Even many of the car freaks here at LotPro.com rarely think about the tires on their cars. Sure, whenever you have your oil changed, the mechanic usually physically inspects your tires and makes sure they are set to the proper inflation pressure but other than that, what’s the big deal?
Think about it. There are only four places that your car actually touches the road and those places would be the four “contact patches” between each of your tires and the road surface. On average, each of these contact patches is about the size of an adult hand. We also have a mechanical device (your car) that weighs an average of 2 tons and is traveling at speeds ranging from 36.6 feet per second (25mph) to 102.6 feet per second (70mph) or more. That’s feet per second! Add to that the g forces involved in any maneuver – turning, braking, accelerating – and you can see the importance of tire maintenance.
How does this affect you?
Here are the ways that improper tire maintenance can affect your pocketbook:
- Proper inflation pressure – tires that are under inflated or over inflated can wear out prematurely requiring early replacement.
- Scheduled tire rotation – tires that are not rotated according to the manufacturer’s specifications will cause unbalanced tire wear between the front and rear tires requiring early tire replacement.
- Front end alignment – if you drive in an area that has numerous potholes or rough roads, failing to check wheel alignment (both front and rear on many vehicles) can result in premature wear requiring early replacement (is there a pattern developing here?).
- Gas mileage – both under inflation and improper alignment can negatively affect your gas mileage causing you to spend more at the gas pump than you need to.
The bottom line
Follow the maintenance schedule in your owners manual. Here is an example from the Mazda3 manual:
In this example, the manual says to rotate, inspect and check the wear every 5,000 miles.
In addition, I suggest that you buy yourself a good tire gauge (about $10) and keep it in your car. Check your tire pressure at least once a month and visually inspect them at least once a week for sidewall damage, uneven wear and road debris (if you’ve picked up a nail, it’s much easier to change a tire in your driveway than on the expressway). When you drive, pay attention to whether or not your car “pulls” to the left or right. This could be an indication that your car is out of alignment.
If you follow this advice, not only will you save yourself some money, you will also have a safer driving experience.
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