Tire Wear and Care

admin - March 4, 2011

Check Your Tire Inflation

Proper tire inflation is essential for safe driving and long tire life. It’s wise to check your tires’ air pressure at least once a month with an accurate tire pressure gauge. Be sure to check pressure while your tires are cold and have not been used recently. Even driving a mile will cause your tire pressure to increase and give you an inaccurate reading.   A continuous loss of inflation pressure may indicate a possible tire or wheel assembly problem. Consult your Goodyear retailer immediately if you experience this.

Check Your Tire Tread

Goodyear suggests you check your tire tread every 3,000 miles. Here are two simple tests:

  1. Take the Penny Test: Simply insert a penny into your tire’s tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to replace your tires.
  2. Check the Tread Wear Indicator Bar: Located at the bottoms of the tread grooves in several locations around the tire. When a tire is so worn that these bars become visibly flush with the adjacent tread ribs, it’s time to replace the tire.

Know What Certain Wear Patterns Mean

When wear patterns emerge, they can indicate problems with your tires or your vehicle that reduce the useful life of a tire. Have your tires checked by a Goodyear retailer if you notice any of these common wear patterns:

  • Wear on both edges: UNDERINFLATION

Under inflation increases the tread wear on a tire’s outside edges and generates excessive heat reducing tire toughness. Soft tires also increases rolling resistance which reducing fuel economy.

  • Wear in center: OVERINFLATION

Over inflation increases wear on the center tread.

  • Cups or dips in the tread: WORN PARTS

Cupping or dipping is most common on front tires, although rear tires can cup as well.

  • Saw tooth edges: MISALIGNMENT

Misalignment causes erratic scrubbing against the road giving the tire’s edges a saw tooth or feathered appearance.

Tire Balancing

If your tires are unbalanced, you’ll notice vibration. This can lead to driver fatigue, premature or irregular tire wear and unnecessary wear to your vehicle’s suspension. Your tires should be balanced when they are mounted on wheels for the first time or when they are remounted after repair. Check your tire balance at the first sign of vibration or shimmy.

Vehicle Alignment

Your vehicle is properly aligned when all of its suspension and steering components are working smoothly and when its tire and wheel assemblies are running straight and true. If you notice uneven tread wear, it could be due to a misalignment and your vehicle should be serviced by a professional.

Tire Rotation

While many people are knowledgeable enough to rotate their own tires, the procedure is especially quick and easy for a professional. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual will specify the proper rotation pattern and schedule for your vehicle. If no specific schedule is indicated, a good rule of thumb is to rotate your tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.

Tire Repair

Tire repairs should be made by a trained tire professional. Proper repair procedure includes dismounting the tire from the wheel. This allows for thorough inspection of the tire for damage, as well as the use of a patch and plug to repair any punctures that fall within the guidelines for repair.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

When to Buy Tires…

admin - March 4, 2011

All tires wear out eventually and, unfortunately, damage happens. It’s important to quickly determine if your tires are safe to drive on, are in need of service, or need to be replaced.

Here are some simple ways to tell if you need new tires.

If your tire is damaged there is a good chance that your tire can be repaired if:

  1. The tire has not been driven on when flat.
  2. The damage is only on the tread section of your tire.
  3. The puncture is less than ¼”.

However, you need to have an authorized tire retailer or technician remove the tire from the wheel and inspect the tire from the inside.

This inspection is absolutely necessary because internal damage is not visible while the tire is mounted. The proper way to have a tire repaired is to patch the tire from the inside and fill the puncture hole. If someone offers you a plug repair, refuse! Plug repairs do not involve taking the tire off the wheel for a proper inspection. A plug is simply inserted into the punctured area. Plug repairs are not reliable and can lead to tire failure. Insist on a full inspection and patch and fill repair on the inside of the tire.

If your tire is worn it’s a good idea to check your tires once a month for visible damage and excess wear. Here are two ways to tell if your tires are worn out: Look for wear bars *. Narrow bands may appear in the grooves across the tire’s tread. See the wear bars? When the wear bars are even with the tread depth, only 2/32” of tread remains,1 replace the tire. The penny trick 2. Place a penny in the most shallow tread groove with Lincoln’s head down. See the top of his head? The tire should be replaced.

* If the tread is worn below 2/32 of an inch, water can’t be channeled away from the tread. This can cause hydroplaning at high speeds. Snow traction is also reduced as well.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

How do I find the correct tire pressure for my car?

admin - March 4, 2011

There’s a pressure rating on the tires themselves, but the door has a different pressure number. Which one is correct? How many psi should I have in my tires?

Having the correct tire pressure is extremely important for getting good gas mileage and the most life out of your tires. Your car has a specific tire pressure that will give the best gas mileage, handling and tire life for that car, and it’s written right on the door of the car. That’s the one you should follow when filling up.

On newer cars, the recommended pressure is most commonly listed on a sticker inside the driver’s door. If there’s no sticker on the door, you can usually find the specs in the owner’s manual. Most passenger cars will recommend 32 to 35 psi in the tires when they’re cold. The reason you check them cold is that as tires roll along the road, friction between them and the road generates heat, increasing tire pressure. For the most consistent tire-pressure reading, make sure the car has been sitting overnight, or at least has been parked for a few hours.

Do not inflate your tires to the pressure listed on the tire itself. That number is the maximum pressure the tire can hold, not the recommended pressure for the vehicle.

Over-inflating your tires will give you a bouncy ride and an ill-handling car, while under-inflated tires can develop premature wear from increased friction. Either way, not having your tires at their recommended pressure will negatively affect tire wear and vehicle performance.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Evans Tire Learning Center!

admin - November 5, 2010

Stay Tuned for daily updates on specials, information, automotive care, and more!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment