Lincoln should be headfirst in the groove. If you can still see part of Lincoln’s head, you need new tires, since yours are worn. Your tires should be replaced as soon as possible. If you can’t see Lincoln’s head, your tires still have tread, and probably don’t need to be replaced yet. If you have any questions regarding your tires, stop on in to Granite Reef Service Center, and we will be happy to check your tires for you.
Other things to look for with your tires include:
- Cracks
- Cuts
- Bulges
- Blisters
- Visible flat rubber lines appearing between your tread
Any of these can indicate you need to see a tire expert.
Tire Shop Services We Offer:
- Rotate tires every 6,000 miles
- Check inflation pressure a least once a month
- Check spare tire
- Check tire tread life
- Check wheel alignment at least once a year
It’s important to keep your tires in good condition, or else they may puncture more easily. From stray nails to other sharp objects, or even downed tree limbs, your car’s tires come into contact with a lot of puncture risks. When you find yourself needing tire service or repair, you can trust our reliable technicians to help.