Let’s face it, when it comes to car servicing and maintenance we don’t always stay as on top of things as we should. We are all guilty of waiting until the last minute to take care of things like oil changes, general checkups, and having our tires balances, rotated, or outright replaced. Unlike other required maintenance, tires are one of the few things that warn you well ahead of time when they need some attention.
Here are the warning signs your tires need some serious attention to avoid an accident, poor gas mileage, and extra wear and tear on your vehicle.
Tread Wear
The easiest way to determine if you need to replace your tires is by checking the tread on them. What makes this so easy is because you can do it with a penny. Quickly check the treads on your tires by placing a penny into the tread with Abe Lincoln’s head facing down. If any of Lincoln’s head is visible, your tread is bordering on being unsafe. If all of Abe’s head is showing, it’s time to get new ones.
Bulges or Cracks
When a tire begins to lose pressure or deflate, you’ll notice a slight bulging out on the sides. This lets you know there is either a slow leak, low tire pressure, or needing to take notice of how you drive and the impact that has on your tires. Cracks in the sidewall or anything else that looks weird could be indicative of poor tire quality or rough roads/driving and should be taken in immediately.
Vibration
Vibration or thumping is never a good sign when driving. Unless you are on a particularly rough stretch of paved road, off-roading, or driving on dirt and gravel there is no good reason why vibration should occur. If vibration is coming from under your seat then your rear tires could be off-balance. If you feel vibration from the steering wheel then you could have issues with your suspension.
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