Ways to Lengthen the Life of Your Tires

Tires, by all accounts, are modern marvels. Consider for a moment the abuse they are subjected to. Road surfaces in the summer months can reach over 120 degrees, and below 0 degrees in the winter. They run over everything imaginable on a multitude of irregular surfaces - some, like gravel, are very abrasive, and the tires still hold air.

Modern tires have three primary pieces: the bead or center of the tire, the sidewall and the tread. When constructed, these are separately built and molded together as one unit. The most efficient way of promoting long life on your tires is to be cognizant of the air pressure and alignment on a continuous basis.

Radial tires contain a series of steel belts under the tread, which are designed to help prevent punctures. The tread is molded to the sidewalls in a clamshell mold under high temperatures. As long as a tire is at the right air pressure, this steel belt has negligible flexing. Let the air pressure drop and the tire begins to flex extensively, causing the steel belts to heat up. Once the steel belts cause the heat in the tire to rise to a point higher than was necessary to mold the tire pieces together, the tread will separate from the sidewall. Heat is a major factor for tire failure do to under-pressure. When this happens, the tire causes a severe wobble at slow speeds. Heat will also soften the tread, accelerating the wear.

Check the tire pressure often. The recommended tire pressure is inscribed on a metal plate on most cars located on the door jamb. It is also inscribed on the side of the tire sidewalls. Another place to find the tire pressure is in the owner's manual.

Keep the front suspension in alignment. Occasionally turn the steering wheel all the way to one side or the other when parked. This gives an excellent view of the tire's tread on both sides of the vehicle with which to access the treadwear. If the tread appears to be wearing on one side more than the other the vehicle needs an alignment to stop the unusual tire wear. If the center of the tread is wearing out faster than the outside of the tread the tire is being driven over inflated. The outside worn more than the center is under inflated. Cupping of the tires is caused by either tire balancing or bad struts or shocks.

Keep the tires balanced. As a tire wears it becomes lighter, hence the balancing becomes less effective. Balance them every 10,000 miles if they are incident free. If a shaking of the steering wheel becomes evident at speeds over 35 miles per hour, the tires are out of balance and will begin to wear unevenly.