There are two important ways to maximize the life of your tires. They are wheel balancing and tire rotation.
Tire Rotation
As your car drives through turns, the front tires wear down. Front tires wear down more than rear ones for that reason. When we rotate your tires we are moving them around so that they will wear down more equally. This makes a big difference in the life of your tires. It is a good idea to have your tires rotated about every 5,000 miles. We recommend you have them rotated every second oil change service, which for most cars is about every 6,000 miles or so.
Wheel Balancing
Balanced wheels are important to tire life and to a comfortable ride. An out-of-balance wheel will wobble or bounce as is rolls along. This can create a cupping wear pattern on the tire. That is our tell-tale sign of a wheel balance issue. When we rotate your tires, we look for these patterns and will inform you if we find them. If your tire needs balancing, we place it on our wheel balancing machine and balance it by adding lead weights to the wheel. If you are feeling a bouncing or vibrating wheel that speeds and slows with your speed, you may have an out-of-balance wheel. That means you have it inspected soon, however, it’s usually not an emergency.
A Word About Tire Pressure
When speaking about tires and wheels, it should be mentioned that tire pressure is very important to monitor also. Think of how much harder your bicycle is to pedal when the tires are low. Your car must also work harder when your tires are low. Over-inflating can be a problem too, though. Review your owner’s manual to determine the right level of tire pressure. Or, the next time you come in, ask us.
