Checkout this effective tire maintaining tips, you really need it.
What makes a sound vehicle are; good body, good engine and a good tires. Tires are very important because they are hitting the ground and gets hot and hotter as you drive by.
Many of the accidents on our roads are as a result of bad tires. Some people like “managing” tires with out knowing that such is suicidal. Some like going for the so called fairly used tires thinking it is cheap with out knowing that in a real sense, it is more expensive, considering how many times you will end up changing it from time to time.
Step 1: Locate the recommended tire pressure on the vehicle’s tire information placard, certification label, or in the owner’s manual.
Step 2: Record the tire pressure in all tires using a tire pressure gauge (available at automotive stores and department stores).
Step 3: If the tire pressure is too high in any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the tire valve stem with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.
Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, note the difference between the measured tire pressure and the correct tire pressure. These “missing” pounds of pressure are what you will need to add.
Step 5: At a service station, add the missing pounds of air pressure to each tire that is under inflated.
Step 6: Check all the tires to make sure they have the same air pressure (except in cases in which the front and rear tires are supposed to have different amounts of pressure).
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has simplified the process of remembering specific tire care points by developing the tire maintenance checklist P.A.R.T. or:
Pressure?Under inflation results in accidents, irregular tire wear, loss of control, and unnecessary tire stress. A tire can lose up to one-half of its inflation pressure and not appear to be flat! Check tire pressure at least once each month and before long trips.
Alignment?A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw your car’s front end out of alignment and damage your tires. Have a tire dealer check the alignment periodically to ensure that your car is properly aligned.
Rotation?Regularly rotating your vehicle’s tires will help you achieve more uniform wear. Unless your vehicle’s owner’s manual has a specific recommendation, the guideline for tire rotation is approximately every 5,000 miles. Check with the retailer you purchased your tires from?many include free tire rotation for the life of the tire as part of your purchase price.
Tread?Advanced and/or unusual wear can reduce the ability of the tire tread to grip the road in adverse conditions such as rain or snow. Visually check your tires for uneven wear. Look for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Also check for signs of damage. When tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch, tires must be replaced. All tires have “wear bars,” which are small raised bars of rubber in the groove that indicate when tires are worn out. If your tread is worn down to the wear bars, it’s time for a new tire. A penny is a convenient way to check tire tread. Simply take a penny and put Lincoln’s head into one of the grooves of the tire tread. If part of his head is covered by the tread, you’re driving with the legal amount of tread. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, it is time to replace the tire.
Culled from an article on Gerberlife.com