When Do I Need New Tires?
If you’re wondering, “When do I need new tires?”, we have answers to your questions and concerns. Perhaps you’ve had a flat or experienced another specific tire issue, and you’re thinking it may be time for new tires, but you’re not sure. Maybe you ran over a nail. Do you need a tire repair or to replace your tire? What about a wheel alignment? You’ve seen advertisements and heard commercials for wheel alignments, but when is it truly necessary? As a non-mechanic, how do you know? Well, we can point you in the right direction, right now, and give you honest advice for tire care when you come to our shop.
The Penny Test
An easy way to test your tire’s tread wear only costs one cent. This is widely known as the penny test. In this case, a penny can buy you peace of mind when it comes to your tires and safety. Insert a penny head first into various tread grooves across the tire. If you always see the top of Lincoln’s head, your treads are shallow and worn. If this is the case, you will need new tires. If part of Lincoln’s head is always covered by the tread, chances are you have more than 2/32 of an inch of tread depth remaining. In this instance you probably don’t need new tires.
Out of Your Control
Still, there are countless other circumstances that add on to the damage of tires that are usually uncontrollable, including weather cracking and sidewall integrity. When tires begin to age or are vulnerable to harsh weather surroundings, the rubber starts to lose elasticity and cracks form on the exterior. Light cracking may not indicate you need new tires, but if you start to spot a lot of splintering, it would be smart to bring your vehicle to a shop where a professional can assist you in deciding if you need new tires.
Other Factors
Equally as important as the condition of your tires, are shocks and struts and making sure your tire alignment is correct. Shocks, struts and wheel alignment helps your tires by optimizing their performance and allows them to last longer. These all help to give the driver a better control over the vehicle as a whole. If you haven’t gotten your wheels aligned in a while, come in today so we can take care of that for you.