When car enthusiasts buy a new car, they pay attention to everything, except the tires. For some reason, tires begin receiving attention precisely when something goes wrong. Either the traction of the vehicle decreases, or the engine begins to consume more fuel. In such situations, drivers ask themselves whether the issue is or is not related to the tires. Well, it is. And the way we take care of them directly contributes to the way the car behaves.
The beautiful part of things is that with minimal, but sufficiently high-quality care, the tires promise to serve without problems for many years to come. And if the maintenance of mechanical systems requires a service appointment, tire maintenance can be done at home.
Possibly...
You may have recently bought a set of brand-new tires. You are sure that your car will provide better traction, a more stable grip, and smoother comfort. And you are perfectly right, as long as you have opted for the right tires considering the car's weight and its type of traction. Now the question is how to preserve these properties without the tires being worn earlier than expected.
So, yes, new tires also need care and maintenance, and not just used ones. Caring for your set of new tires prevents premature wear and ensures the stability of the vehicle on the road. None of us wants the tires to start to mess up after just one year. So, what should we do to keep new tires in optimal condition? You will find out right in this article. Here you will get to know some basic terms that you should never ignore if you truly care about your tires. So, take them into account to benefit from their best possible performance.
Review your driving habits
I do not rule out that you will want to test your new tires to the max. With this in mind, you will probably want to feel some adrenaline in your veins and you will be tempted to mash the gas pedal as hard as possible to test the reaction of your tires. However, with this action, you are only gnawing the outer layer of the tire treads, including the sidewalls, which will begin the process of their damage. I'm sure your new tires will be up to the challenge, don't even doubt it. However, do not think that these actions will not remain without consequences on the structure of your tires.
If your goal is to keep your tires in optimal condition, review your driving style. Adopt a careful style especially when braking and cornering. Reduce speed long before the pothole you spot on the road. Avoid subjecting the tires to additional stress because it is often unnecessary. Your new tires are capable of a lot, but that doesn't mean they remain unaffected if you test their potential from the very first days.
New tires are not exempt from regular pressure checks
Many car lovers mistakenly believe that if the tires are new, they cannot undergo pressure deviations. They are so wrong! New tires, even if they are still under warranty and in ideal condition, are prone to pressure fluctuations anyway. Even temperature changes can affect the tire condition. So, there is no argument and no excuse to disregard this aspect. Once you avoid pressure checking, they may undergo underinflation. You don't want to find yourself with a flat tire. One of the tires' fiercest enemies is uneven wear as a result of under-inflation. Uneven wear leads to instability of the vehicle on the road, higher consumption of fuel, and more impaired traction.
Make sure that the pressure level is equal to the 4 tires and coincides with the level recommended by the manufacturer every month. If you haven't bought a pressure gauge yet, maybe it's time to consider one, because this tool helps you keep things under control when you have nowhere to check the pressure.
Correct alignment is a must
"Wheel alignment" is a term you will have to get used to. This ensures the correct positioning of the wheels on the road and to each other. For this procedure, you will need to contact the technician who will inspect the existing angles and correct them if there are irregularities. A potential misalignment leads to a chain of negative consequences on the tires as well as on the entire suspension system. One of the most common consequences is uneven tire wear, which you already know is not particularly beneficial.
The signs that suggest a possible wheel misalignment are pulling to one side as well as vibrations in the steering system. These symptoms can occur regardless of whether you have new or old tires. In the same context, I would like to mention that you should not wait for these symptoms to appear to get the car to an alignment inspection. In many cases, misalignment is asymptomatic and you can barely deduce that something is wrong. Especially if you are not an experienced driver.
So, to protect your tires, be aware of this potential problem and inspect the angle of the wheels regularly. The regularity of the procedure is at your discretion because no law obliges wheel alignment with regularity. However, specialists recommend a checkup from 6 to 12 months to avoid the issue getting worse.
Tire rotation is as important as wheel alignment
Another important term is tire rotation. It is a simple procedure but extremely important and mandatory if you want to enjoy the optimal condition of your tires.
The technicians rotate the tires depending on the type of traction of the car. They change them either parallel, perpendicular, or X-shaped to even out the wear of the 4 tires. Many drivers take advantage of the moment when they change the car's oil and rotate the tires at the same time. You can do it as you like, the important thing is not to skip this step. If the tires do not change their position on the axles of the car, the consequences are not very good. Tires wear unevenly which leads to: increased pulling; delayed response to tasks like braking, cornering, and accelerating, steering vibrations, poor vehicle handling, and many more.