2 Instances You Should Replace Your Tires Immediately
Your tires just might be the most important part of your vehicle. Not only do tires keep your car safely on the road, but they also support the entire load of your vehicle. If your tires aren't in good working condition, you are more likely to have an accident. In fact, bad tires are one of the top five factors for car accidents. If you want to avoid this scenario, here are two times when you should replace your tires.
1. Your Tire Tread Is Worn
When your tire tread depth is worn down to 2/32-inches, it's time to replace your tires. It's easy to measure the tread depth on your tires. All you need to do is take a penny and face Lincoln's head toward you. If you can see Lincoln's entire head, your tread is too low. If your tire tread is too low, or if you have bald tires, you should replace them right away.
When examining your tires, you should be aware of these different types of tire tread wear:
- Center wear. Tires worn down the center are usually overinflated.
- Side wear. Tires worn on the side usually are underinflated.
- Cupping. Scoops in the tread are usually caused by worn shock absorbers.
- Flat spot wear. Tires with flat spots might mean you have an issue with your brakes.
- One side wear. One side of the tire being more worn than the other could mean you need a wheel alignment.
Understanding these types of tire tread wear can help you prevent the same problem when you get a new set of tires.
2. Your Tires Are Damaged
You should never drive your vehicle if your tires are damaged in any way. Even if your tires are not that old or they do not have that many miles on them, you should still replace them if they are damaged. Oftentimes, you can tell your tire is damaged just by looking at it.
A flat tire is especially obvious. While you might be tempted to drive on a flat tire, you shouldn't, as it could cause structural damage to the inside of the tire. This in turn could cause damage to your wheel and even your vehicle. If you have a flat tire, you should remove it and put on your spare tire. You can then drive it to a service station.
Other types of tire damage to look for include bulges on the tire, sidewall indentations, and cuts, punctures, or holes in the tire.
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