This report explains how to take care of your car’s tires in the summer, when drivers may head out on more road trips. Whether it’s preparing for a flat tire or checking the summer tire treads for wear and tear, this report employs an instructional tone to direct drivers toward summer tire maintenance tasks. These tire maintenance jobs reduce tire wear and tear and might prevent a flat.
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Summer Tire Care Tips
Generally speaking, tires gain or lose 1 PSI (pound per square inch) for each 10? change in temperature. Theoretically, your tires may increase by as much as 2 PSI over the course of the day when the temperature climbs 20?–a real potential in many parts of the country.
Long day trips, three-day weekends, and no school for the kids, the summer makes for the ideal season for a driving holiday. Before going out on a summer excursion, give automobile tires a fast maintenance check. With a few easy steps, you can ensure that the tires are safe, so you get the most out of each tank of gas and reduce the probability of a flat tire. Follow these four steps to look after summer tires.
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Check Tire Pressure
Automobile tires must be inflated to the correct pressure, which can be indicated in PSI or pounds per square inch. When tires are correctly inflated, drivers appreciate better gas mileage and reduced risk of creating a flat. When tires are underinflated, they will wear down quicker, which means you will need to buy tires more frequently.
It is important to check tire pressure when tires are cold since heat tires will skew the reading. Tire pressure recommendations vary by vehicle make and model and might vary by front and rear tire locations. When you know your preferred tire pressure, which can be recorded in the operator’s manual and on automobile tires, then you can check tire pressure with an air pressure gauge.
If the tire has too much pressure, there is a heightened chance of a blowout. In cases like this, remove the tire valve and allow excess air to escape. If the tire does not have sufficient pressure, use an air conditioner to increase the tire pressure to the recommended PSI.
Check the tire pressure periodically and adjust as required. Fluctuations in temperature, common in the summer months, may cause tires to shed pressure.
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How to Tell if You Need New Summer Tires
As summer tire treads wear down, they are less able to grip the road. It’s easy to check wear and tear employing a penny. The penny test is a simple exercise that you can perform on your tires. It will inform you if the tread is too low and should be replaced. Keep reading to learn exactly what we mean by the “penny test” and just how easy it is that you measure your existing tire tread amounts.
To do the penny test, hold the penny with Lincoln’s head facing you. Slip the penny between tire treads and rotate it, so Lincoln’s head faces down. If the top of his head sinks beneath the treads, your tires are great. If the entire head stays above the treads, the tires are worn to the point of risk. Replace worn tires instantly.
If a part of Lincoln’s head is always covered by the tread, you have more than 2/32 of an inch of tread depth remaining. This means you probably do not need to purchase tires at this time.
Make certain to check your tire’s tread frequently and also to replace your tires if the tread was worn down to 2/32″. If your tire tread gets this low, replacing them is not really an alternative — it is a legal requirement. By law, your tires are regarded as dangerous for driving when they reach 2/32″ level.
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Rotate Summer Tires
Front and rear tires wear differently. For example, the front tires hold more than 60% of your vehicle’s weight; consequently, front tires wear faster than the rear ones. Additionally, turning also wears the front wheels differently. In the United States, we generally take left turns quicker than we do a right turn. This places more load on the right front tire which leads to the right-side tire wearing faster than your left. After thousands of miles of driving, you wind up with uneven tread wear.
Rotating summer tires equalizes these natural wear patterns by changing the positions of your tires. By rotating your tires frequently, you will guarantee yourself a smoother and safer ride. And more importantly (for some) you will save money in the future by prolonging the life of your tires.
To rotate auto tires, you will have to loosen the tire lug nuts, then use the auto jack to raise the car off the floor. After the vehicle is in the air, remove the lug nuts and pull the tire. Carry the tire to its contemporary location, and then repeat the procedure for another tire. To put the tires in their contemporary places, push the tire on the wheel, and then reattach your tire lug nuts to fasten it. Lower the automobile to the floor. After the vehicle is back on the floor, secure your lug nuts with the tire iron.
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How To Prepare for a Flat
Flat tires do not happen frequently, but the huge majority of drivers will have to take care of a flat tire at some time in their lives. Build, Price, Option wants drivers to remain prepared so that they can handle the situation safely and economically.
Make Sure You Have a Good Spare
An excellent spare can get you out of dangerous situations immediately. Rather than waiting on the side of a busy highway for hours, you can change your flat tire with the spare and be on your way.
A spare tire only works, however, when it is properly inflated. Many people never think to look at their spare tires. Then they learn that the spares are entirely flat when they place them on their own cars. That is not going to help the situation in any respect.
Check your spare tire’s air pressure as often as you check the tires on your vehicle. This way, you know that you have a trusted backup if you need it. Needless to say, you must also understand how to replace the tires securely.
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Have Reliable Roadside Assistance
Even with the ideal tools, it is often rather hard to loosen the bolts that hold your tires. That’s particularly true because most tire dealers utilize hydraulic tools which tighten the bolts exceptionally tight.
Reputable roadside aid could get you out of a situation if you can not replace the tire by yourself. You need to have air tools, or muscle ability, to get off the tires. Consult your automobile, insurance firm, and third-party options about roadside assistance programs that fit your budget and requirements.
Conclusion
If you discover something unusual when assessing your tires, then get the problem looked at by a mechanic. The little bit of time spent checking tire well-being and doing preventative care more than pays you back gasoline savings, better safety, and longer-lasting summer tires.