6 Simple Tire Tips

3. Check the level of inflation. To be accurate, invest in a tire gauge, keep it in the glove compartment and check tire pressure before the tires have had a chance to heat up. The factory recommended inflation is printed on a metal tag usually on the driver's doorjamb, or inside the gas filler cap or the glove compartment door. Some vehicles, particularly pick-ups, will include two recommendations, one when the truck is carrying a load, the other for light or no loads. You can't really eyeball proper inflation. Radial tires have softer sidewalls and will look a bit under inflated when they're not. Proper tire pressure provides the best vehicle control, better gas mileage and longer tire life. Inadequate pressure causes excessive heat to build up in the tire—that heat can cause tire failure. If that's not enough reason to maintain recommended inflation levels, under-inflated tires were determined to be a contributing factor in SUV rollover accidents.


4. Uneven tread wear. You can expect to see a shade of difference in tread wear from the outside to the inside of the tire. Anything beyond that slight variation indicates a problem. That problem could be as easy to resolve as proper tire inflation. Other causes range from misaligned wheels (a relatively quick, inexpensive fix by a mechanic) or faulty suspension components. Ignoring the symptom only adds insult to injury. Eventually the cause of the uneven wear will rear its ugly head, then you'll have the repair plus the cost of new tires to deal with.


5. Cracks, cuts, bulges, blisters on the sidewall. The first two offenders can be a sign that while the tire may not have covered close to its warranted miles, it's been on the car long enough to need retiring. The mileage rating on tires can be used as a gauge of quality, but how and where you drive and the years on the car can cause tire deterioration before they've reached that benchmark. Bulges and blisters are serious flaws—the only place they should be driven is straight to a tire retailer.


6. Vibrations: We covered that flaw in our intro experience. If you've checked your tires regularly, kept them properly inflated, you'll never experience that nasty shake you can feel through the steering wheel. That vibration is the death rattle of a tire.


You're probably thinking this is all a royal pain. Humor us—next time you pull into the gas station to fill-up your tank, run this quick tire check. We bet you'll finish the checklist before your tank is topped off.