Are Your Tires Screaming For A Pit Stop?

During the Indy 500, each car will change its tires 5 times, about once every 40 laps. When was the last time you looked at your tires? Often, the only time the average person worries about their tires when one is low. Other than that, tires are just expected to do their job. However, there are several factors beyond air pressure that can lead to an incident with your tires. Take a look at some of the most common signs that you might need to order new tires.

Keep an Eye on the Tread

The tread on your tires is essential to the handling of your car, especially in the rain or snow. If your tires look like the image on the left, it is definitely time for you to make a pit stop.

If you are unsure, there is an easy way to check the tread, and all it costs is a penny! That’s right – you don’t need to visit your local tire center to check this. Take a Lincoln-head penny and insert it (head-down) into the tread. If Lincoln’s entire head remains visible, you don’t have enough tread and it’s time to get those tires changed.

Newer tires have an easier way to check the tread as well. Tread wear indicator bars are built into the tires themselves. These bars gradually begin to appear as the tread wears down over time. They appear as flat rubber bars running perpendicular to the direction of the tread itself. If more than one or two of these are visible on a tire, the tread is getting low.

Check for Sidewall Cracks

The next thing to check on your tires is the sidewall. This is an easy visual check, just look for cracks or cuts — grooves that are distinct enough to be visible to the naked eye. This could be a sign that your tire is developing a leak or possibly becoming vulnerable to a blowout. So, if the cracks in the sidewall are starting to look serious, its time to swap out your wheels.

Take a Look at the Outer Surface

The last place to check is the outer surface of the tires. Sometimes this begins to weaken over time, resulting in a bulge or blister that extends outward from the rest of the surface. This weak spot can cause a sudden blow out, something that you do not want to happen when you are driving on the highway.

Be as safe as possible with your tires, and start making it a habit to check them every May as it begins to get warm again. You can use race season as a reminder! If your tires have any of the above problems, take some time to stop by our Ford Quick Lane service center to get them fixed. We work on all makes and models of vehicles, so bring yours in today.

Information source: Christopher Lampton.