How To Monitor Your Tire Health

In Norwood, Massachusetts, Nucar Honda of Norwood understands that monitoring your vehicle’s tire health is one of the most critical aspects of owning and driving a car. Being aware of the condition of your tires is imperative for your safety, the safety of your family, and the safety of others. The condition of your tires will impact your vehicle’s ride quality, braking performance, and handling. Some things you can do to maintain your tires are to check the tread depth, monitor the air pressure, and ensure that your car is in alignment. Let’s explore how to monitor your tire health.

Signs and Symptoms of Tire Wear

Image via Flickr by Lisa Padilla Licensed CC BY 2.0

Tires are an expensive investment, and the best way to protect your tires is to inspect them often. By examining your tires, you ensure your family’s safety as you take care of the daily commute or go on your next road trip. How well the roads are maintained in your local area plays a significant part in tire wear, and depending on how bad the roads are, you may need to do a weekly inspection. The more you encounter potholes, debris in the road, cold climates, and long driving distances, the more often you will need to inspect your tires.

You want to be aware of specific signs when inspecting your tires. These signs can help you determine if there are problems that need to be addressed. For example, when inspecting your tires, you want to be aware of:

• Overinflation: Overinflation is when a tire has too much air pressure, which will cause the center of the tire to wear out faster than the outer edges.
• Underinflation: Underinflation is when a tire has too little air pressure, which will cause the tire’s outer edges to wear out faster than the center.
• Excess treadwear at the edges of the tire: When excess treadwear is present on the tire’s outer edges and not associated with underinflation, this is a sign that your vehicle is out of alignment.
• Raised spots in the sidewall or tread of the tire: When you see raised portions in the tire, this is a sign of the separation of an internal belt.
• Treadwear that is erratic: Also referred to as cupping, this is a sign of your vehicle’s suspension going bad or the tire being out of balance.

Though a thorough visual inspection of your tires can help you find issues, there are other ways you can discover problems with them. For example, if you notice that you are experiencing unusual vibrations or thumping noises as you drive, these could indicate that something is wrong with your tires. The cause of these noises can include a wheel out of balance, a flat spot in the tire’s tread, or a separated belt.

If your vehicle has a tendency to pull to the right or the left while driving, it may need to have an alignment to correct the issue. When alignment issues are left unchecked, your tires will pay the price with undue wear and tear. If the damage to your tires is extensive, your vehicle may still pull to one side or the other even after having the alignment corrected. If this is the case, you will need to have your tires replaced.

How To Inspect Your Tire Tread

Tires require even treadwear to provide you with longevity and optimum performance. Tires that are wearing evenly can better maintain traction on all road conditions and effectively shed water in wet conditions. Scheduling a monthly check of your tires’ tread depth is a good habit for monitoring the health of your tires.

The process of measuring the tread depth of your tires is relatively simple, and you have the option of purchasing a tread depth gauge or using the old penny test or the quarter test. Of course, using an actual gauge is the most accurate measurement, but using a quarter or a penny as a gauge is still sufficient to check your tread depth.

When using a quarter, place it between the treads with Washington’s head facing down. If you can’t see the top of his head, your tread depth will be somewhere around 4/32 of an inch and healthy. However, if you can see the very top of his head or farther down the quarter, it is time to consider searching for new tires.

Using a penny is very similar to using a quarter. With Lincoln’s head facing down, insert the penny in the tire’s tread. If you can see Lincoln’s head, your tires are close to or below 2/32 of an inch and below the legal limit. If you measure your tire tread and it’s this low, you will need to replace your tires as soon as possible.

Many tires also have visible wear indicators that show up when the tread depth is below the safety limits. These wear indicators are visible as bald strips that run side to side across two or more tread segments.

Though the difference between 4/32 and 2/32 of an inch may seem utterly insignificant, it could make the difference between life and death. Tires with 4/32 of an inch of tread can shorten your stopping distance on a wet road by up to 122 feet or over six car lengths.

How Much Air Pressure?

There are instances when you can visually tell that your tires may need air, but it’s best to be certain by checking them with an air pressure gauge. This type of gauge is easy to find and easy to use. All you will need to do is unscrew a valve stem cover and press the gauge onto the opening to get a reading. Every vehicle has differing factory specifications for tire pressure that can usually be found on the sticker inside the driver’s door or in the owner’s manual.

Modern cars have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which actively monitors your tires’ pressure and alerts you when there is an issue. However, these electronic systems can malfunction, so checking your tire pressure manually is often best.

If you live in Norwood, Massachusetts, or the surrounding area and don’t feel comfortable monitoring your tire health, let our service center at Nucar Honda of Norwood take care of all your tire needs. Our tire specialists will ensure that your tires are in tiptop shape. Contact us or visit our conveniently located dealership today and have confidence that your tires are in good condition and safe. Nucar Honda of Norwood is your one-stop-shop for the best dealership experience.