A Woman's Guide to Basic Tire Care
Women certainly are not helpless. But sometimes
we are a little overwhelmed working a 40-hour
week, taking care of the children, cooking, cleaning,
and doing laundry. The car is just another added
burden when there isn't a man around to tinker
with it. For the woman who finds herself in this
situation, this is a short primer on routine tire
care that will extend the life of your tires and
hopefully make your life a little bit easier.
Check Tire Pressure Regularly:
Tire pressure should be checked whenever you
suspect a problem or at a minimum, seasonally.
Symptoms of improper tire pressure include excess
wear and squeeling when going around a corner
(for under-inflated tires) and reduced traction
(for over-inflated tires).
Even the temperature can affect your tire pressure.
Check your owner's manual to find where they've
posted the proper tire pressure (usually on one
of the doors) and be sure to keep it at that level.
An improperly inflated tire not only wears quicker,
it can also be dangerous when stopping and can
cause tread separation. You can purchase a tire-pressure
gauge at your local auto parts store, use a gauge
at the gas station or ask your tire dealer to
check it for you.
Have Your Tires Rotated:
Tires should be rotated every 5000 - 6000 miles.
For various reasons, all four tires on a car do
not wear the same. The purpose of the tire rotation
is to allow for even wear and an extended life
for your tires. Some manufacturers recommend "cross-rotation"
(moving the right-front tire to the left-rear,
etc.). Check your owner's manual for it's recommendations.
Have your tire dealer rotate your tires regularly.
Check Your Wheel Alignment:
If you've hit a pothole or scraped your tire
on a curb, your wheels may have been thrown out
of alignment. Symptoms of wheels that are out
of alignment are excessive wear (one tire may
wear more than the others) and steering problems.
You may notice that your car veers to the side
when you're on a straight road or the car doesn't
steer properly in a turn. Unless you notice any
of these symptons, you should have your alignment
checked annually.
Have Your Wheels Balanced at the Same Time Their
Rotated:
An improperly balanced wheel will cause a vibration
at higher speeds (50-70 MPH) which is noticable
in the steering wheel (if a front tire is out
of balance) or in the seat (if a rear tire is
out of balance). It will also increase wear of
shock absorbers, struts and suspensions. If you
notice any of these symptoms, you should have
your tire dealer take a look at your tire. He
will need to locate the heavier part of the tire
and attach a lead weight opposite it to counter-balance
it. Unless you notice any of these symptoms, you
should have your wheel balanced every time you
have them rotated (every 5000 - 6000 miles).
Debbie Pettitt is webmaster for Everything Tires.
For additional articles and information regarding
tires, visit http://everythingtires.com.
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