Tire Maintenance
Proper tire maintenance is a relatively simple task, and can save both money and headaches. You don't need to be a mechanic to know what to check. Just spend a few minutes each month inspecting these often overlooked components.
Tire Pressure
The single greatest cause of tire damage is improper inflation. Your tires lose pressure over time, resulting in unnecessary stress on them, causing problems with early and irregular treadwear, handling, traction, ride and poor gas mileage. Tires can't deliver their best performance without the right air pressure.
How often should you check the air pressure in your tires?
We suggest you check at least once a month. That should be often enough to maintain an even pressure. Remember, however, that weather will have an affect on the pressure. For every 10 degree change in the temperature, the tire will either lose or gain 1 psi. A tire will drop pressure when it gets colder and will increase in pressure as it gets hotter.
You should check each tire's pressure (including your spare) always before a long trip--and always do it when they're "cold" (that is, at least three hours after the vehicle has been stopped and before it has been driven one kilometre). Purchase an accurate pressure gauge as it's impossible to tell how much air is in the tire by looking at it. Don't trust the gauges attached to the air hoses, as they may be inaccurate. All tires lose air over time. This is normal, especially in warmer weather.
Load carrying limits molded into the tire's sidewall should never be exceeded. This number does not indicate the proper inflation for your car. Overloading builds up heat which could lead to failure.
How much air pressure do your tires require?
For this, you will need to check your owners manual or the tire information sticker for the manufacturers recommended "cold" pressure... or ask a Superior Tire Advisor for the correct recommendations. To get a "cold" pressure reading, you should check the air pressure before you drive your car, while the tires are cold. Even driving 1 kilometre to an air station will increase the reading you get. If your gauge reads 29 psi "cold" and you want 32 psi, simply add 3 psi at the air pump.
Road Hazards
Obviously, obstacles in the road should be safely avoided. If for some reason you do run over glass, rocks, or curbs, check the tire for external damage. If you suspect you damaged the tire but can't see it, have the tire demounted and checked for internal damage by a trained Superior professional. The little hassle you go through by having it checked out can save you a much bigger hassle down the road.
Tread Wear
As your tire wears, its ability to grip the road in adverse conditions decreases. If your tires are neglected, the tread can wear completely away, leaving the surface of the tire smooth or bald. This is not only dangerous, it's also illegal in many areas.
Treadwear indicators appear as horizontal lines of wear across the tread grooves when the tire needs replacing. Check for rounded shoulders as this causes bad performance with cornering. If in doubt, drop by the closest Superior Tire and Auto Store for a quick evaluation.
If you get stuck in mud or snow, don't spin your tires to get out. Spinning even for a few seconds can build up a lot of heat and damage your tires--and even cause an explosion.
Tire Balancing
Properly balanced tires and wheels spin with all their weight distributed equally. Unbalanced tires can result in a vehicle's "shimmying" (shaking from side to side) and "tramping" (hopping up and down). When your tires are installed, balancing should be part of the installation procedure. It also affects the wear of the tire and causes annoying ride comfort.
When the clothes clump in one spot of your washing machine during the spin cycle, the washer rocks wildly from the uneven weight distribution. This is what happens if each wheel and tire (called a wheel/tire assembly) are not properly balanced. The result is that your tires will behave like your washing machine. You'll get an uncomfortable ride, the steering wheel will vibrate, and you'll damage your tires and your suspension system as your tires bounce against the pavement.
These problems can be easily prevented by having wheel/tire assemblies balanced when you buy new tires and when you have them rotated. It's a worthwhile investment.
Alignment
Proper alignment ensures that all wheels on a vehicle are pointed in the optimum direction to the road and each other. Tires on a misaligned vehicle degrade handling and don't wear equally, reducing their tread life. It can sometimes be felt by the car's pulling to one side or wandering which in turn could lead to a major repair bill if it's not corrected A qualified Superior Pro Mechanix Auto Technician can test your vehicle's alignment.
Rotation
The purpose of regularly rotating tires is to achieve more uniform wear on each tire. If no period is specified in your manual, then rotating every 10,000 kilometres is recommended. Superior Tire SuperGuard warranties usually include tire rotation at no charge. Take advantage of this.
Punctures & Repairs
If any tire sustains a puncture, have the tire inspected internally by a Superior Tire Technician for possible damage that may have occurred.
Tread area punctures in passenger and light truck tires can be repaired provided that the puncture hole is not more than 1/4" in diameter, not more than one radial cable per casing ply is damaged, and the tire has not been damaged further by the puncturing object or by running underinflated. Punctures in the sidewall should be a cause to replace the tire in most cases.
Plug-only repairs done on-the-wheel are considered improper and therefore, not recommended. Such repairs are not reliable and may cause further damage to the tire.
