Your tires are crucial to the safe operation of your vehicle, and making them last as long as possible is not only beneficial for your wallet, but it’s also integral for your safety. Many of the practices that extend their lifespan can also protect your car’s major components. Below, learn a few ways to get the most out of your tires. 

How to Get More Life out of Your Tires

1. Keep Them Properly Inflated

Read your car’s owner’s manual to check what the recommended PSI for your car is, and keep your tires at that level consistently. If they’re overinflated or underinflated, it will increase your risk of popping one and can lead to uneven and excessive wear. Check your pressure each month so you can figure out if they need more air.

2. Rotate Them 

Rotating the tires every 4,000 to 5,000 miles helps make sure they wear evenly and at the same rate, which is why regular rotation is a key part of auto maintenance. In a vehicle with front-wheel drive, the front wheels bear the brunt of moving the vehicle so that tires in that position will wear faster. Rear-wheel drive vehicles experience the opposite impact. Rotating them helps distribute the workload evenly between them and can provide smoother vehicle handling.

3. Have the Alignment & Balance Checked

Your alignment refers to the angle of your wheels, and if the alignment is off, they’ll pull against each other or have extra pressure applied to them, causing more wear, shaking while driving, or pulling to one side. The balance refers to the distribution of weight in each tire, and if it’s not balanced, it’ll cause wear in one spot. To balance them, your tire service shop will measure the alignment and use weights to correct it. The balance and alignment should be checked around twice a year.

4. Be Gentle When Driving

Accelerating too quickly, slamming on the brakes, and making sharp or fast turns will also put undue pressure on the tires and shorten their lifespan. It wears down the tread and creates weak spots in them. These bad habits can also be rough on the internal mechanics of your car and the chassis, as well. 

Are your tires due for rotation, alignment, or balancing? With over 57 years in business, Brothers Tire Sales in Kannapolis, NC, performs dependable auto maintenance, including brake and tire services. Their team has over 200 years of combined experience, and if you need more than maintenance, they carry replacements in leading brands like Michelin®. Browse their inventory online and make an appointment by calling (704) 933-­2203.