When is it Time to Replace Your Tires?

It really cannot be overstated just how important it is to have tires that are in good working condition on your car. All too often people let their tires get into a bad state, and end up having some kind of an accident due to a blow out or the tire falling apart. The trick to avoiding this is figuring out when it is time to replace your tires. Luckily, it's not all that difficult as long as you keep a few things in mind.

• Check the grooves. The quickest and easiest method for telling whether it is time to replace your tires is by checking the grooves in them. Simply slide a penny (head towards tire surface) into the grooves and see where the head comes out. If you can see the top of President Lincoln's head then you really need to get a new tire. Repeat this check on all of the grooves across the surface of your tires.
• Look at the pattern. Take a quick look at the tread pattern on your tires. When you look at them, they should appear to be even and the same. If there is a noticeable difference between one side of the tire and the other, then you may want to consider getting some new tires.
• Check your pressure. When you do check your tires, don't forget to look into the tire pressure as well. Each brand of tire will have a different P.S.I., and most vehicles will also have a recommended P.S.I., and in most cases these two numbers will be the same. When you check the tire pressure, make sure that you are using the proper tool (a tire pressure gauge) and that the pressure is at the proper level. If it is not, adjust the pressure accordingly. In the event that you notice a consistent pattern where the pressure is slowly lowering, then you really should have the tires looked at and inspected for a slow leak.

Despite knowing when it is time to replace your tires, you will need to actually check them in order to actually get any use out of these strategies. While you may not need to check your tires every day, you can easily check them when you refill your gas tank. By simply doing that, check your tires when you refill the gas tank, you will manage to know when they begin to turn bad and need to be replaced.