Importance of Maintaining Your Tires

Tire maintenance is an important part of any car safety procedure, and yet it is often overlooked. A lot of car owners tend to focus on exterior aspects such as paint jobs, engines or transmission. Tire maintenance is important since it is the only contact between your vehicle and the road. Overlooking this aspect can result into unstable handling and potential blowouts especially when driving in high speeds. Miracle Body and Paint in San Antonio Texas explains the importance of maintaining your set of tires.

There are four major functions when it comes to tires. It supports, absorbs, transmits and changes/maintains direction of travel. A typical car weighs between one to two tons with the passenger weight added. The tire’s role is to support and distribute the weight. Most of the roads in the US are actually bumpy. Properly inflated tires with the suspension system absorb road shock which reduces the impact that drivers and passengers feel on a trip. The rough surface of the tire gives traction when accelerating and breaking since it serves as the only contact between the vehicle and the road. It also turns as a response to where the driver steers, either to maintain or change the travel direction.

When it comes to vehicle safety and gas efficiency, tire pressure is important. Since weight distribution varies, it is not uncommon to have an uneven wear, avoidable by tire rotation. Providing the right level of shock will ensure proper pressure level. Remember though that tires lose pressure continually and must be checked regularly. It is therefore important to have a weekly check of the tire pressure or when it seems that the tire is cold. Always check the specifications of your tires to know if they are over or underinflated. Checking any wear in the tread will tell you that it’s time to have the tire replaced.  Not changing a lower tread could be very dangerous since it lessens the friction and driving control. Insert the penny with Lincoln’s head upside down into the tread and when you can see head, the tread is too shallow.