How can you tell when it is time to have your tires repaired, replaced, or rotated? It is not always easy to tell when your car tires are in need of servicing. However, it is critical to have routine maintenance performed on your tires for the safety of you and your passengers, and for long lasting use.
Reliability
Without even realizing it, you rely on your tires for a variety of tasks including getting you to your destination safe and injury free. Even the smallest problem with one of the tires on your vehicle can have devastating results. Routine tire checks by a professional automotive service provider can help you avoid disaster for your own personal safety and the longevity of your vehicle.
Routine Tire Rotation
As a part of regularly required maintenance for your car, your tires should be rotated consistently to avoid premature wear. General recommendations by the tire experts suggest having them rotated every 6 months or 5000 to 8000 kms. To establish a rotation schedule that suits your particular vehicle, it is a good idea to consult the owner’s manual. During these routine changes, it is an ideal time for inspection to look for any nicks or blemishes that may develop into more serious problems.
Spotting a Flaw
In some cases you may notice an issue with one of your tires before you are due for your scheduled maintenance. When spotting any potentially problematic damage, you should address the issue as quickly as possible.
Tire Damage Variations
There is an array of things that could wrong with your tires that can compromise safety and performance. Routine maintenance helps keep your tires in optimal condition to help reduce the risk of unanticipated complications. There are several external factors that can affect the state of your tires such as weather, road conditions, or the presence of sharp debris.
There are 3 main categories of tire damage:
- Tread damage
- Sidewall damage
- Bead damage
Tread Damage
Tire tread plays an extremely important role when it comes to personal safety, charged with maintaining good and consistent traction on the surface of the road. Over worn treads can result in your vehicle sliding across the road in unfavorable conditions which can be scary and may end in serious injury.
Shabby, flattened treads means your brakes won’t be nearly as effective on slippery roads. Accelerating, handling, and turning are also diminished with threadbare tires. Damaged treads are most often the result of a puncture or general balding from neglected maintenance. Both conditions make tires unsafe for the road.
Sidewall Damage
You may begin to see cracks forming on the sidewalls of your tires. These cracks can originate from various sources such as:
- Extreme weather conditions
- Incorrect tire pressure
- Careless driving
- Damaging cleaning products
- Age
Bead Damage
This category of tire damage relates to sealing issues between the tire and the rim. A sealed connection is essential for tire performance and balance. An absence of sealed beading between tire and rim often results in decreased tire pressure. In this case, you will have to be constantly filling your tires with air to achieve the desired pressure. This approach is time consuming and not good for the life or operation of your tires.
Bead damage can also cause serious safety concerns as it increases the risk of a blown tire while you are driving. Ensuring your rims and tires are fully compatible, and regular maintenance checks, can help avoid this issue.
What Causes Tire Damage?
A range of elements can come into play that affect tire status.
Heavy Loads
Too much weight on your tires causes undue pressure which can result in damage or lack of performance. Constantly carrying around items in your trunk that you don’t need can affect the life of your tires and decrease fuel economy.
Careless Driving
Speeding and reckless driving can result in your tires overheating which may lead to bead damage and an unsealed connection between the rim and tire. Driving at high speeds also increases the risk of accident when hitting an unseen pothole, bump, or some other obstacle on the road.
Uneven Tire Pressure
Maintaining even and accurate tire pressure is very important, not just for your tires but for your vehicle as a whole. Uneven inflation leads to:
- Premature wear
- Reduced traction
- Over worn treads
- Uneven alignment
- Reduced braking capacity
Improperly inflated tires will wear out much sooner and cause the engine to work harder to compensate.
Tire Rotation Service Brampton
If you are looking for an experienced and effective automotive service provider in Brampton or the GTA, Valvoline Express Care can handle all of your tire needs and more.
Drop in any time for tire assessment, tire rotation, tire repair, and all other aspects of routine vehicle maintenance.