Taking care of your tires contributes to your car's performance and safety; thus, make sure to follow the preventive maintenance procedures listed in this post by Schell Distributing Inc. in Idaho Falls.
4 Essential Preventive Maintenance Procedures for Your Tires
Pressure Checks
For starters, it's important to note that your tires require adequate pressure to perform and support your vehicle's load. Therefore, you should get yourself involved in their preventive maintenance and keep them properly inflated by checking their pressure no less than once a month. Pressure checks are critical because tires are prone to losing inflation over time due to temperature changes and osmosis (air permeability through the tire rubber structure). Generally speaking, tires lose approximately 1 pound per square inch of pressure each month, making driving with underinflated tires a pretty common issue.
Now, driving on tires with low pressure can be dangerous and ineffective. When tires lose air, they deform; causing the tire tread to wear faster due to increased compression, bending, and shearing forces. Plus, the less pressure inside your tires, the greater rolling resistance they'll be enduring; hence, they'll need more energy to support and move your vehicle's load, causing the engine to burn excessive amounts of fuel.
As for overinflated tires, it's worth mentioning that adding way too much air can also deform your tires by making them rounded on the edges, which causes them to lose grip on the ground and minimize traction. As you might know, driving with poor traction can be hazardous as it can cause you to skid, lose handling control, and in some instances, even tire blowouts.
After knowing all the risks associated with poorly inflated tires, make sure to keep yours running safely and smoothly by checking their air pressure accordingly. To that end, you'll need nothing more than your owner's manual and a pressure gauge. To begin with, check the operating pressure your tires need; that is, the optimal, manufacturer-recommended inflation at which you should keep your tires. Next, locate the air valves on the tires and remove their caps; once the valves are open, insert the pressure gauge in them for a few seconds. Finally, check the pressure reading on the pressure gauge and make sure it matches the recommended operating pressure in the owner's manual.
If your vehicle is due for a synthetic oil change in Idaho Falls, reach out to the experts at Schell Distributing Inc. by calling them at (208) 524-0322. Also, visit the AMSOIL online store if you want to place an order on the highest-quality oils and lubricants for your car's preventive maintenance.
Keep Your Wheels Aligned
A wheel alignment consists of adjusting the wheels' angles to keep them perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. Now, to understand why your wheels need to be aligned, it's important to note that each car has manufacturer-predefined angles to its wheel-tire sets. The purpose of these angles is to maximize tire life, improve tire performance and provide optimal handling to the driver.
As expected, a vehicle's wheels unavoidably lose their predetermined angles as the vehicle ages, over months of use, or by accidental instances such as hitting a pothole or bumping into a curb. Although becoming misaligned over time is entirely normal for any car, neglecting its alignment adjustment can result in major damage and unsafe driving conditions. Hence, make sure to check your owner's manual to follow its alignment requirements as recommended by the manufacturer. Doing so will ensure you improve tire performance for a longer time.
As for your car, make sure to check your owner's manual to follow its alignment requirements as recommended by the manufacturer. Doing so will ensure you improve tire performance for a longer time.
Make Sure Your Tires Are Balanced
Getting your tires balanced from time to time is necessary because your vehicle's wheel-tire assemblies are subjected to developing heavy spots. If one of your tires' weight becomes imbalanced, its rotation will be uneven, causing the car to wobble; on the other hand, its tread will wear prematurely, compromising the tire performance and your car's overall safety.
Of course, there are many reasons why tires develop weight imbalances. For starters, tires and wheels are manufactured with unavoidable minor weight disparities; on top of that, some unexpected driving mishaps can contribute to this issue; for instance, when wheels' attached small weights get loosed after bumping into a curb or hitting a pothole. On the whole, developing weight imbalances in your wheel-tire assemblies is unavoidable, hence the need to get your car a tire balancing when due.
Finally, it's important to recognize the importance of rotating your tires periodically. Tire rotation is an essential procedure to ensure even wear distribution for your tires' tread, resulting in longer tire life. As mentioned before, your wheel and tire assemblies' weight, pressure, and alignment angles are in constant fluctuation; consequently, these factors contribute to uneven tire wear, which negatively impacts tire performance and life, hence the importance of tire rotation.
Most cars are required to have their tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles approximately; nonetheless, call your trusted mechanic or check your owner's manual to know your vehicle's rotation intervals.
Reach out to the experts at Schell Distributing Inc. to learn the benefits of using high-quality lubricants for your engine. To purchase the top-performing synthetic oil in Idaho Falls, call them at (208) 524-0322, or visit AMSOIL's online store.