To change or not to change? Learn why you really should care about your tire? We also have answers to other questions about your wheels and tires, like: What does tire balancing mean?
This fact is an indicator of how important your car tires are for road safety: The surface contact of all four tires combined is about the size of a piece of letter paper. This contact with the road is where everything happens – accelerating, braking, and directional control. This is why you should take your tires seriously. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
1. WHEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY CAR TIRES?
There is no way to tell exactly how long a tire change lasts. The lifespan and mileage of a tire depend on a combination of factors: its design, the driver’s habits, the climate, the road conditions, and the care that’s put into the tires.
A few milestones and tips:
- Keep five years in mind
- After five years or more in use, your tires should be thoroughly inspected at least once per year by a professional.
Related: DO I NEED TIRE CHANGE?
2. WHEN SHOULD I BUY NEW CAR TIRES?
Generally, you should get new tires when your tread wears out. The legal limit for tread depth is 2/32 of an inch, but experts at Motion Automotive recommend around 5/32 of an inch for winter tires and 4/32 of an inch for summer tires.
So, how do you know if you have enough treads or not? An easy way to check the tire tread depth is to use the penny test. Insert the penny into your tire’s tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down, facing you. Check several grooves on your tire, but especially those on the outside where the tread wears the fastest. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you have less than 2/32 inch remaining and it’s time to replace your tires.
A lot of drivers don’t know that tires age even if they aren’t being used. UV rays, humidity, and temperature all degrade the material. This is why you should buy new tires every eight years even if you have plenty of treads left.
Each time you change the wheels or tires and have driven about 50 miles, you should retighten the lug nuts on the wheel rims. This is purely a precautionary measure, but under certain circumstances, the nuts can loosen up a bit during daily use.
4. HOW DO I READ A TIRE SIDEWALL?
P245/40 R19 98V – even though it may look like one, those numbers on your car’s sidewall are not a secret code. They are known as the “tire code”.
The letter “P” at the beginning tells you it is a P-metric tire made to standards in the United States and intended for passenger vehicles.
The number 245 tells you the tire size.
The first three-digit number in the tire size is the tire width. So, in this case, the width of the tire from sidewall to sidewall is 245 millimeters.
The 40 in this tire size tells you the aspect ratio.
The letter “R” stands for “radial” because the layers run radially across the tire.
The 19 refers to the wheel diameter, which is the size of the wheel that the tire is intended to fit.
98 refers to the load index, or how much weight the tire can support when it’s properly inflated. If you consult a tire road index chart, you will find that the 98 means the tire can carry 1,653 pounds.
The final “V” at the end is a speed rating, indicating the maximum speed this particular tire can sustain under its recommended load capacity.
M+S (mud and snow) following it can often be found on all-weather tires as well.
The Department of Transportation number on the tire indicates when the tire was made. For instance, 2519 means that the tire was produced in the 25th week of 2019.
5. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIRES?
If you live in theTEXAS, Motion Automotive recommends then using all-weather tires year-round. All-weather tires are winter tires that have been given some aspects of summer tires, which means they are always a compromise between the two.
6. WHAT DOES Tire Alignment MEAN?
How do you know if your tires are unbalanced? One obvious sign is when you’re steering wheel starts to vibrate. A car repair shop should have the right tools to check the balance of your tires and adjust them. To rebalance the tire, weights are applied to planes on the tire rim, inside and out.
If you have any questions about tire alignment, send your inquiry to us and we will answer you as soon as possible.
WHAT IS HYDROPLANING?
Hydroplaning is something everyone worries about. It happens when there are large amounts of water on the road that the tires aren’t able to displace. Water is pushed under the tire, creating a thin film that separates the tire from the road surface, causing it to lose traction. This results in a loss of steering and braking ability. Tires more likely to hydroplane are ones that are especially wide (they have more water to push away) and tires with worn treads. When there is little tread left, the grooves fill with water so the tire can’t displace the water. The same things can happen if the tire pressure isn’t right.
What should you do if you suddenly find yourself hydroplaning?
Motion Automotive experts recommend you take your foot off the gas but do not brake. Avoid steering and disengage the clutch if your car is a standard. Wait until you feel the tires reconnect with the surface of the road.
WHAT SHOULD MY TIRE PRESSURE BE?
The correct air pressure is determined by car manufacturers and tire makers. You can consult a tire pressure chart to find the right tire pressure for your tires. Tire pressure depends on the type of vehicle you have, the type of tire, and the load. You should check your tire pressure regularly, especially before you take any long trips.
In Motion Automotive our business is to keep neighbors and communities’ cars at DALLAS, one of our services is an oil change for all cars and all models
our services are Speedy service with a smile and competitive pricing is the start, but our goal is to get you on the road, safe and assured for reliability.
Resources:BMW.COM