One of the biggest ways to prepare for any daily driving or longer driving trip is to conduct a proper tire inspection of your vehicle. Properly maintained tires can make a drastic difference in the safety and pleasure of a road trip. Also, properly maintained tires can keep your costs fuel down, as well as giving traction in poor weather conditions. Tires also wear down with normal use, so it is always a good idea to check them before any kind of long trip. There are also many types of tires, each with it’s own purpose. If you are unsure what type of tires are best for your vehicle, make sure to schedule an appointment. We can help to advise you on the choices you have, and we will recommend what would be best for the vehicle.
The Tire Pressure should be checked on a regular basis
Checking to see how much pressure is in the tires might be the most basic check, however it is also the most important. Based on what the owner’s manual of your vehicle says, over inflated and under inflated tires can become an issue. Proper inflation can affect anything from the fuel efficiency to the chance of a blowout while driving. Checking the tires before a road trip of any length can also extend the life of your tires because tires that are not properly inflated can wear differently. This can also lead to further wear and tear on parts of the vehicle. If you notice an issue with the inflation, it is always best to bring the vehicle in so we can inspect it for you.
Check the Alignment of the Tires
Making sure that the wheels of your vehicle are parallel to one another and that they are perpendicular to the ground is what tire alignment is. Poor tire alignment can make a vehicle drive drastically different from a vehicle with wheels that are properly aligned. If a wheel is misaligned, it will tend to drag the vehicle to one side or the other. It will also cause the tire to wear unevenly because a wheel that is not parallel to the others comes into contact with the ground in an angle that it isn’t designed to. Checking the tire alignment can be done as simply as driving on a flat, straight road with the steering wheel spokes even. If the vehicle glides to one side or the other, your wheels are probably misaligned.
The Tires should be inspected
The biggest factor to check is the condition of the tread. The tread consists of the part of the tire down which groves run. These groves are deep for a reason, and having too shallow of a tread depth can be detrimental to your safety on a trip. Tread depth is how your tire literally connects to the roads you travel, whether it is on dirt, pavement, or in increment weather. If you are unsure if the tread is at the correct amount, make sure to bring the vehicle in and we can inspect the tires for you.